Chapter 6

Foot Moves and Web Patterns or Tenunan

In our system the foot moves are quite distinctive. In short, the legs are usually brought up
rather high with each step, much as if one had just stepped on something hot. This high action gives
superior protection (body armor) and affords a degree of camouflage for any kicks that are used in
movement. We use straight line movement from the sempok and depok position (sempok the
moving leg is behind. depok it is carried in front). Going sideways to your opponent requires you to
make steps to keep the proper stance in relation to the attacker. (Photos 124A-124C). Foot moves
are often done with small part circular movements known as half moon steps (sa tengah bulan).
These help you to maintain a flow and the integrity of your position as well as allowing a quick
change in direction if needed. Frontal movement using these half moon steps is also used, sometimes
with an inward circular movement of the hands when going forward as shown in Photos 125A125E. A drill that is used is that the lead leg is moved forward in the half moon method and the foot
is lightly set down, then immediately it is revolved in a circular movement going counter clockwise.
The same movements are duplicated with the other foot. The smaller circles are done to practice
against foot sweeps as shown in Photos 126A-126B. It is also used as a counter for a movement
that we use that is called an ankle and knee take down. (Photo 127). The pictures explain this
technique. Of importance is the fact that you must strike below the opponents knee with the
combined elbow and knee to be effective. This is to prevent a serious counter move against you
which would consist of him slapping your elbow across from the inside out eliminating your elbow
strike and allowing him to utilize his own leg takedown. This can also be done if you use the position
of the lead foot too far in and behind the opponents leg. The danger here is that if your elbow is a
bit late and you are locked in with a foot position of ninety degrees, by quickly hitting your shin with
his shin in a forward moving body lean the attacker can again reverse the takedown on you. So

Photo 124A

Photo 124B

Photo 124C

Photo 125A

Photo 125C

Photo 125B

Photo 125D

Photo 125E

Photo 126A

Photo 126B

Photo 127
everything must drop out from under the attackers eyes and strike at once below his knee, with
your foot slightly turned in back of his and your shin hitting against the side of his shin. Done
correctly this is a devastating move which can destroy the opponents knee and ankle joints and
even cause whiplash type injuries to the opponents neck as it is violently snapped forward from the
impact as his body drops straight down almost in a sitting position. The rear hand should be used to
protect the exposed back of the neck. Returning to the foot moves used to counter this one can see
why so devastating a move is often practiced against. So the small circular move is done at once
when the opponents foot is placed against the side of your shin so that you can reverse the position
by hitting your own knee into the side of the opponents leg. During this drill an application for
practicing ninety and one hundred and eighty degrees turns with kicks can be done as follows. The
lead leg is pulled back towards you in the same half moon manner and is angled ninety degrees
away from you towards your back as pictured. At the same time the former back leg which now
becomes the front leg is used to deliver a front snap, sepok kick by transferring the weight to your
back leg as it half moons backwards. (Photos 128A-128E). Usually one practices the forward

Photo 128A

Photo 128B

Photo 128C

Photo 128D

Photo 128E

movements and circular evasion moves once with each leg and then you use the pivot and kick to
change directions. In this manner one can practice moving and kicking in all four directions. To turn
one hundred and eighty degrees simply pull your lead back more and spring off of the back leg as
you turn and deliver the kick.
These half moon foot moves can be done in a gliding type manner, which is one case in
which the usual high steps are not taken. Even in these moves the heel is carried slightly off of the
ground so the foot can be stomped down on the ground hard with any kicking action. By putting
more weight on the front leg during these moves the aforementioned slippery foot moves can be
done by quickly sliding up the rear leg and stomping it down hard on the ground as the lead leg
delivers the kick.

