Incorporating Local Malay Martial Art Combat Techniques in Fighting Games: A Study on Silat Gayong

by : Safurah Abdul Jalil Creative Multimedia Section Malaysian Institute of Information Technology Universiti Kuala Lumpur, 1016, Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur safurah@miit.unikl.edu.my Abstract The local Malay martial art; Silat Gayong is known for its distinctive buah or combat techniques. These techniques could be applied to enhance movements in close combat fighting games through observation of the various defenses and attacking techniques as well as understanding its underlying martial art principles. This research aims to develop a comprehensive guideline and visual references for the martial art to be incorporated in a fighting game. Close combat fighting game in particular provides an excellent mean to highlight and expose the articulate movements of Silat Gayong to the players. Upon application to an actual game development project, it will then help to introduce Silat Gayong, a Malaysian cultural heritage to the younger generation as well as foreigners via electronic games.

Keywords : Fighting Style, Close Combat Fighting Game, Cultural Heritage.

1. Introduction

Malaysia is rich in traditions and cultural values. Its multiracial, multiethnic population further adds to its flavor. Unfortunately modernization and globalization is slowly changing the peoples way of life and the younger generation is losing their tradition and cultural practices. Among the many inheritances that they are losing is the martial arts especially when they are keener to spend their time watching television, surfing the internet and playing electronic games.

Martial art has always attracted action game designers especially in designing fighting games. The various techniques adopted from martial arts like karate makes the game more stimulating and interesting to the players. While other martial art forms from

Asia have been widely adopted in games, the Malay martial art known as silat is still largely unknown in the game industry.

One of the local Malay martial art; Silat Gayong is known for its distinctive effective combat techniques (buah). These techniques could be applied to enhance movements in fighting games. Close combat fighting game in particular provides an excellent mean to highlight and expose the articulate movements of Silat Gayong to the players. Unfortunately, references for local content in developing interactive products such as electronic games are relatively scarce with Silat Gayong not being an exception. Noting the lack of studies in local content prompted this study as a mean to promote the Malaysian content in action game development. However, the outcome will be delimited to documenting the facts and visuals on Silat Gayong rather than on its application in games. This reference is meant to be manipulated by the user; that is Game Designer. Upon application to an actual game development project, this study will indirectly help to introduce our cultural heritage; Silat Gayong to the younger generation as well as foreigners via electronic games. This study also allow for future collaborations between the academics and people in the industries, thus enabling UniKL to initiate collaboration with Game Development companies.

2. Objective of the Study

Recognizing the need to provide an avenue for promoting the local martial art especially Silat Gayong this study aims to:

Provide a comprehensive guideline and visual reference to Silat Gayong; particularly for the use in developing fighting games. Encourage more game developers to consider a Malaysian content to be incorporated in their project. Incite and inspire game developers with the direct use or adaptation of Silat Gayong fighting techniques in electronic games as well as other multimedia application.

3. Literature review

3.1 Silat: the Malay martial art.

Although the exact origin of Silat is uncertain, this combative art of fighting and survival is generally believed to have been originated from the Malaysian and Indonesian civilizations. There may be confusions in the West as to the origin of Silat where mainly it is thought to originate from Indonesia alone. Shamsudin (2005) stated that martial art book authors Donn F. Draeger and Qiutin Chambers (Javanese Silat: The Fighting of Perisai Diri) acknowledged the fact that Silat is a genuine Malay art.

In Indonesia, Silat is called Pentjak. Silat is also known as Pencak Silat. There are more than 150 known styles of Silat in Malaysia alone. These styles of Silat include Cekak, Kalimah and Harimau; which is based on tiger-style fighting. There are also Silat which are considered more of a dancing form rather than fighting arts such as Silat Pulut. Silat Gayong is one of the popular styles in Malaysia considering it is among the first to register as an organization. It is also one of the Malaysian Melayu Martial Art (Mohd Nadzrin, 2005), a genuinely Malay martial art which is distinguished from the Indonesian Pentjak Silat.

