The Thousand Mask Warrior

Nio Kongsing

The seven-year-old boy who was bare-chested and wearing only a piece of loincloth stood firm but his eyes sparkled in fascination at the incredible sight before him. His long hair he left untied without being tied or curled. In front of him two men were fighting. Two completely different people may even be opposite on almost any side.

One of the younger people was a white-eyed Chinese, while the other was older with a firm face. His nose is so sharp. Together with his protruding forehead hid his two wide eyes.

The reddish skin of his face was adorned with dense hair that formed a long beard and bewok. This old man came from Persia or commonly called Khorasan by the Javanese. Both were also bare-chested and wore black trousers tied around their waist with a string.

The Chinese man wiggled his body as he continued to snatch using the jian, a sharp Chinese sword on either side. While the old Persian jumped and twisted his shamsir sword forged in Damascus. The curved-shaped sword danced in the hands of the old Persian.

His movements cut and split. The curved shape of the shamsir was indeed designed for long slashes. With this form, when the shamsir cuts the opponent's body, the sword will continue to pass through the flesh so that it can be directly used to re-attack further. The curved shape allows it not to be hampered because it is stuck in the opponent's body like a straight sword for example.

The attack of splitting from top to bottom using shamsir is usually aimed at the head and cracking the skull, compressing the shoulders and arms and wrists or slashing the spear stalk directed at the enemy. Instead the bottom-up splitting attack is done quickly for open spaces in the armpit and ************, targeting enemy genitals. While a horizontal attack from left to right or vice versa targeting the neck and beheading, tearing the mouth and face, slashing the stomach or back, pecking at the shin and knee or leg in the whole.

Both warriors of different ages and the tribes clumped bouncy evasive and looking for a gap to enter his best attack. Once the two blades of the sword collided creating a spark. Both silat moves shown they have the uniqueness of each although both agile and equally fast. The younger Chinese man played his wrist with his jian who was curling around like a small but dangerous whirlwind. Puncture coupled with short-short streak chasing prey. The sharp tip of the sword was also moved in such a way that it twisted like the head of a snake ready to peck.

Jian, which is a typical Chinese sword other than as a weapon, has a value that is almost similar to a keris. Jian was used as a hint of nobility or self-esteem of the owner. A person who has a jian is not only considered a warrior or warrior, but also comes from a family or group of high caste or honorable house. In the period before Qin's dynasty in China, jian was made using bronze base material. At the time of the Qin dynasty kingdom is the year 221 to 206 BC, although new iron was developed, bronze jian already famous for its greatness.

This bronze jian has extraordinary strength and sharpness so that it can cut pieces of coin even though the jian has been hundreds of years old and buried in the ground. Iron was only used as a material jian during the Han dynasty, which was in the year 206 BC to 220 AD, the Jin Dynasty from 265 to 581 AD and the Southern and Northern dynasties from 420 to 581 AD.

The Jian that this Chinese man wore clearly showed his level of society, at least in Chinese society. Because for a war warrior, the dao was their weapon. It is a long and wider Chinese sword. This dao used the average Endrasena troops numbering two hundred to fight the Mataram and Surabaya troops later in the day. The jians themselves were used by royal officials or higher-level officers in the army.

As for the old Persian who uses his shamsir has a more assertive style. Every cut and slash directed at the Chinese man roared like a typhoon. His body also circled nimbly while grasping the opponent's body. The main movements are located in the forearms and shoulders in controlling the shamsir. The sword that was like a crescent moon was as if it was destined to be moved with such a stance.

After a few moves the two retreated, inhaling and simultaneously draping their swords behind their arms. Both respect each other. The young Chinese man shoved his right hand and covered it with his left palm.

This movement shows the respect of the Chinese with the meaning that the right hand clenched is the hand that is commonly used for fighting and fighting, but when closed with the other palm, the other hand, this signifies that the fist of the symbol of fighting is held and hidden to show peace and respect.

