Maha Guru Roedy Wiranatakusumah is the found of the Silat Sunda Institute (SSI) with a mission of preserving, protecting and promoting the traditional knowledge of pencak silat of the Sunda culture. SSI represents the cultural arts of Maen Po, Nampon Pernafasan philosophy and practices, Benjang (ground work and throwing), and Gadjah Putih(seni bela diri). It offers a unique teaching methodology of empty hand, weapons, practical and tactical offensive/defensive applications at close range.
The cultural arts of SSI have deep roots in the silat tradition, drawing on numerous sources of Sundanese combat knowledge primarily from West Java.
As a native of West Java, Maha Guru Roedy Wiranatakusumah has trained his most of his life in the various systems of pencak silat. He learned directly from the Grand Maha Guru Bapak A. Wajihadin (now deceased), training on and around the semi-active volcanoes which are part of the region near Garut.
Pencak silat Gajah Putih Mega Paksi was founded by Bapak H. Djaenudin in 1959. He resigned as chief of the system in 1983. In 1989 Bapak A. Wajihadin assumed direction with a view to revitalize the system. The name Gajah Putih is used by various groups practicing versions of this system of pencak silat. Grand Maha Guru Bapak A. Wajihadin died in April 2012.
Maha Guru Roedy moved to Vancouver, Canada in the early 1990s and resided there until 2002. He taught pencak silat at the Indonesian Consulate and elsewhere in the area. He has since returned to Indonesia where he continues to train and teach.
He recently established the Silat Sunda Institute to represent and promote a unique blend of local Sundanese pencak silat techniques for defense, combat and healing.
Check out the video below to see Maha Guro Roedy teaching at the Pencak Silat Federation UK in April 2015.
(Reproduced under fair-use and with credit)