Pivots and Turns

As the pictures illustrate be sure and use the correct hand positions to protect yourself on
the pivots and turns. Correct turning is very important to us as in Pencak Silat. One always
considers that you are facing at least three attackers at all times. This keeps you more aware of your
body positions (body armor) than would otherwise be the case. Illustrated are two other methods of
correct turning. One is a close range turn in which the rear hand snakes up and over as you turn
becoming the lead hand, and the elbow covers you as you turn. (Photos 129A-129D). The other
turn is a mid-range turn in which you step with the foot across as shown. Note that the foot is only
lightly resting on the ball of the foot. Then you slightly turn your head and look over your shoulder
behind you, or under a slightly raised arm as shown, as again your back hand becomes your lead
hand on the turn. (Photos 130A-130C). In this case you hit with a side inverted fist on the turn to
cover your motion. You do not want to turn leading with your head, for obvious reasons in multiple
attacks. One drill to practice this movement is done by the student move down the middle of two
lines of partners. At each turn the partner throws a blow at the students head and on the turn he
must strike the blow with the side inverted fist. The student then quickly turns back around the other
way. Then they move down the line being attacked by each person on opposite sides in succession.

Large Circle Drills

Many drills are used to sharpen the students skill and timing. For instance sometimes two
students work on a large circle. One starts at the top of the circle, the other at the bottom. One
student is designated the leader, the other the follower. At the start the leader begins moving around
the circle using the various foot moves, with different speeds and heights. Without warning, he will
switch directions using the pivots. The follower must match his speed and heights exactly. Any
deviation in matching the leaders speed and direction will cause the two to come closer together
which is considered a mistake. At the conclusion of the drill there must be no closer distance

Photo 129A

Photo 129B

Photo 129C

Photo 129D

Photo 130A

Photo 130B

Photo 130C

between them than at the beginning.

Sempok and Depok

The sempok and depok sitting postures are also made use of as the student learns to rise
and fall in the clockwise and counterclockwise twisting postures (siloh). The student then practices
kicks while doing them. These can be regular side kicks out of the sempok or depok or the rising
snake strike kick out of the actual upward spiraling motion. (Photos 131A-131C). These low sitting
positions are eventually dropped straight into and sprung up and out of directly on your feet or with
a kick launched in the process. In this manner one can also train by having a partner throw kicks at
your head while you simply drop out from under in preparation for a low Harimau (low tiger)
counter. Much of this will be covered in greater details Volume II.

Stomping The Feet and Kilap Foot Patterns

Very particular to Cimande Pusaka is the stomping of the feet in the ground, together with
the slapping of the thighs and arms in a rapid broken rhythm pattern when advancing towards the
opponent. This is sometimes done in a zigzag pattern to confuse the enemy as to which direction the
actual entry will come from. If you study a tiger or an eagle as it closes with its prey you will notice
the animal and bird both use a zigzag motion in the final few feet before the attack. This serves the
same purpose and prevents a counter for the assault. In a purely strategic point of view this is the
finale stage in the ideal long to short range attack sequence. These zigzag fast foot moves are termed
kilap or lightening bolt foot moves because of the shape and speed they contain and the thunderous
stomping noise produced. The initial long range movements are done in a slow and rhythmic like
manner as a cobra mesmerizes its prey with hypnotic slow movements. These are designed to slow
the opponents thought process down to the same slow speed. If he attacks the movements are
done in a decoy manner whose patterns have a set up counter, built in. If not the Cimande exponent

