Introduction
- Silat Kuntau Tekpi is a Malaysian martial art that originates in Kedah, a State in northern Malaysia that shares its border with Thailand.
- Silat Kuntau Tekpi traces its roots back to 1556 when it was first taught to the Sultan of Kedah.
- Prior to 2005, Silat Kuntau Tekpi was a closed system that had never been taught outside of Malaysia.
The original article also records the art’s historical use within specialist Malaysian military and police units.
Teachers and lineage
The academy’s curriculum separately credits Panglima Taib with organizing the branch it studies in the late nineteenth century. Panglima Taib passed the art to his daughter Siti Aminah, who taught her son, known in the school’s account as Pak Guru. He in turn taught his son Cikgu Sani, who organized the modern syllabus.
System overview
- There are five levels in the Silat Kuntau Tekpi syllabus.
The first two levels introduce the foundations of beladiri, or self-defense. The third and fourth broaden the study, including the tekpi for which the system is named. The academy’s curriculum page also records a separate three-stage grouping used in its account of Cikgu Sani’s syllabus.
- Level Five teaches the student the spiritual system.
System characteristics
The original overview describes beladiri as an integrated part of the syllabus. The system’s terminology reflects the Kedah lineage and its way of organizing material from foundational study through more specialized practice.
Silat Kuntau Tekpi at Detroit Kali Silat
The academy studies the Kedah lineage alongside Indonesian Pencak Silat and Filipino Kali. Each tradition has its own history and teachers. Guro Jeff’s curriculum places the Malaysian tradition in that wider context, including the movement and conditioning tradition of Senaman Tua.