7. Success. Discipline and patience

After a good night's rest, Jaka Someh woke up before dawn. He woke up with a burning spirit. His strength is now recovered, ready to do his first training. That morning he planned to build a training ground or gym on the slopes of Mount Halimun, around his own field. 

Unlike the previous days, that morning Jaka Someh went by running fast up the mountain. He remembered the story of Aki Sudin, that in the past, Ki Buyut Leuweung Cadas had trained him only to run in the forest. Even at that time Aki Sudin was running while being chased by stray dogs in the forest. The teacher deliberately trained the sub-dept.'s Aki Sudin with such hard physical training. Jaka Someh also believes that running is useful for increasing stamina and physical strength.

Not even a quarter of the way to the top of the mountain, Jaka Someh was in a hurry. He was panting for breath, feeling tired and tired from running so fast. He wanted to rest for a while, but his little heart refused. He again strengthened his resolve, to persist in the practice. Jaka Someh encouraged himself not to be defeated by the tiredness and pain he was going through.

Even though he was feeling unbelievably bad, Jaka Someh still tried to run, even though his running was getting slower. Until finally he arrived at his field after passing the top of the mountain. There he immediately lay down because he was no longer able to withstand the feeling of fatigue.

He was sweating profusely and he was panting for breath. His vision is also dim. But he felt quite satisfied after successfully passing his first practice.

After resting enough, his energy began to recover. After that Jaka Someh started working on his fields. That day he planted corn.

When finished, Jaka Someh took the water container. He took a sip of water to quench his chronic thirst. After that, he made various tools from wood and bamboo as a means to practice his silat lessons. He stuck a few pieces of bamboo into the ground. It was on this piece of bamboo that Jaka Someh practiced balance, training his steps and stances. 

Every day Jaka Someh trains hard and disciplined. Without realizing it, he had been training hard for a month.

Jaka Someh remembered Aki Sudin's message to visit him once a month. To discuss and practice silat with Aki Sudin.

That day, Jaka Someh went to Aki Sudin's house in Cinangka village, bringing various crops from his fields. He walked carrying two sacks of rice and corn.

Without difficulty Jaka Someh found Aki Sudin's house in Cinangka village even though he had to ask several times to the residents there.

"Assalamualakum...."

Jaka Someh said hello when he arrived in front of Aki Sudin's house.

The house looks simple, but looks neat and beautiful. Around the yard there are several types of plants and flowers.

"Wa alaikum salam...."

Aki Sudin answered Jaka Someh's greetings.

"Weleh...someh....Thank God you came to the Aki Sudin's house...Nini...Nini...come here, there is someh to our house...". 

Aki Sudin called Jaka Someh with great hospitality, then he immediately called his wife named Nini Esih. Nini Esih immediately came out to welcome Jaka Someh. 

“Oh my handsome son… how are you…? come on, please go into the house, sorry if our house is not big enough...he...he..."

Nini Esih smiled kindly at Jaka Someh. 

"Thank you...Nini...Aki...I apologize for coming all the way to trouble Aki and Nini...he...he...Punten Nini, I didn't bring anything... except for this one…”   

Jaka Someh smiled, feeling happy with their hospitality..

"Wow... you don't bother like this my grandson, by bringing a lot of souvenirs.... hi... hi.. but here you go... the souvenirs..."

Nini Esih laughed happily when Jaka Someh brought something.

After being tired and chatting, they hung up. Finally, Aki Sudin invited Jaka Someh to practice silat.

"Please Someh...show to me how far your training has gone...?"

Aki Sudin asked Jaka Someh to show the results of his month-long training on Mount Halimun.

"Yes, Aki..."

Jaka Someh immediately showed various silat movements to Aki Sudin.

Aki Sudin nodded his head when he saw the various silat movements shown by Jaka Someh. The movement looks full and powerful. His heart felt happy to see Jaka Someh's almost perfect movements in his eyes.

"Good...good...it's only been a month...you've been able to master the various moves that Aki taught perfectly..."

"Now I will train your physical strength..." Aki Sudin said.

"What training Aki...?" Jaka Someh asked looking impatient.

"Now Aki will train your wrist strength... you try to hold it as hard as you can... I will beat your wrist with sugar cane sticks... this... hold on... hold on as hard as you can... Now try to stretch your arms out in front of you...".

