Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Aki Ali is such a simple person. He never over thinking about anything deeply.
He lives peacefully as a horse man. He doesn’t have the high-sounding goals.
Even, he doesn't seems quite aware that he have a deep knowledge about horses.
His life is so so simple and flows in how it should.
That is typically way of village people's life.
As I remember, the very first time I hold a horse was in 1949.
When I finished the elementary school, I went to a junior high school in Bandung,
but I did not finish that. I only got until 8th grade.
It's all because I fell in love with horses, I love to play with the horse,
then I joined the horse tournaments.
Because I heard about Kuda Renggong, ...
People talked that Aki Sukriya creates Kuda Renggong in 1909,
While I trade horses, I ends to learn with Aki Sukriya.
Aki Ali's influence to Kuda Renggong, I think it's pretty big,
or it might be said that Aki Ali roles the central position.
And day by day, Aki Ali become an expert figure (in Kuda Renggong).
Due to his age and lots of his relatives who passed away,
Aki Ali is left as the most expert and famous in Kuda Renggong,
especially here, in Sumedang.
I keep learning to Aki Sukriya until, well at least, I can coach Kuda Renggong
Aki Sukriya had trained me for about 5 months but then he said I wasn't expert yet.
Aki Sukriya told me, "3 more months."
I also got hitted while he said that.
I still don't get it. I tought I already capable to coach horses,
but that crippled man (Aki Sukriya) told me that I might still need 3 more months.
I don't care I got hitted, my legs, my back, he also push my head,
because I got a strong will to be a coach of Kuda Renggong.
I ask, "Ki, why I still need 3 or more months?"
He said, "You are not sturdy yet! The horse isn't straight yet!"
I keep wondering. I already handle horses exactly like other student did,
but he kept saying "You're not good yet" instead.
Then I ask a question, "How can I coach the horse from zero to the horse which is expert to dance?"
He said, "Firstly, take a look at the horse’s head, and then look at its tail."
"If the head is straight with the tail, then you can go coaching its leg."
"Go first with its front leg, if those already fine, go on the back leg."
"From that point, You can be called as well-good-enough"
It takes 40 days for me to learn.
Tired, running here and there, soaking wet by sweat, what tha hell.
I feel that this crazy old man (Aki Sukriya) torture me more than a hell does.
But I kept in patient because I wanted to be a success one.
Nowadays, lots of horses are just-able-to-dance.
In past period, a horse needs 3 months to learn the dancing moves.
Today, horses are prepared as soon as possible.
Hence, they're not good enough, due to the short coaching process.
There was a time in the past when my grandpa coached the horse,
it takes long long time. For about 3 months, it wasn't been performed yet,
wasn't being proper enough to be on stage.
An expert horse will immediately dancing when they hear musics,
and surprisingly, their moves match with the music beats.
But horses which hasn't been trained enough needs to be whipped first to dance.
If I see that, I bet the horse isn't well prepared.
At before, coaches are very discipline. Unfortunately recent coach has no discipline.
For an example, what a teacher says may not be obeyed.
As long as horses can jigging, suitable to ride, able to walk with music,
recent children called this as Kuda Renggong.
But for me, that's not enough to be called as Kuda Renggong.
But appearantly people has already called those horses as Kuda Renggong,
without to understand about harmony and the straight of the horse.
That's why I'm worry, nowadays as long as the horses can jigging they already call it as Kuda renggong.
In past period, Kuda Renggong is not that simple.
What makes Aki Ali restless is about the depth of knowledge that is owned by recent coaches.
even though, performance is now become more glittering, the horse’s costumes are more various and more luxurious,
and also the musician’s costumes seems better,
but the low-depth of knowledge about Kuda Renggong is what makes Aki Ali worry about.
So according to the expert’s point of view, Kuda Renggong which is seems luxurious for common people,
actually has so many parts needs to be improved.
The way it dances,
or the safety of the rider, the child who is being celebrate their circumcision.
Because we need to anticipate if then the horse got mad, the child would get fallen with thud