BANDUNG, Indonesia  -- One of the  reasons  why I wanted  to make this trip to  this  cool resort  city  known as the  ‘Paris  of  Indonesia’’ is  to personaly witness the formal declaration of   the  international federation of tarung derajat.

Yes, my dear, you read it right : tarung derajat.

A popular  full-contact  martial  art from Indonesia,  tarung  derajat is  set to be introduced  as a demonstration sport  in the  coming  2011  Southeast  Asian  Games in Palembang, Indonesia  later this year.

At least  eight  countries -- Indonesia,  Thailand,   Philippines, Vietnam,  Myanmar, Laos, Brunei  Darussalam and  East Timor -- are  expected to field  their best entries when tarung derajat  makes its debut as a demo sport in the 2011 SEA Games.

Indonesia, as the  host country,  is eager to introduce  it as one of its homegrown sports, while   Myanmar has  also signified  its intention to include  it   as a regular sport when  it takes its  turn to host the biennial event in 2013.

“It’s an  interesting sport, similar to  kickboxing,  karate and  silat ,” said  retired  police  general Director Lucas   Managuelod, who  led a five-man  Filipino delegation which  participated in the formal  creation  of  the  international  tarung   derajat  federation  during  a  three-day  congress at the   Hyatt Regency  and the   FITD  headquarters in Bandung.

“I  think  that Filipinos  can also  excel in  this new  martial arts sport,  which  emphasizes  punching,  kicking,  grappling and sweeping,” added Managuelod, who    actively participated  during the   IFTD election of officers, as well as  deliberations for the approval of  the IFTD statutes

Red  Dumuk,  a well-known chronicler of local sports and one of the  leading members of the Filipino delegation,  readily agreed  with  Managuelod’s observations.

“Like  the  traditional sport of  kickboxing, tarung derajat is  perfect  for  the  Filipinos, who  love  to see a stand up and full- contact martial art sports. It’s very similar  to street  fighting and URC championships, although  more  scientific,” explained Dumuk, clearly one of the  most popular  delegates  during the eight-nation convention.

Dumuk said  tarung  derajat  can easily be introduced in the armed forces, local government units and  even colleges and  universities as  a   form  of  self-defense.

“The  discipline  and devotion  that  a tarung derajat  practitioner, known  in Indonesia as  petarung,  must  always adhere to  will also be  very beneficial,” added Dumuk.

But what really is tarung  derajat?

A  full -contact  martial art from  Indonesia, tarung derajat is  personally  created and developed  by  Haji  Achmad  Drajat   on July 18, 1972, or  exactly 22 years after he was born.

His father, H. Adang Latif, was  a   noted   freedom  fighter who later became  a   member of a special  police which fought an insurgency group in the 1950s.          When he was  born on July 18, 1950, his  parents named  him  Darajat  (meaning: dradjat or  degree).  The  name was given  by his parents as  an expectation that the  owner could be a blessing, mercy and   grace that brings goodness  and  enhance  the dignity of  human life.

Since the age of five.  Darajat  (who  was later nicknamed  AA, which means oldest  child in West Java), lived in  harsh environments  that  smelled  of criminality. During  that time, violence was c ommon place in everyday  life  even for a small figure like Darajat.

But despite being short and small,  Darajat  managed  to hold his  ground and even helped  a lot  of friends   in distress with  his fearless  and  courageous  attitude.

After  being  bullied  by bigger and stronger kids during  his childhood, he  vowed  not to let it  happen again to other  kids. 

At age 13, Darajat also  accepted the realities of life and  learned  to  survive  by  training  his brain,  muscle and  conscience to determine the direction of a better  life.

“Better life  leads to true life in harmony with nature,” said Dradjat,  now  widely acknowledged  as Sang  Guru, or Great Grand  Master  to his millions of disciples., He  thus created the  sport based on  his experiences  as a street fighter in the 1960s. 

“Tarung  Derajat has a universal value to make a peaceful world.  It is  not for  one person or  one  country, but for the  world,” he said in a book he himself wrote.

Dradjat, who is being  recognized  even by the  highest government  officials,  now  teaches the sport  to his students at the Center  of Tarung Derajat Insittution in downtown  Bandung, assisted  by hordes of  tarung derajat veterans.

In  tarung derajat,   practitioners  adhere to the principle  “Aku Ramah  Bukan Berarti Takut, Aku Tunduk  Bukan Berarti Takluk",  which   loosely translates to “I’m   friendly does not mean fear, I  submit does not mean surrender” in  English.

“Box” is  the  traditional greeting of the friendship.

Tarung  derajat is officially recognized as  a  national sport  in the 1990s and   now used as part  of a basic training   regimen by  the  Indonesian army.

In 1998,  the   Tarung Derajat organization  officially became member of  KONI  and  later earned  a spot in the Pekan Olahraga Nasional, a  national  multi-sports competition  held  every four years.

Tarung  derajat   officials now claimed that more than two million practitioners are actively  involved in the  propagation of the sport not only  in  Indonesia but in other Southeast Asian countries as well.  Children as young as four years  old  can be  admitted  to the  training  facility.

“Today, Southeast  Asia, Soon, the world,”  said one master practitioner.

In  Bandung,  Thai official  Santhipab  Intrapat was formally elected as  the  president of  the FITD, with  officials  headquarters now  located in Thailand.

Intrapat  was  initially elected as interim  president during an initial caucus  by top sports officials  of  the region  held in Bangkok  last  March 19  where the basic  principles and rules and  regulations  were outlined.

The  IFTD  logo  -- a fist with pronounced  knuckles  grasping  a   lightning  bolt and surrounded by  a bowl holding  the five basic  principles of the sport  -- was also approved during the   Bandung congress.

To be continued