Photo 131A

Photo 131B

Photo 131C

explodes forward in a broken rhythm violent zigzag attack accompanied by the stomping, slapping
actions and various voice assists (mantras) to provide auditory and visual confusion and panic. As
the attack closes in it attacks with slashing paralyzing and crippling blows to the attackers
extremities, particularly the legs. If this fails he will be swept to the ground violently and followed to
the ground for the follow up attack until the fight is over or entwined with the python style (Ular
Sawa).
Although in reality there is no set pattern for the stomping and slapping, a set pattern is
taught by good teachers to the student so again he can absorb the feel for the movement and allow
the body to produce it naturally and correctly. With that in mind study Photos 132A-132H. In this
sequence we will fake to the left and attack to the right. As the left steps forward to the left it
stomps the ground forcefully as the left open palm slaps the upper left thigh followed by the right
foot stomping the ground and the right hand slapping the right thigh. While the sound of this can be a
one two it should be a one two three four in very rapid sequence. At this point you have flanked off
to the left of you opponent. Notice the covering hand position at the conclusion of the movement.
From here a diagonal leap is taken to the right using the same stomping and slapping moves with the
front leg while executing the slapping technique with the left hand under your right arm and against
your body as shown. The right hand is brought up in front of the opponents eyes while the left leg is
cocked for a kick. From here the left leg can deliver the lead leg joint kick followed by the left side
inverted punch which comes up and behind the open right palm which has been hiding its movement.
This cross body hand position was also used to pull out the vicious tiger claw (karambit) which is
often kept tucked in the side of the sarong for such use. Before the opponent realized it he would be
fatally slashed. The Tiger claw and other weapons will be taught in a separate volume. This stomping
and slapping should be practiced on both sides and make sure the hands are raised sufficiently on
the slaps to allow for upward and lower hit blocks if the opponent should decide to fire kicks or
punches into you while moving. These blocks are done with the back of the wrists and the heel
palm,. in upward and downward snapping actions. Be sure and practice this from all sides and
remember in a fight there is no set sequence or amount of steps that is really taken. In the practice of

Photo 132A

Photo 132B

Photo 132C

Photo 132D

Photo 132E

Photo 132F

Photo 132G

Photo 132H

this, you can count out the individual stomps and slaps and develop a rhythm for it at first, to get the
idea. Count each move out, like one two three four, for each of the first slap and stomps with the
lead and back leg. Then five six seven eight for the next stomp on the diagonal leap, the
corresponding thigh slap, the under the arm slap with your hand and the kick and the punch to the
opponent ending the practice sequence. As soon as you get the idea from both sides then practice it
free style with a broken rhythm and pattern so. it can not be timed or anticipated.
There are other advanced foot moves such as the weave step and the shear step, etc, as
well as the correct use of the back kick but these as well as others will be covered in the following
volumes. The student needs to obtain a good base before going further. One very important point
needs to be stressed. The foot moves and kicks are done with the heel of the foot slightly raised off
the ground. At the moment of impact with the kick (also with hand blows) the foot is stomped on
the ground forcefully to add snap and power to the technique. In this manner the foot is flat on the
ground as previously explained for maximum power but the snap and spring is still developed from
the base upwards. So in effect, the stomping action is produced on each blow to varying degrees.

Webs

The basic use of a pattern or tenunan (web) is to teach the student how to coordinate his
hand and legs together and to teach a correct way of kicking and moving. The set movements allow
the inner body of light to absorb the essence or the feel of what is correct and from here it should be
turned loose in free form to duplicate the concepts in unending patterns as soon as possible.
Returning to the webs now and then to strengthen the principle of the system. Using a great number
of webs is unnecessarily complicated and destroys what the original goal was in the first place, to
make things natural. I have seen students who wasted years on patterns, and who can do them
perfectly but could not fight as well as someone who used fewer patterns but educated the inner
body in six months.

