One of several different styles of Silat taught on Wednesday at Maelstrom, the name Gadjah Putih translates approximately to “white elephant” in Sundanese. It is a widely practised system native to West Java, near Bandung. It originated in Garut nearby. The Mega Paksi Pusaka variant of Gadjah Putih is one of the most established and broadly practiced version.
Pencak silat Gadjah Putih primarily uses hands and elbows for striking. Strikes with the hands are applied with punches, slaps, and finger-tip thrusts. Elbows are applied horizontally, vertically up or down, and as a forward thrust. The feet are used for low kicks, usually attacking the legs and knees.
The system specializes in snatching or grabbing an attacker’s hand and then applying locks or bone-breaking blows. Once the hand is secured, the arm is pulled to take the attacker off-balance and bring the arm closer for the application of a lock or break. The system also accounts for its own types of attacks and locks by providing counter-measures. For example, it provides effective lock evasion techniques using special foot-work and arm movements. As well, it teaches intercepting elbows with a cupped hand and hitting with a counter elbow strike.
The golok is the primary reference weapon. In other pencak silat that employ the golok, it is usually held with blade forward. However, in Gadjah Putih, the blade is held reversed so that it runs edge outward along the forearm. This hides the blade and also augments the powerful elbow strikes. Even for empty hand, the elbow strikes reflect the application of the golok in how they impact and the angles they are deployed.
The leading proponent of pencak silat Gadjah Putih is Maha Guru Roedy Wiranatakusumah. Pak Roedy current resides in Bandung, West Java but previously lived in Vancouver, Canada and other places outside Indonesia.
Reproduced under fair-use and with credit.