That saying is a cornerstone of why the elders guarded martial arts wisdom so carefully. Knowledge has the right place, at the right time, with the right people.
This means three things.
Right Place.Not every lesson belongs in every space. A secret of combat does not belong in a market square. It belongs in the gelanggang, where the spirit is prepared. Place shapes respect.
Right Time.A teaching given too early is wasted, given too late it becomes useless. The old masters waited for the right moment, when the student’s body, heart, and mind were ready. Timing helps the knowledge settle deeply.
Right People.Not every seeker deserves every secret. Some are reckless, some are arrogant, some only want power. The master chooses the worthy, those who carry responsibility, humility, and loyalty.
From me as a doctor, martial arts is a system
of body, mind, and energy that must be understood as one whole. The knowledge
given by a master is like a prescription. The wrong dosage can be harmful, the
right dosage brings benefit. A doctor-santri understands that the student’s
body is a living laboratory. Every movement, every stance, every breath affects
muscles, joints, posture, and even hormonal balance.
Knowledge cannot be given carelessly. Poor instruction can cause physical or psychological harm. Beyond the body, the doctor-santri must consider the mind. Learning martial arts requires focus, discipline, and emotional stability. Teaching a student who is not ready is as dangerous as giving strong medicine to a weak patient. Timing, understanding, and readiness must come first, just like diagnosing before therapy.
Just as a physician studies the anatomy of
illness, the master of silat studies the anatomy of movement, the cause of
imbalance, the flow of energy, the harmony between breath and will. In this
way, martial arts becomes a medicine.
The gelanggang becomes a clinic for the silat.
Every strike teaches balance. Every fall teaches humility. Every recovery
teaches resilience. The doctor understands that health is not only the
absence of pain, but the presence of harmony between body and intention,
between will and surrender.. THIS is no different from where we see it in the way silat is viewed.
When the elders said that knowledge must have
the right place, time, and people, they were not hiding secrets. They were
being responsible.
True mastery is not in revealing everything. It is in guiding others until they are ready to understand through experience. A teacher heals through discipline, and a healer teaches through motion. Both must know when to speak, when to wait, and when to let the lesson appear in silence.
Semua hal ada tempatnya, dan semua hal akan indah pada waktunya.
- Alm Guru Mas Mochammad Amien
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