The boy who had been watching the fight earlier could not resist clapping and cheering, “Great ..,” he said as he clapped and jumped.

“Ayahanda and grandpa are both great,” he said again with a squeaky voice typical of a boy.

The two men of different ages smiled at the boy. “Well, what can you learn now my son, Alien?” the Chinese man who turned out to be the boy's real father asked.

“You have great although different styles.”

“Explain the difference, my grandson?” the old Persian this time asked with his deep and heavy voice. Although it was a little surprising, but the Parsi grandfather also turned out to be a real grandfather in the boy.

“Begini Husein's grandfather. Grandfather used more assertive moves. The sabetan grandfather's sword was intended for cutting and splitting. The most unique is the location of the grandfather's legs that step short and also often jump but the soap is long. Like a kid my age who is playing around but very precise and dangerous. While the father uses a sword style that tends to snatch and stab by bending the tip of his sword. It's hard to do without a smooth movement. The movement of the sword of the father was impressed short but long-winded,” the boy explained at length.

The two men who were the father and the boy's grandfather nodded in satisfaction.

“Then, don't you think grandfather's style is better than your father's?” said the grandfather while stroking his beard.

“Ha ha ha .. forgive me for my impudence my father-in-law I respect this. But it was obvious that jian su four-way is my most qualified windshield. I was younger, faster, and more agile,” the Chinese man laughed as he disagreed with his father-in-law's words.

“Hei Hongko, young you cannot touch a fingernail of your sword in my body, much less hurt me. This Damascus sword is constantly revolving around my body like a steel ball. Even I can hurt you if I want,” said the grandfather.

That is, even though it sounds rude, actually this conversation is a normal conversation of two swordsmen who are both qualified and highly knowledgeable. Their fight was actually a battle of skill, a show of a series of attacks and self-defense using both weapons. The show fight both of them seemed to be intended for the son and grandson of the two warriors in order to become a kind of kanuragan lesson.

According to their background, the young Chinese swordsman Nio Hongko in Hokkien Chinese is actually the son of a Chinese soldier who married a Javanese girl on the east coast. When he was born, because his father was a Chinese, he received the name she or the surname Nio.

Obviously because his father was someone with a qualified magic, Hongko also got a direct gem from his father who taught all the powerful magic and fighting moves. According to the story of the father, the Nio family had been born into warriors. They are a Muslim Chinese family who when followed their family line came from the Hui tribe in China.

The ancestors of Hongko also came from Canton, who settled in Giri through the port of Gresik. The arrival of the ancestors of Hongko is also considered along with the arrival of Maulana Ibrahim, Maulana Mahpur and his followers who numbered four people from Geddah who then spread the teachings of Islam on the island of Java.

Nio Hongko, just like his father then served the court of Giri Kedaton. Their families have also served Sunan Giri since the time of the spread of Islam in Java. It was at this time of his devotion that Hongko met the daughter of his Persian grandfather.

The Hongko-in-law named Husein is a man from Persia who has long lived on the island of Java. Husein's basic goal was to trade. However, he was no ordinary merchant. He was also equipped with qualified canuragan knowledge that he studied in the original land. This science is very useful when he had to go to trade and preach in the land of Java which was known to be hard and cruel at that time. Not all Javanese are friendly and kind to foreign immigrants. Not to mention the robbers and begal who hide in the jungles and haunted mountains.

Husein sailed to the island of Java with some of his followers and trading associates the Persians who mostly make a living by selling precious stones or drugs. He also married a Javanese woman who lived in the Mataram kingdom.

This Javanese Parsi married couple was later awarded a daughter, Siti Aisyah, and a son, Abdul Gafur who is also known by his Javanese name, Badranaya. Husein's daughter, Siti Aisyah, who according to Hongko is a real beauty.