Triangle Webs

The first web we will discuss is the triangle. Indeed everything in our art can be broken
down in a triangular way, even in the significance of the number three (birth or creation, speed,
power and deception, etc.) There are two forms of the tiga. The dalam or inner way, and the luar
for more midrange applications. It also obviously then, can teach how in a fight, the way the student
moves from the outer to the inner gates of the opponent. The triangle is thirty inches per side and
also teaches the angles used in out flanking the opponent, so his weak side is matched against your
strong side (two arms and legs against one arm and leg) hand patterns, weight distribution, besets
(back sweeps) and sapus (front sweeps are incorporated.) To illustrate the tiga we will start with
the luar. (Photo 133). Starting at the base line the first juru is done directly after the right leg sapus
or forward sweeps. On the forward sweep notice the hand position. (Photo 134). The lead hand
goes low and strikes to the groin area, while the rear hand protects the face and can strike high after
the opponent if he would pitch forward from the groin attack. These blows are done just before the
actual sapu is made. One can not sweep anyone who has both legs together or is strong in their
base. The idea is that the person will take a step backwards of forwards from the initial attack. The
high low blows also help move the attackers body backwards at an angle. The further one deviates
from the straight up and down position, to a leaning back position the closer you are to falling. This
is called moving the meridian of the opponent. In the leaning back position the sweep is much easier.
This is one reason we do not do high kicks that require one to lean the body backwards for proper
execution. It is also a position we love to see our opponents put themselves in for us! From the first
movements, the sapu is finally done staying within the confines of the tiga and with a slightly in
curved foot to catch and trap the opponents leg. (Photo 135). As the sweep sets down, you flow
into juru one on the right side. (Photo 136). From here the back leg steps across on the other point
of the tiga as shown and the step and turn drill covered earlier is used. (Photo 137A-137D). From
the last photo you turn into a juru one or two hand position depending on whether you are doing an
odd or even numbered juru. In this manner all of the jurus (of which you so far have ten) are

Photo 133

Photo 134

Photo 135

Photo 136

Photo 137A

Photo 137B

Photo 137C

Photo 137D

practiced in sequence on the tiga luar. The idea is that when you complete the jurus on the web in
one direction you return in reverse order so you now get to do all of the jurus from both sides. To
do this with the ten you have, when you reach the tenth juru do a jump horse or lompat kuda to
reverse yourself with the opposite leg jumping forward and repeat the tenth juru, this time on the
left. (Photos 138A-138D). Then just do them backwards nine, eight, seven, etc. until you have
completed them back to one. Study the photo for the correct jump horse position.

Inner Gate Web

The tiga dalam or inner gate web is our other pattern. You start this pattern from the base
as in the laur, but in order to move toward the point for juru one, you make the half moon circular
foot move we spoke of before towards the point, with your right leg. (Photo 139). Notice the hand
position that covers you and at the same time allows for a thumb slice to the groin and an inside
ankle kick while moving in. When you reach the apex you move the right hand up and proceed with
juru one. After juru one you bring your back hand and arm up in a high chicken wing type position
as your lead hand drops low to protect the rib area. Notice in the photograph how under the
protection of the position I peer through my arms to see any incoming blows. (Photo140). The
chicken wing position then turns into the high side elbow shield block as I pivot on the balls of my
feet. (Photo 141). Then bringing the elbow down in a covering hit block to the basic position, which
is the smooth transfer into the correct juru. (Photo 142). After this juru you move the lead leg
backwards, while the back hand crosses under the lead hand out to the front producing a back
sweep or beset. (Photos 143A-143B). Notice that my weight is back with the sweep so my entire
body is doing the sweep, not just my leg. One then does the appropriate juru, in this case juru
three and repeats the entire three moves, half moon step, turn and sweep through the remaining
jurus. At the conclusion of the last one, which for now is ten, then you again do the jump horse
position to switch sides and do the jurus in the reverse order. All of these moves are for in close
combat and so the name of dalam or the inner moves.

Photo 138A

Photo 138B

Photo 138C

Photo 138D

Photo 139

Photo 140

Photo 141

Photo 142

Photo 143A

Photo 143B

Sweeps

To help you practice the sweeps contained on the webs I have illustrated one good drill to
practice incorporating both the sapu and beset. To start, the opponent throws a punch, which you
can counter with the position from juru seven and or the basic leaf parry previously discussed.
(Photo 144). As you angle into the attacker your left hand slides to grasp his wrist while your right
hand hits the attackers jaw with a short snapping blow as it quickly glances off into his left collar
bone area. (Photos 145A-145B). The blow is needed to steal the opponents awareness of the
sweep before it arrives. The left hand is drawn along the attackers arm down to the wrist area and
pulls down slightly to the left. The right edge of the hand (hand blades) pushes down and also
slightly to the left while your right foot is positioned beside and against the opponents right foot. You
must exert pressure with both hands and your forward body pressure until your partner feels he may
fall at which time you ease up. As your partner steps back you stick to him like glue. Now the hand