According to Shamsudin (2005), Silat Gayong had been brought to other countries by its students and teachers or masters including France, Tunisia, Kuwait, Western Australia and Mauritius. Champ (2005) attributed its initial growth to the work of its great Master, Datuk Meor Abdurahman, who is the only one to attain the highest level (7th level) in the Silat Gayong. After his demise, his students who wore the 6th level belts lead the offshoots of the Silat Gayong all over the world. It is propagated under the name United States Gayong Federation (USGF) in the United States of America. The biggest is Pertubuhan Silat Seni Gayong Malaysia (PSSGM) which is led by the grandmaster's daughter Cikgu Kalsom. The other associations are Pertubuhan Seni Silat Pusaka Gayong Malaysia (PSSPGM) which is led by Cikgu Majid Mat Isa, Silat Seni Gayong Pasak Singapura (SSGPS) by Cikgu Hussain Kaslan, Pertubuhan Silat Seni Gayong Warisan Serantau Malaysia (PSSGWSM) by Cikgu Mat Nayan, and The Silat Association of the UK by Cikgu Yeop Ariffin Yeop Mahidin (Champ, 2005, p.8). Silat like other well known martial arts has the potential to expand commercially in the international market. There are many existing commercial products which adapted Silat fighting techniques. Perry (2005) told that his fictional creation, Ters Ksi, was inspired by a Selat Serak. Ters Ksi is a fictional hard martial art in the renowned Star Wars Expanded Universe which has been used extensively in the video games, most notably Star Wars Galaxies, which is a Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game (MMORPG), Star Wars: Masters of Ters Ksi, and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. The character Baraka in the Mortal Combat fighting game also used silat as part of its fighting style.

Undeniably, there are international efforts been made as can be seen in the existing online flash Silat Game; Pencak Silat: Defenders of the Motherland and Pencak Silat, both by an Indonesian Arthur who goes by the name of Jannata ARM.

3.2 Fighting Games

Fighting game is actually a sub-genre of the action game genre. Unlike genres in books and movies, current game-industry genres focus on how the game is played (Novak 2005). The goal of most action games involve quickly destroying your enemies, while avoiding being destroyed yourself. Eye-hand coordination is necessary to excel in action games. Gameplay includes all player experiences during the interaction with game systems: choices, challenges or consequences.

Many theorists, including Oxland (2004) believes that gameplay is the components that make up a rewarding, absorbing, challenging experience that compels the player to return for more, time and time again,(p.7). Common gameplay features for close combat fighting games are:

Two-person games where the player controls a figure on a screen to attack or defend against opponents attacks. Utilizes life bars Have fights that last an odd number of rounds each session only lasts a few minutes Viewed in profile (side perspective). Employs combo (short for combination) where a timed sequence of moves produces a cohesive series of hits.

Among the main attraction of the close combat fighting games are the large number of characters all of whom usually have a distinct appearance and fighting style. Samples of existing fighting game are Mortal Combat, Street Fighter and Tekken 5

4. The Research Design

4.1

Instrument

This study adopts the qualitative field research method of observation and interview. This is because the research requires a rich data in studying the various defenses and attacking techniques of Silat Gayong as well as its underlying martial art principles and also game developers needs and ideal notions of a visual reference for game development. Babbie (2004) stated that qualitative interview is based on a set of topics to be discussed in depth rather than based on the use of standardized questions, (p.300). Two experts from the relevant fields were by selected for the interview.

4.2 Locale of the study

This study will be conducted in Malaysia, specifically the Klang Valley as it offers the best source of data for the study. Most of the Malaysian Silat Gayong associations and game development companies are located in this area.

5.

Result & Discussion

5.1

Suggestions for the guideline

Based on the interview conducted, it is suggested that the guideline should:

include listing of moves or Move List have live video for each combat move, as well as its statistics or (stats in short): o distance (range) o timing (speed) o level of damage o possible combo moves o usage and purpose.

On the development on combo moves, there are 349 known buah in Silat Gayong; each consists of a series of movement: elakkan + perut + penamat. Therefore, each buah can be used to form a combo in a fighting game.

In addition, it would be ideal to include the philosophy behind the martial art: advantages, disadvantages, ideology and et cetera. This helps in creation of the backstory or prequel in the game.

There should also be contacts of people for further information besides descriptions of textures and characteristics of the uniform or garments (especially for 3D games development) as these will help the concept artist and animator in developing the game.

5.2 Presentation of the findings

The information gathered from the study on Silat Gayong is proposed to be compiled as an interactive CD due to its advantages:

It enables the utilization of search facility, hyperlinks and other interactive features which makes access to the information much more efficient. The visual reference allows for quality video and animated sequence without the worry of download time.

A supplementary website may also be considered to allow for further discussion and dynamic updates; but the CD will be treated as the main reference.

6. Conclusion and Recommendation

Research is one of the necessary processes in the earlier stages of a games development. The study has so far shown that there is a need for resources in the form of reference for local content. Proposed in this paper is the documentation of Silat Gayong

combat techniques to be used as a reference and guideline in building a fighting game or any other similar interactive multimedia application.

Further study and exploration on effective methods to represent the findings in the form of interactive CD is necessary to ensure that the information can be effectively delivered; possibly by providing a framework for similar type of research.

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