The Parang Lading: History, Doctrine and Reconstruction

A blade. A tradition. A history waiting to be reconstructed.

The Parang Lading Kedah: History, Doctrine and Reconstruction explores the history, doctrine, mechanics and cultural significance of one of Kedah’s distinctive martial blades—bringing together historical records, oral traditions, research and lived martial knowledge.

With a foreword by YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad.

Early-bird pre-order: RM120

Regular price: RM135

B5 • Hardcover • Full Colour • 128 gsm Artpaper

Pre-order now and be part of preserving this knowledge for the next generation.

#TheParangLadingKedah

#ParangLading

#Kedah

#MalayHeritage

#MalayMartialArts

#Silat #MartialHeritage

#HeritageStudies

#MalayHistory

#MartialArtsHistory

#NaraMartialArtsAcademy

#BookPreOrder

#MalaysianHeritage

If anyone is interested to get your own copy, please contact me via Messenger or drop a message at +6018 979 1019.

A Pattern Can Remember

We often think of heritage as something preserved in museums, books and monuments.

But sometimes, heritage survives in a piece of cloth.

In batik, knowledge lives not only in the finished pattern, but in the process itself. The cloth must be stretched taut across a frame. Hot wax is carefully drawn through a canting, creating lines that will resist the dye. Every movement requires control, patience and experience.

Much of that knowledge cannot be understood simply by looking at the finished textile.

It has to be learned by doing.

That makes traditional craft more than decoration. It is a form of knowledge transmission, passed from one pair of hands to another.

Perhaps this is why preserving heritage means more than preserving objects.

Sometimes, we need to preserve the hands that know what to do with them.

#MalayHeritage 

#Batik 

#IntangibleHeritage 

#TraditionalCraft 

#CulturalHeritage 

#MalayWorld

The Sea was a Classroom

We often imagine maritime history as a story of ships, ports and commodities. But the sea was also a classroom.

Navigation, shipbuilding, weather knowledge, fishing techniques, languages and commercial practices all travelled with the people who moved between Southeast Asian ports. Much of this knowledge was practical, embodied and transmitted through doing rather than writing.

That matters because the historical record tends to preserve what states, courts and literate elites chose to document. The knowledge of sailors, boatbuilders, fishermen, traders and other coastal communities can be much harder to see.

Recent digital heritage projects are helping change that. The Bugis-Makassar Repository, for example, brings manuscripts together with oral histories involving shipbuilders, captains and other knowledge holders.

Perhaps the question is not simply what did the Malay world trade?

Perhaps we should also ask:

What did its people know, and how far did that knowledge travel?

#MalayWorld #MalayHeritage #MaritimeHistory #History #KnowledgeTraditions #SoutheastAsianHistory

Prosiding Konvensyen Seni Silat Melayu Antarabangsa 2025

Dengan sukacitanya kami kongsikan e-Prosiding KOSSMA25 yang kini boleh diakses secara dalam talian. Penerbitan ini menghimpunkan kertas penuh yang telah dibentangkan dalam KOSSMA25, menampilkan penyelidikan semasa, wacana kritis, serta perspektif rentas disiplin yang mencerminkan kekuatan dan dinamika intelektual persidangan tahun ini. Kami menjemput para sarjana, pengamal, dan masyarakat umum untuk meneliti serta memanfaatkan dapatan dan idea yang diketengahkan dalam penerbitan ini.

We are pleased to share the official KOSSMA25 e-Proceedings, now available online. This publication compiles the full papers presented at KOSSMA25, showcasing current research, critical insights, and interdisciplinary perspectives that reflect the strength and intellectual energy of this year’s conference. We invite scholars, practitioners, and the wider community to explore the contributions and engage with the ideas shaping our field.

Sila klik pada gambar di atas untuk muat turun Prosiding Konvensyen Seni Silat Melayu Antarabangsa 2025.

Please click on the image above to access the proceedings.