11/20/2014 2 Comments No Longer a 'Noob' in Martial ArtsWritten by: Wee Min Er During my summer break in 2014, I participated in the FASStrack Summer Programme – Southeast Asia in Context (SEAiC), with the intent to clear two modules during the holiday to lessen my load for the next semester. Along the journey of the wonderful learning experience, one of the greatest gains for me is being able to know more people and form new bonds. Students from other international colleges like Yale University, University of Copenhagen, and Australian National University, also participated in the programme. The classroom instantly becomes an international space, and the ideas that flow through classroom discussions give me a wide range of insights. Additionally, the SEAiC programme allows students to bond the lecturers in an informal setting, like that of an overseas field trip. It is through the programme that I am able to know professor Effendy, who co-guided the class throughout the whole 5 weeks in Singapore and Cambodia. During a jam-packed ride on the back of a truck, on the wildly uneven and soggy roads to see Kampong Phluk in Cambodia, I could still recall Prof Effendy excitedly publicising to the class a new module that he would be teaching in the next semester. SE3880B Martial Arts in Southeast Asia; it is a module culminated from his years of experiences and passion in martial arts since his schooling years. On the other hand, my interest in the subject only surrounds my watching of action packed movies like Ip Man and Huang Fei Hong films on local television for entertainment purposes. I have never really been so much of a sporty person, or even considered myself practicing any form of martial arts. I guess you can call me a 'noob' in martial arts. Nevertheless, although I have no background in martial arts (the short kickboxing classes I took part in community centres do not really count), I still felt that the SE3880B module could offer me a new lens to view the diverse Southeast Asia. Plus it sounds super fun, the way Prof Effendy puts it, so I went ahead and bided for the module. The module name itself must have attracted many other students as well, building up class size to around fifty-plus students. Some of these students are just Southeast Asian Studies majors, like me, fulfilling their major requirements. Others are interested students who are practitioners themselves, each of different martial arts such as Taekwondo or Silat. The module aims to give us an overview on the subject by diving into the history and transformation of martial arts as a whole, and then focusing on a selected few martial arts that are widely practiced in Southeast Asia. Prof Effendy also brings in his friends from the different martial arts to allow us to hear first person perspectives as well as witness amazing demonstrations in class. In opinion, such special arrangements make the things that we read and learn about come to live; it allows me to better reflect on the impact of martial arts on people's lives and especially to experience for myself the complexity of the movements as a 'noob' in martial arts. Not only do the hands on sessions make lessons less mundane, but it also allowed me to gain a better understanding and appreciation for martial arts. Before this, like most other 'noobs', I would not think much of the moves on the television or live demonstrations unless there are back flips or other kinds of epic-looking flips. Now even as a 'noob' in martial arts, I am able to examine aspects of it besides the usual focus of physical movements. For instance, through the lectures and sharing sessions by practitioners like Dr. Saiful Nizam, I got to see the various forms of Silat in Singapore as well as its role in the Malay culture. The demonstration sessions of the Chinese martial art Nei Jia Quan, also opened my eyes with its powerful moves and linked me back to how ideas and culture flow along with the early Chinese immigrants into Southeast Asia. Tutorials for this module are also pretty interesting and unique; there are intense discussions, role playing debates, student sharing and even hands on sessions for Kendo. The emphasis on the Kendo hands-on session is the Budo, the martial way and spirit. Throughout the practice session, 'kiai' (to shout) is a very essential and important component of it. The kind of experiences that I got from a single practice session of shouting, stance, wielding the 'shinai' (the sword), and attacking are things that is impossible to have through reading. The kinds of spirit and energy felt in the Multi-Purpose Sports Hall, or the dojo (practice area), are something truly impactful and memorable. At that moment, it did not matter whether or not I am an experienced martial artist or not, as I still got to experience the art and beauty of Kendo first hand. One of the other components of the SE3880B module that I really enjoyed is the video project assignment. The class is split into groups and tasked to create a video that explores martial arts in different perspectives, so as to explore student's understanding and interpretation in the subject area. Some groups explored the connections between Malay dance and Silat, others did a review on the martial arts scenes in movies like Red Dead Redemption. My group covered the topic of domestic workers and martial arts in Singapore; it's amazing sometimes how our classmates' connections can lead me to discover parts of the country that I never knew existed. The movie screening and pizza session at the end of the 13 weeks, is also one of the highlights of the whole module. Laughter fills the room as we all admire and appreciate each other's hard work, learning something new at the same time. Thank you Prof Effendy, for teaching and making this semester so much fun, I enjoyed my time learning more about martial arts in Southeast Asia! Drawing a wonderful end to SE3880B, I can proudly say that even though I do not practice martial arts, I am not a noob in understanding martial arts in Southeast Asia. If anyone is thinking of what SE modules to take the next academic year, do consider SE3880B!
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