19/03/2026
In the honorable memory of Pak Dedi Sujarat who abruptly passed away on march 19th 2026. He leaves behind his wife children and students.
Pak was not only a good silat player and a patient teacher, he was eternally young and playful and was ever a great inspiration to his surrounding – especially the young. He will be greatly missed.
Pak Dedi was born in 1957 and he learned the ‘Sumedang’ style from his uncle, during the early difficult times of Indonesia independence. The style came is from his grandfather and was was one the west Javanese styles to influence Setia Hati. Unlike now, many young people trained silat when Pak Dedi was young, it was very common. “Silat is what there was to do, there was no badminton, boxing or any other sports available to choose from”, Pak Dedi said. Pak Dedi joined the army and was stationed in East Timor during the war from 1985-1998. He was a specialist in infiltration and sabotage. During this period he used martial art in real fighting situation. In the nineteen eighties Pak Dedi also started teaching boxing, karate and taekwondo. In later years he resumed his original ‘old style’ silat practice. Illustrious of his pragmatic approach to silat was his sharp statement: “No style can escape the reality of the purpose of the technique”.
His sons and students continue to practice the Sumedang style. We will keep you in our hearts.
