SILAT PAMUR

The PAMUR style originates from Madura, an island on East-Java. The association’s teacher, Guru besar/ pendekar Ph.J.C. Tönjes glr. Sanjoto is Madurese. One of the customs in the village of Probolinggo was the participation of the youth in trainings. The name of the teacher was Kakèk Wongsokarto, abbreviated to Kèk So. Kakèk or Kèk means ‘grandfather’, a common word used for old men. Kèk So taught the style Permainan Madura Jagotarung which is translated as the style of the fighting cock (rooster). Back in those days the words pencak and silat didn’t yet exist. It was simply referred as ‘games’ or ‘playing’. The first document saying that Ph.J.C. Tönjes participated in the trainings Pencak Silat goes back to 1937, but he started watching and practising when he was seven years old.

Picture of Java with Madura at the East coast. On the right is Bali.

When the definition of Pencak Silat became generally know on may 18^th 1948, the Madurese bapak Raden Hassan Habudin got the idea to merge al the different Madurese styles into one style. This new style would also contain the Jagotarung. In 1951 he founded the PAMUR which means: “Pencak Angkatan Muda Rasionil”. This can be translated as “New young rational pencak”. “Rational” means that the techniques can be analysed rationally, the technical aspects are emphasized. The name doesn’t contain the word silat, because the silat doesn’t find it’s origin in Madura. In this area only the pencak was known. Like any other streams and styles of Pencak and Silat in Indonesia, PAMUR is based on religion. In the case of PAMUR this is Islam.

 

Approximately five years after the independence of Indonesia, some islands were trying to become autonomous. Hassan Habudin wanted Madura to become an autonomy. However the government didn’t agree to this. When Ph.J.C. Tönjes took notice of foundation of the PAMUR in 1951 he wanted to join the organization. The government didn’t allow an autonomy because other islands wanted the same. At that time Ph.J.C. Tönjes was officer at the police corps of the Indonesian Republic in Tanjungkarang and therefore he decided to express the PAMUR but not to join this association officially. Eventually Hassan Habudin gave up the striving for an autonomous state. In 1986 Ph.J.C. Tönjes and his students went to Hassan Habudin to practice the PAMUR. Since then he has been an official member.

 

The PAMUR style has expanded Indonesia-wide and has become one of the most popular styles, together with other styles like: Tjimande, Minang Kabau, Panglipur and Setia Hati.

 

Hence, Guru Besar/ Pendekar Hassan Habudin is no teacher of Ph.J.C. Tönjes but he is an ally. Moreover Hassan Habudin is a teacher of the students of Pamur Kombinasi Tjimande T.K.K.D.H.B..

 

Next to Panglipur, the PAMUR in Jakarta is part of the international team of the PERSILAT. This team gives world class demonstrations. The PAMUR also trained students of the Pamur Kombinasi Tjimande T.K.K.D.H.B. at the Padepokan Pencak Silat Indonesia and at the Judo Institute in Paris. This has resulted in an feeling of brotherhood.

With TEAM PERSILAT in Paris.