Haji Omardin bin Mauju was born on 29th May 1941 in Puchong and was raised Kampung Puah, Gombak. This true blue Selangor born suffered greatly in his youth because of polio induced paralysis, a condition which was difficult to treat at the time.
However, the pain did not stop him from constantly searching for someone who could cure him of it until he met a silat master, Syed Abdul Rahman at Pulau Besar in Melaka. He advised Omardin to study Silat Tarah in his efforts to cure his disease. Thus, began Omardin’s internal journey in silat.
His interest in silat developed and deepened when he realised his condition showed signs of improvement. However, he was also forced to accept the fact that the damage to his legs would be permanent. Throughout his treatment and silat studies, Omardin was buried to waist level fifteen times on the beach during the full moon.
Omardin faced each test with courage, even though he was still 18 years of age. He studied every silat technique including attacks, blocks and takedowns using his whole body, including his damaged legs. He was fortunate enough to be trained not only by Syed Abdul Rahman but the master was also assisted by seven of his students, Omardin’s colleagues in the style.
After four years of numerous tests of Omardin’s patience, perseverance and effort in studying Silat Tarah, it was a dream come true for the once incapacitated teenager to finally be appointed as a Guru Muda (Junior Master) at the young age of 22. His successes did not end there as a few months later, after several evaluations and intensive testing by his master, Omardin was appointed as Mahaguru and permitted to teach Silat Lincah by Syed Abdul Rahman.
The status of Mahaguru was not attained without difficulty. Omardin proved that his handicap posed no problems when facing the most intensive of spiritual tests, among them being hacked with a sharp blade, showered in boiling oil and buried in the ground for two days and two nights.
The ceremony to install Omardin as the Mahaguru took place at the tomb (maqam) of Sheikh Ismail Sultan Ariffin in Pulau Besar, Melaka.
In the ceremony, he also received his master’s instruments as a symbol of inheriting all of Syed Abdul Rahman’s knowledge. Once the ceremony was completed, Omardin was bathed at a well named Perigi Nenek Kebayan and underwent a lime bath at the Makam Tujuh Beradik as a conclusion to the installation.
After concluding his studies with Syed Abdul Rahman, Omardin was entrusted by his master to study from four other masters. To fulfil his wishes, Omardin delved into silat and spiritual studies with Kiyai Haji Nong Lias at Rantau, Negeri Sembilan. Following this, he turned to Wan Alang from Bukit Selambau, Kedah while the third master was Syed Mohammed Al-Qadri and the fourth Tuan Haji Salleh Patani.
He then left for Mekah together with 37 of his instructors to ‘confirm’ his studies. Upon his return, Silat Lincah began making strides in the local silat scene. With only five of his original students, Omardin established several gelanggang within Selangor and Wilayah Persekutuan.
From then on, Silat Lincah spread far and wide throughout the country until it became a legally registered association, the Pertubuhan Seni Silat Lincah Malaysia (PSSLM).
Omardin has also organised several series of overseas Silat Lincah demonstrations including in Indonesia, Singapura, Thailand, Philippines, Brunei, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Pakistan, India and Mekah.
The success of Silat Lincah in spreading its wings internationally began after 4th December 1976, when a World Silat demonstration was organised by PSSLM in Kuala Lumpur. It was after this historic date that two young men, one from England and one from Belgium, Glenn Lobo and Christopher Bogaerts came to Kuala Lumpur to study Silat Lincah. This was the first step for Silat Lincah’s overseas invasion.
In the midst of these achievements, Omardin’s exhortations began to attract several silat bodies to confederate at a regional ASEAN level. It was even due to his ideas and efforts that the Malaysian National Silat Federation (PESAKA) was established, which has now become the backbone to all silat activities in Malaysia.
Silat Lincah once again made a name for themselves when Omardin and hundreds of his students were involved in producing a film documentary titled One Step Into The Beyond or Selangkah Ke Alam Batin which was not only publicly screened but also opened a new page in the history of Silat Melayu, and was Silat Lincah’s ultimate achievement that cemented Omardin as a vanguard of Silat Melayu.
Translated by MOHD NADZRIN WAHAB