The unified Persia and Java made Hongko's eyes and heart unable to run anymore. He often called his wife Roro Srengenge which in Javanese means daughter of the sun because her face is bright and dazzling Hongko heart, although in fact Roro itself is an official title for the granddaughter of rowdy women who are bloodless or noble. It's okay, after all Siti Aisyah is noble for Hongko.

Amazingly, Hongko and Husein are fellow lovers by kanuragan. Hongko and Badranaya, Husein's second son, were both defenders of the Giri court when Giri was attacked by Surabaya and Mataram. Several times the meeting of Hongko and Husein that must begin with the fight even made Husein steady accept Hongko as his son-in-law.

Hongko and Siti Aisyah shortly after the wedding were given a son.

The boy, who was later named Nio Kongsing, but because he also had half of Javanese blood also called Jayaseta, had an appearance that almost managed to summarize all the characteristics of his parents' bodies. Although still young, he has shown a sturdy and tall body that is passed down by his grandfather through his mother, exceeding the average height of his peers. Even though his eyes were narrow, his nose was sharp.

For the Javanese, of course he is considered a handsome young man. His skin is slightly lighter when compared to his Japanese friends, a mixture of the skin of his father and grandfather, although it will be disguised by dark colors also because of frequent exposure to sunlight. This mixing hasn't been finished until here.

His extraordinary intelligence turned out to be able to make his parents, especially his father and grandfather proud. Because in kanuragan he seems to easily absorb whatever is taught by the two main teachers.

From the age of three when he was first heralded, Jayaseta has always shown remarkable progress. Like this time, when his father and grandfather began to show kanuragan moves using weapons. He immediately imitated as much as he could.

With a long rattan in his hand, he clumps to imitate the jian su his father's moves. Not long with the same rattan, he jumped up and down while twirling the rattan imitating the movement of the grandfather's sword.

Jayaseta's grandfather and father were actually no longer surprised to see the ability to imitate Jayaseta's style. Since the age of six, Jayaseta has shown greatness and talent. Basic silat science from the army santri Giri given his father for a moment can be immediately completed in a matter of months. The science of sword, keris and Javanese silat spear that became the basis of the movement of Giri troops was swallowed at once. No wonder Hongko and Husein argue that it is time for them to teach the special techniques that are their mainstay, the swordsmanship of Damascus and the silat of China.

Hongsing aka Jayaseta is able to absorb the sword moves of the grandfather who swirled and split firmly. Not only that, the science of Persian silat is also famous for its bare hands. The difference with Javanese silat, Parsi silat science prioritizes dings, locks and wrestling. This silat science was designed for the Persian soldiers who when in the war were forced to lose their weapons.

By hitting a musk, grappling on the ground and destroying the enemy by breaking hands or beating him when he is below, it is an appropriate style of silat to immediately avoid long and sharp sword sabetage from the enemy.

In silat, Jayaseta was trained to attack enemies by hitting with the palms and fists, kicking and elbowing. It is also taught to avoid attack, twist, deflect or retreat. But specifically Parsi's grandfather, Jayaseta trained how to wrestle rolling on the ground, slam the enemy to the earth and lock joints arms, legs or neck of the enemy.

With this Persian silat, the muscles of the young Jayaseta become more and more clay and sensitivity feels more trained. Not only can he attack and evade enemy attacks, he can also paralyze enemies in unexpected ways. While from the father who has the basis of Chinese Hui science, Jayaseta trained in agility and flexibility of the body. It can perform agile movements such as soaring into the air, spinning, chanting and various other agile movements.

At a very young age Jayaseta had been able to absorb the agility of his father, including the tenacity of his grandfather. Of course, Hongko and Husein could not help but feel the pride that exploded in their chest cavity to see the grandson and son who were also their students very talented in the science of canuragan. They would be even more proud if they knew that a few years later, Nio Kongsing aka Jayaseta would become a famous matchless swordsman in the martial universe with the title of Thousand Mask Swordsman.