INDO MARTIAL ARTS
Learning pencak silat – an umbrella term for several Indonesian martial arts – introduces you to the essence of Indonesia in the same way capoeira teaches the spirit of South America.
We’re very fortunate this month to have Adji Gagux ( “Adji”), an outstanding teacher of the Balinese style of pencak silat, running classes at Usada Bali.
Looking a bit like a performance, pencak silat offers training that combines combat and self-defence, with actual fighting techniques only divulged to students when the guru deems them ready.
Born in Kintamani, 28 y.o. Adji began his formal martial arts path at the age of seven, has won many national championships and traces his instinctive knowledge back to his grandfather, himself a great martial artist.
Wednesdays 1-2:30pm, Saturdays 7-8:30pm until September 24. More info: Usada Bali Facebook page. Address: Jl. Sugriwa No.4, Br. Padang Tegal.
ONE LESS SMOOTHIE
If – just once a week – I forgo ordering a delicious tropical smoothie – my Ubud favourite is passionfruit coconut – I’ll save a little something to help put the fur back on some of my least fortunate local neighbours.
Every day it seems the emergency response team at Bali Animal Welfare Association (BAWA) gets a call about a skinny little dog, with hardly any hair, severe skin problems and in desperate need of help.
Usually even the worst scabies, bacterial and fungal infections can be fixed with medication and care. The latest little munchkin – they call him Wayne – was rescued last week with no fur at all, yet already looks like he’ll recover fully.
It’s a very costly exercise, so BAWA urgently needs donations for food supplies, medicine, vaccines, bedding, and paying vet and staff bills. W: bawabali.com/donate-to-bawa. Hotline: 081 138 9004 (24/7).
WHY SAVE WATER?
When I moved to Bali 15 years ago, my architect and builder laughed as I haltingly tried to explain how – and why – I wanted to put a big rainwater tank in the empty space on the slope under my house. They thought it hilarious that I was concerned with saving water.
Yet the river at the bottom of our village has dried out more than once, as more people draw water and Bali experiences drier than average years. It’s another message (like recycling) that’s not sinking in very quickly.
Cat Wheeler from Ubud Garden Society says she’s showing her gardener how to mulch the plants in her beautiful garden, layering waste paper, layers of banana trunk, leaves and alang alang. The mulch drastically cuts the need to water and the plants will benefit from the captured nutrients, too.
MARIO MAGIC
Ubud ex-pat Mario Cossa leaves his Bali home again this month for his annual trip back to the USA, where he transfers his wealth of knowledge through a train–the-trainers program for the Safe School Ambassadors (SSA) organisation.
Based in Santa Rosa, California, this extraordinary youth empowerment program has now spread to more than 600 schools across USA, Puerto Rico, Canada, Guam, and recently Peru. (More at safeschoolambassadors.org).
On his way back to Bali, Mario will spend a month teaching counselling staff and working with students at Huaqiao University in China, in his role as a psychodrama practitioner and trainer.
Mario’s experiences in working in many Asian settings, including Korea, Jakarta and with students of Campuhan College in Ubud, will support this work in exploring the essence of cultural identity.
YOUR SHAMANIC PATH
Are you curious about astrology and seeking a shamanic path? There’s a course coming up in November that will guide you through the principles of Shamanic Astrology, helping you determine your own shamanic timeline.
Daniel Giamario and Levi Banner of Shamanic Yoga have created a very intriguing, intensive program, incorporating ceremony, astrological insights, personal charting, and sacred site visits. Graduates of the course can gain credit from the Shamanic Astrology Mystery School toward becoming a 1st Degree Shamanic Astrology Counsellor.
Whether this is a passion for you, or you’d just appreciate from a break from life’s everyday stresses and pressure, with a bit of time in nature under the stars, this seven day program looks fascinating. Date: November 1-7. Venue: Yogi’s Garden, Payangan, Ubud. For more information E: levi@levibanner.com.
FLASH CHARITY LUNCHEON
Next month is global Breast Cancer Awareness month and – thanks to a very active non-profit – the incidence of breast cancer in Bali is dropping.
Flash Charity Bali, run by a group of Balinese, Jakarta and international ex-pat women, raises money for early detection and other life-saving breast cancer-related programs for impoverished Balinese women.
In 2018, they offered free screening of early detection for breast cancer to 400 women, with eight lumps diagnosed and two breast cancers successfully removed. They are saving lives.
By far the charity’s biggest fundraiser is a riotous, fun-filled luncheon each year, held at the Maya resort in Sanur. It’s an absolutely huge event, with stalls selling all sorts of wonderful goodies in a well-organised mini bazaar.
Yet it feels just like a family gathering, with warm welcomes and lots of friendly faces. Flash Charity Bali Facebook. Friday, 4 October at Maya Resort Sanur. Ph. 0878 6152 5855.
TALES OF THE LONTAR
With generations of traditional knowledge behind him, Balinese guru Kadek Ardita is in a unique position to offer us an introduction to the meditative experience of creating Lontar art.
Pak Kadek, from the traditional Tenganan village in Karangasam, recently ran a very successful evening workshop in Balinese Lontar (Palm Leaf drawing), at Usada Bali, and has been persuaded to come back again for another session in October.
During this workshop, you will learn to use the “Pengerupa” or special knife to draw on the palm leaves called “Lontar”. Pak Ardita says the meditative experience of creating Lontar art develops focus and dexterity.
The date not been set yet for this event. Check in to Usada Bali on Facebook for more info. Address: Jl. Sugriwa No.4, Br. Padang Tegal.
E-mail : BAubudnews@gmail.com
Copyright © 2019 Wayan Jen
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