"Panggil Akoe Kartini Sadja" - Kartini Day Appreciation Post

"Kartini's hart sloeg warm de toekomst tegen,

Aan't garen van blemen, haar zielgewijd,

Reikhalzend uit teedere droomen ontwakend,

Tot heil van heel haar zachte volk,

In lijden en strijden met velen verbonden,

Na duisternis wijzend naar 'schemerend licht,

In blij ontluikenden morgenstond."

(Courtesy of "Kartini dari Sisi Lain")

***

Today is the 21st of April, in which Indonesians celebrate one of our most famous national heroines in history; Raden Ajeng Kartini.

To start this, let us all go back to the time where Indonesia was still a part of the Dutch colony, in the 19th century Dutch East Indies.


At that time, inlanders (another term for the native Indonesians in Dutch East Indies) were very much limited from the chance to be well-educated. While some children struggled to work in order to fulfill their family's needs, some inlander children who were recognized as a part of higher society families at least got a bit of chance to be educated. Lady Kartini was one of them.

Kartini, born in Jepara (a region in Central Java) to a noble Javanese family on 21 April 1879, managed to go to a Dutch school. But when she was 12, she was prohibited to continue her education because of her tradition commonly practiced by the Javanese (Indonesian would call this as 'pingit'), in which young girls are to be 'isolated' in order to prepare for their marriage in the future.


In her isolation period, because of her ability to speak Dutch, she then gained several Dutch pen pals. One of them was named Rosa Abendanon. She wrote letters to her regularly and then in the future, someone collected her letters and compiled them into a book called "Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang" (Out of Dark Comes Light).

Not only that, after her marriage with a Javanese nobleman, Kartini managed to build school for women. It was a kind of school which taught women simple things like how to read, count, and sewing clothes, but it brought great change to a lot of people.

Kartini then was starting to be recognized as the woman who lifted Indonesian women status and taught people that anyone can have education, no matter what gender, race, religion, or even cultural background they have.

It was a sad thing though that Kartini didn't manage to live a long life. She died in the age of 25 after giving birth to her son. After Indonesia independent, Soekarno declared her national day to be set up on 21 April. So that people would never forget how a certain woman could fight to raise her people's status.

***

Talk about Kartini, the Dutch actually also gave some little appreciations for her

(courtesy of www.rnw.nl)

They said that there are several streets that are named after her in several different cities in the Netherlands. What thrilled me is that not only Kartini, but there are several Indonesian heroes names too that are being set up as street names in the Netherlands.

This is beyond amazing.

Dadah

Onkel, You Really Need To Find Another Hobby

Dueling scars are everywhere. You would perhaps think, that these men should get a new hobby.

Allow me to do the honor of introducing,

MENSUR

Mensur has been something that caught my attention for awhile, maybe it was because I was merely browsing cool fencing images in tumblr and suddenly stumbled upon this:

I thought it was some sort of a steampunk fencing art, but I was wrong. It actually seemed to be an old photo of a German mensur enthusiast. I've heard something about akademisches fechten (academic fencing), but I had no idea that it's all about using sharp blades and resulting many scars from constant duels. 

Mensur (literally means 'scale' in German), some sort of a sabre fencing tradition being practiced by German college students. I don't quite know if girls actually participated in mensur, but all I know is that they literally injured their friends with sharp sabres.

What I like from mensur is for the fact that it's not about who the winner or the looser is. It's about taking the pain like a man. The scars there, are actually badges of honor for them.

Oh, and their goggles are pretty cool too.

I suppose it's a bit frightening to imagine myself in that man's position

Another cool fact about mensur is that the thing itself, is still being practiced TODAY.

I think not just any people can actually do this, they are pretty special. To be able to take pain like a man is just something worth to be proud of. I personally consider this as a part of being knightly, as in you know... relating with being chivalrous and all. But I think when it comes to the context of being chivalrous itself is not something that actually relates with manliness. Anyone can be chivalrous, whether you're a woman or a man.

Dadah,

No More Thrusting For Me

Hey you guys, I know it has been quite some times I posted something here. Lately, I've been thinking of taking a 'greater step' in my fencing 'career.'

Anyway

It was all started because of playing a certain game called 'shadow fencing' with my fencing mates. It was all because of one of my coaches who suggested us playing this sort of game to teach us the 'priority (right of way) rule.' Basically, shadow fencing is just an ordinary game of fencing in which we will have a bout with our opponent.

In a shadow fencing bout you WILL NOT need your blades, but you will use gloves instead to replace our sharp and pointy blades. The next step would be the ref shouting "PRET ALLEZ!" and the first one to slap his/her opponent using the glove may get a score. It is optional if you wanted to use a mask or not. I tried not to use masks with my friend and then we had a bout and slapped each other very hard on the face, it awfully stings.

In short. It is a glove-slap duel game.

This game is very useful to practice the infamous 'priority (right of way) rule' in fencing (which I personally found as a huge problem when having a bout). You have to move and think fast, make some analyses about how your opponent is moving. Be the leader of the bout, don't let yourself to be led by your opponent. Be fast, be aggressive. *ahem*beasabreist*ahem*

Since it's all about slapping your opponent with your glove, there will be no such thing as thrusting right? It wil be all about slashing and 'cutting' your opponent <--- both are sabre's things.

I found myself as a very temperamental and impatient foilist I suppose... and so I've been thinking lately of moving... to sabre.

Ugh. The dilemma that I'm going through... it's just horrible.

In my case, it's a foil

I mean I love my foil very much, It's the very first blade that I could handle since fencing had ever been introduced to me. Another thing is because it was my only companion when I faced my very first bout in an official competition. I broke the very end of my foil's blade a few months ago though <--- (result of too much force in thrusting). So children, don't let you emotions get over you when you're fencing because your blades will face the consequences later on.

I've borrowed a sabre from my coach and so I think I'm going to compare it with my foil for some times, just to make sure if this is the right decision that I want.

Have any of you guys experienced what I'm currently experiencing?


As usual, pictures & gifs (and the tumblr post) don't belong to me.


Dadah