The history of Tapak Suci

Kiyai Haji (K.H.) Syuhada lived in Banjarnegara, Middle Java, with his family. In 1872 a son was born who was given the name Ibrahim. From his early childhood on Ibrahim was taught pencak by his father. Ibrahim became a Pendekar (Master) who mastered pencak in its physical and mental form and at the same time became a ulama (religious scholar) who possessed a lot of knowledge. Later on he changed his name to K.H. Busyro Syuhada.

In the beginning K.H. Busyro Syuhada had 3 students. Those were:

- Achyat (brother-in-law), later on known as K.H. Burhan

- M.Yasin (brother), later on known as K.H. Abu Amar Syuhada

- Soedirman who later became a general and founder of the Indonesian National Forces and even was promoted Panglima Besar (Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces).

At the conference of the Muhammadiyah Youth in 1921 in Yogyakarta K.H. Busyro Syuhada met the brothers Ahmad Dimyati and Muhammad Wahib. At this occasion they agreed on a contest of their pencak abilities and M. Wahib and M. Burhan had a fight. Afterwards A. Dimyati and M. Wahib accepted honestly K.H. Busyro Syuhada as their teacher. Since they were very diligent and very talented A. Dimyati and M. Wahib were able to inherit the whole pencak knowledge of K.H. Busyro Syuhada in 9 months. After that they lived in Kauman. Following the traces of their teacher, A. Dimyati wandered through Western Java. At the same time his younger brother M. Wahib wandered to the East up to the island of Madura in order to do adu kaweruh (challenge other people’s mastery). M. Wahib as the heir of the banjaran style resembled his teacher K.H. Busyro Syuhada very much: tough, uncompromising, fond of adu kaweruh. Because of that M. Wahib became more famous than A. Dimyati. A. Dimyati was said to have a deeper knowledge and more capabilities than his younger brother M. Wahib but because he was introvert and close-lipped there were not many incidents in which he was involved. A. Dimyati was in his character traits and behavior more like M. Burhan.

K. H. Busyro Syuhada had been a pencak teacher for the noblemen and the Kraton family in Yogyakarta. Among those students was a student named R.M. Harimurti, a member of the kraton family. Later on some students of Harimurti founded several perguruan of the aliran Harimurti.

Kauman, Seranoman and Kasegu

Pendekar Besar KH Busyro Syuhada authorized the two Pendekars who had been educated and taught by him, A. Dimyati and Wahib, to open a perguruan and teach students by themselves. The new perguruan was founded in 1925 and was given the name perguruan "Kauman" (aliranperguruan pencak was taught in a methodic, dynamic and rational way by teaching Banjaran). In this

- 15 Jurus

- 8 Kembangan and

- mental-religious aspects.

The perguruan Kauman always sticked to the rule that students who had undergone the whole training and education and were able to develop pencak were given authority to train students on their own.

M. Syamsuddin became the trusted student of Pendekar Besar M. Wahib. He was made M. Wahib’s right hand and given permission to receive students. He then founded the perguruan pencak ”Seranoman". The perguruan Kauman still received students who after graduation changed to Seranoman to continue their studies. The Pendekar Muda Moh. Zahid also stemmed from the perguruan Seranoman and graduated from perguruan Kauman before. Moh. Zahid became student of the 3rd generation and succeeded in developing a pencak Silat which focused on speed, agility and the precision of movements. But this student died in 1948 at very young age. He did not have the chance to found a new perguruan but to breed a new student named Moh. Barie lrsjad.

Pendekar Besar KH Busyro Syuhada died in the Ramadhan month in 1942. He was not able to see by himself the result of matching pencak Silat of his school with the self defense capabilities of the Japanese army officer Makino in 1943. After loosing officer Makino admitted his deficiencies and declared that he wanted to become a student of perguruan Kauman and at the same time become a muslim. He afterwards changed his name to Omar Makino.

In 1948 Pendekar Besar KH Burhan with 20 of his students lost a battle against Dutch soldiers in the western part of Yogyakarta. Because of the big loss of students the perguruan Kauman stopped its activities for some time and it seemed as if the school would not produce any more Pendekars.

Later on Moh. Barie lrsjad as a student of the 6. generation who graduated from the demanding exams of Pendekar M. Zahid, M. Syamsuddin, M. Wahib and A. Dimyati founded the perguruan pencak Silat "Kasegu".

Before the other perguruan were given their names according to the place of their origin. The perguruan Kasegu was named after a weapon which had been created by Pendekar Moh. Barie Irsjad.

The birth of Tapak Suci

Moh. Barie lrsjad finally had the idea that all aliran of Banjaran who had developed over the time and were splitted into several perguruan should be united again into one.

Pendekar Besar M. Wahib gave his blessing to this idea of uniting all perguruan in Kauman. To his understanding this perguruan would be the continuation of the perguruan Kauman which was founded in 1925 and was based in Kauman.

Pendekar M. Wahib delegated 3 of his students and M. Syamsuddin sent 2 of his students for participating in the unification. Thus Pendekar M. Barie Irsjad with 9 of his students prepared everything for the foundation of the new perguruan.

The basics of the perguruan Kauman were designed by Moh. Barie lrsjad and Moh. Rustam Djundab. Djakfal Kusuma decided that the name would be Tapak Suci. Articles and rules were conceived by Moh Rustam Djundab. Prayers and oath were set up by H. Djarnawi Hadikusuma. The symbol of the perguruan was created by Moh. Fahmie Ishom, the member symbol by Suharto Suja, the symbol of Regu Inti "Kosegu" by Adjib Hamzah. Moh. Zundar Wiesman and Anis Susanto created the cut and color of the uniform.

And so the Perguruan Seni Beladiri Indonesia Tapak Suci was founded on July 31, 1963.