Sport Silat

CEO’S MESSAGE

Welcome to Sports Silat Academy (SSA). At SSA, you’ll find that we do things a little differently. We not only want to impart martial arts and self-defence skills to our students, we aim to do more.

SSA was established in 2007 to provide comprehensive and progressive Silat programmes to the masses. When we first started, SSA had only about 30 students, and we trained at the basketball court of East Lodge Hostel in Siglap. Then, we moved to various locations from a small studio in Orchard Hotel to a rented studio in King George’s Avenue, to Tampines Safra where we stayed for 2 years. How far we have come since! Today, we carry out our operations in our own 2700 square feet studio at Shun Li Industrial Park in Kaki Bukit, and we have over 120 students who train with us. This is our biggest achievement yet!

When I started SSA in 2007, I had just retired from the sports industry, but my passion for Silat was still burning. I had been training since I was 10 years old, and I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in Silat. I had coached Silat before, but I wanted to create a more progressive programme and one that would cater to the individual needs of the students. I also wanted to coach the students in an environment that is safe, comfortable and conducive to their training. In short, I wanted to “modernise” Silat by moving away from traditional methods of training to one that caters to the needs of today’s generation, but without relinquishing Silat’s roots. Those were the reasons why I decided to open my own school and implement my own programmes.

At SSA, all our coaches are experts in the field. Our students train with world Silat champions and dedicated trainers who focus on individual progress. Our students train only with those in their peer groups to enhance their learning experience. We also have a teacher-student ratio of 1:10 per class so students can be sure they get personalised attention. Our students are tested every 6 months, and progress cards are issued so the students, and parents, can keep track of the students’ development. New students start on the white belt programme and progress till they achieve the black belt. After that, they qualify for the Masters programmes.

SSA doesn’t want our students to just learn the art of defence; we want them to walk away with a more holistic experience. Our training programmes are vibrant and fun, but they are also challenging. Through the training sessions and challenges faced, we hope to enhance our students’ personal development, build their characters, and equip them with essential life skills. We want to inculcate in our students positive traits and values like steadfastness, self-confidence, good interpersonal skills, self-respect and respect for others, just to name a few. We believe these qualities will arm our students with the “shield” they need to fight their battles in this competitive global environment. We also want to groom future leaders who can lead, inspire and contribute to the betterment of society.

My goal for the future is to take SSA abroad and spread the values and practice of Silat beyond our shores. We are off to a good start here in Singapore, but many challenges lie ahead for SSA before it can realise its endeavours. I would like to thank our students, staff and supporters who have rallied behind us and believed in us all this time. SSA will continue its pursuit of excellence so we can serve you even better.

On that note, I welcome everyone on board. Let’s embark on many exciting adventures together!