KUCHING: A group of 16 Iban, Bidayuh and Melanau “kuntau” masters and practitioners will leave for Chungju, South Korea on Sept 29 to participate in the 19th Chungju World Martial Arts Festival 2019 and the Second World Martial Arts Masterships 2019.
The group is from the Sarawak Dayak Martial Art Association (SDMAA).
Yesterday, its officials led by their chairman Irwin Cartland, secretary Abraham Melai and advisor Rick Hanson paid a courtesy call on Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas at his office in Wisma Bapa Malaysia.
With them were masters Joe Frazier Kemping and Soloman Achu (Kuntau Iban Lama) and Master Philip Edwin (Kutow Rusat Rimoung Singgai Club).
According to Abraham, SDMAA is the only organisation from Sarawak and one of the only two in the nation accepted and recognised in 2016 as a full affiliate of the World Martial Arts Union (WoMAU) which is under the patronage of Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in preserving traditional martial arts and promoting world peace. WoMAU has only 62 members from 42 countries.
Abraham said SDMAA serves to identify, research and document, develop and enhance, in other words, to uphold and preserve the traditional martial art of the Dayaks.
“In 2017, the SDMAA was given special privilege to promote Sarawak’s traditional culture and heritage with its own booth for display of cultural materials and main-stage appearances within the week-long 18th Chungju World Martial Arts Festival.
“Last year it successfully co-organised with Sarawak Kunto Federation (SKF) a mass martial art demonstration involving 2,000 martial artists from various disciplines or styles at the Kuching Waterfront.
“The unprecedented event was acknowledged as an international event with the attendance of a few officials from the WoMAU and the World Martial Arts Mastership Committee (WMC),” he said.
He added last year SDMAA together with the SKF again organised the ‘MA2018 — Tree Planting’ which saw about 500 martial artists from all styles, volunteers from
the army and the public joining hands to do tree planting in Demak Laut.
For the coming Chungju event which will take place from Aug 30 to Sept 5, he said SDMAA
representatives including Guru Abang Mustapha Awang Khaider (Kuntau Melanau) would give armed and unarmed Kuntau demonstrations besides holding discussions with fellow martial artists and performing traditional musical
performances.
