COVER FEATURE__________________________________________________________________
My Islamic Sport Experience
through Pencak Silat by Gadija Greeff
W hat an amazing experience Allah has blessed
me with. Like everything we experience in life ,
the best things come with sincere duah and in a
way that we sometimes cannot even imagine,
through our most awesome Creator
Subahanallah.
I love everything Pencak Silat presents in the
training of the senses, as well as in the physical,
mental and spiritual health it offers. Spiritual
strength is encouraged through beginning and
end of training duas, silence during the call of the
athaan and Salah in its prescribed time. It offers
an amalgamation of benefits through 'family'
unity, with a chance to be exposed to all age
groups and social dynamics, through learning
from one another. In our Pencak Silat family, our
differences become our strength as each one
contibutes a different talent. It is such a unique
experience and never ceases to amaze. It is the
intention to look after our bodies and grow our
minds as the potential of each student is realized
and encouraged to grow . We learn to train our
minds and senses along with our physical bodies,
by training in the dark , blind folded or with our
eyes closed. There is a lot of repetition of
movements to train the muscle memory so that
our reflexes can react naturally. The training
comprises of stretching, physical exercise to build
strength and stamina, as well as Pencak Silat
movement and breathing techniques. To practice
this martial art form, originally taught to the
royalty of Indonesia, is such an honor for me and
one of the best experiences in my life.
.
Photography by Zana Caster
My children and I train on a Wednesday evening at the Bosmont masjid hall and on a Sunday morning at the open field
next to St Barnabas college which happens to be my former high school. As students, we experience outdoor training,
allowing grounding and earthing as we train barefoot in all seasons. The opportunities are endless as one experiences
how Allah SWT opens one door after another. When one's heart and mind is open, there is so much to learn - even
from our younger students who show great potential . I am so thrilled to be part of our Pencak Silat family and would
not trade it for anything . Since mid-2018 and through the guidance of Mariam Gillan, our Pencak Silat SA manager, I
began leading our monthly character building sessions. This assists to mould student's minds and allows them to focus
on the important aspects of life and how to deal with challenges.Two students are chosen to speak about the topic and
give their opinion. Other students are then encouraged to contribute to a discussion thereafter . Loving everything this
training represents, I thank all involved in pioneering the development of Pencak Silat in SA since ten years ago and
pray for it's ongoing success to benefit all joining the Silat family in the future.
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