Jaka Someh immediately spread his hands forward.

"Learning silat means learning about surviving to live in any condition... the enemy will not tolerate our condition that is weak, sick or careless... in rain or heat... during the day or night... before you can hit your enemy then you have to be able to feel the pain of being hit and kicked... you have to be strong... if you already know it feels bad to be hit, then you shouldn't be arbitrarily to others, because you won't be able to like it when someone beats you..."

Aki Sudin shouted loudly to Jaka Someh

“Hold….strengthen your hands….hold your breath….come on….strengthen both of your hands…”

Shouted Aki Sudin.

Jaka Someh immediately hardened his hands.

Prak...prak...Jaka Someh's hands were immediately beaten with sugarcane sticks by Aki Sudin. It hit really hard. Although the pain was excruciating, Jaka Someh tried to endure the pain. His heart was determined to beat the cane stalks.

After 20 blows, the cane stalks began to crumble. Likewise, Jaka Someh's wrist, which looks red and swollen. He felt excruciating pain.

After resting for a while, Aki Sudin tried to treat Jaka Someh's wrist, which seemed still swollen, with a traditional mixture of coconut oil, kencur and ginger. 

The next day Jaka Someh resumed his training with Aki Sudin. Practice stances and lock science. Which ends with exercises to strengthen the wrist using hard cane sticks. After the cane stalks were crushed and Jaka Someh's hands became swollen, Aki Sudin immediately treated Jaka Someh's hands with his favorite potion. 

Thus Jaka Someh practiced for three days and three nights at Aki Sudin's house, after which he said goodbye to return to his hut on the slopes of Mount Halimun, and continued to practice alone there.

The following month he returned to visit Aki Sudin's house to receive new lessons.

Many exercises are given by Aki Sudin in addition to physical endurance exercises. Strategy training against enemies, as well as training to increase concentration and enthusiasm for survival. Not infrequently Jaka Someh's whole body was beaten and kicked by Aki Sudin, and Jaka Someh was ordered to restrain him.

Once, Jaka Someh was ordered to soak in a deep river. After he felt he could no longer hold his breath, Jaka Someh immediately emerged to the surface of the river. Just for a moment he took a breath, Prak... his head was immediately hit by a fairly hard wooden stick. At first he was shocked and felt pain. His head is quite a big lump. He immediately dived back and walked towards the river bank. Before he finished releasing his tiredness and pain, Aki Sudin immediately launched an attack on him.

Even though Jaka Someh felt overwhelmed, he still tried to avoid the attack, rolled over and immediately responded to Aki Sudin's attack, until Aki Sudin then felt bad because he got a backlash from his student. Those are some of the exercises they do.

After several times practicing with Aki Sudin, Jaka Someh was able to overcome the various attacks that Aki Sudin launched in a flash and sudden. In fact, he was able to dodge various lightning attacks launched by Aki Sudin even though his breath was still out of breath due to lack of oxygen due to a long soak in the river. 

That's how Jaka Someh was trained very hard by Aki Sudin to face various kinds of dangers that threaten even in conditions that are made as critical as possible.

"Patience...and keep fighting for your life....you must always be ready to face the enemy in any condition...no matter the rain...no matter the heat...no matter when you are sick... ...because of the threat of an enemy who doesn't really know it....you must always be READY...”

Aki Sudin said to Jaka Someh.

The days have passed. When he was on Mount Halimun, Jaka Someh practiced alone with great discipline. To strengthen his fist punch, Jaka Someh practiced using sandbags, sugarcane stalks and wooden trees as an outlet for his fists. Meanwhile, to train agility, he practiced by jumping on the branches of trees imitating the behavior of monkeys who are good at jumping in trees.

Jaka Someh also trained hard on how to use a machete quickly and effectively. Every day he practiced chopping bamboo and wood into small pieces with his machete with just one slash.

Every day he practiced machete slashing skills and even the results of his slashes became more refined. Apart from practicing slashing bamboo and wood sticks, Jaka Someh also practiced chopping leaves that were growing from trees.

Without realizing it, he has been practicing silat for almost 2 years under the guidance of Aki Sudin. His body is now getting stronger and more muscular. His movements became agile and fast. Even now he has been jumping from one tree branch to another. It was as if his body was as light as a monkey or a squirrel skilled at jumping. 

Continue to Chapter 8.