Photo 144

Photo 145A

Photo 145B

that was applying pressure in the form of the hand blade on his collar bone slides down his left arm
as you step with a highly raised knee across his body positioning your opponents hand on his other
collar bone. This is a mirror image of the first movement. (Photos 146A-146B). Again this is
practicing the outside sweep or beset from the opposite side. Again your partner takes a step
backward and as you move back towards a standing square position your partner fires the other
hand at you. (Photo 147). Keeping hold of his left hand you use it with an upward motion as shown
to block his other punch. Then look closely as the hands switch positions. (Photo 148). As they do
this your left hand forcibly throws his left hand down and across his body as you keep hold of the
attackers right arm. (Photo 149). With your right hand holding his right arm and your left hand
positioned against his right shoulder you slide your right foot in and against his right foot in position
for the sapu or inside sweep. (Photo 150). Again apply the correct body torque and leverage until
he feels about ready to topple. One can then reverse the training exercises. In this manner the
student can learn the correct feel for the sweeps and can better move correctly on the platforms.
(Photos 151A-151D).

Photo 146A

Photo 146B

Photo 147

Photo 148

Photo 149

Photo 150

Photo 151A

Photo 151B

Photo 151C

Photo 151D

Cross Pattern Web

The only other web that we use is the simple cross pattern (silang). The cross is performed
in order to teach the student the application of using the jurus in a fluid fast format. To do the cross
the first method is to perform the first juru as shown on the forward center line. (Photo 152A152E). This shortened fluid form, the buka and exchange is left out of juru one, so only the two
punches remain, also it can be practiced with the low gates version as described earlier. The second
move of this web is done to the open side or to the left. Notice the covering hand positions that lead
into juru two. (Photos 153A-153J, Photos 153G and 153H were lost, please refer to Juru 2 for
the transition). Also in the short form the third movement is a one hundred eighty degrees turn
behind you. Notice that the turn is done in the manner previously explained in which the back foot
steps across and as you turn the punch leads the way as you slightly look back over your shoulder,
or under the arm. (Photo 154). From here juru three would be done on your right back side. Again
study the pictures for the correct hand positions. Now these jurus can be preceded by a kick on
each side, which is shown. The type of kick is an element that is left up to you. However I find that
the first line feels better with a frontal type kick, the second side feels great with a saber or rising
snake strike kick, the one hundred eighty degrees turn does well with a full back horse kick (Photo
155). The move to the back side, which is the fourth move or here juru four and which would start
after the last photograph, is a natural for the lead leg joint kick (Photos 156A-156D). However you
can practice them all different ways to your liking. Without the kick you would use a half moon foot
moves to get into position. The idea on the cross is to flow smoothly in all direction with all your
blows.
Adding kicks actually makes this a simple free form lanka (a long form which adds
footwork and or kicks) called lanka empat. This is the first method of movement, with the jurus
that I teach, except for the moving forward from right to left as one practices the jurus in the
beginners mode. Although it is simple in design, it in many ways is the most advanced because the
student must move and react against invisible (imaginary, created in their mind) opponents in

spontaneous, ever changing automatic responses. All the while, ever mindful of defending and
striking on all four sides. The footwork can glide as a serpent into the attackers, with half moon
arcing, sliding steps, or the same arc can be while the leg is lifted highly in the typical Cimande
fashion.

Photo 152A

Photo 152B

Photo 152C

Photo 152D

Photo 152E

Photo 153A

Photo 153B

Photo 153C

Photo 153D

Photo 153E

Photo 153F

Photo 153I

Photo 153J

Photo 154

Photo 155

Photo 156A

Photo 156B

Photo 156C

Photo 156D