It is with great sadness and deep regret that I write of the passing of a man I considered one of my great friends, both within the Silat world and without: Bapak H. Oyong Karmayudha, who passed away on Friday the 16th of December after the third in a series of strokes.

On behalf of myself and the Pencak Silat Federation of the United Kingdom, I would like to honour his memory with a few words about the man, his life, and his work.

A lawyer by profession, Pak Oyong gave many years of work to maintaining and developing Pencak Silat, both within South East Asia and globally. His keen mind was the driving force behind much of the innovation and transformation that Silat has undergone, and his dedication and passion he showed for preserving Pencak Silat as a part of Indonesian-Malay heritage reached all those he met and worked with.

His ability to bring people together to work with a common purpose was remarkable, and was a skill he employed with great intelligence and good humour. His work towards the establishment and recognition of a Pencak Silat Federation in the UK, was just one of his achievements which had a great positive impact on those practicing Silat in the UK. Many athletes and trainers from the UK had the honour of meeting him; his wit, insight and courtesy never failed to charm them. Even at our last meeting, during the 2010 World Championships, and despite his poor health, he greeted the UK delegation and was pleased to reminisce about our previous meetings, competitions and training trips.

His energy and enthusiasm were evident to all who knew him, and his tireless work with Bapak Eddie Nalapraya, President of PERSILAT was a driving force behind the successful creation of the European Pencak Silat Federation in 2001; he and Pak Eddie Nalapraya remained trusted guides for the Federation thereafter.

The legacy which Bapak Oyong leaves behind is one of a worldwide family of pesilat, working together to bring Pencak Silat to a world sports audience. His many years of work towards Silat being recognised as an Olympic sport rewarded by its inclusion as a demonstration sport at the Asian Games. It is a shame that he was not able to see Silat make its debut at the Olympics, and we shall all try to honour his memory by working to realise this long-held dream of his. We offer our prayers to his family, and our thoughts shall be with them during this troubled time.

Bapak Haji Oyong Karmayudha: scholar, gentleman and visionary.

Aidinal Al Rashid,
President, Pencak Silat Federation of the United Kingdom