What is Tenaga Dalam?

Tenaga Dalam  or Inner power is a popular concept in the Malay community  throughout South East Asia particularly Indonesia and Malaysia.

Inner Power in humans is distinguished from external power (which is usually referred to  as the "power" ) in the form of physical exertion such as physical strength of muscle power.

Basically everyone has what is called the inner power, they just do not know how to generate, develop or use it. Inner power  has been around us since our birth, but the power is sleeping passive and  will rise if the person is in a state of panic, sleep walking, hypnotized or tremendous fear. Its a natural reflex of our mind and body when faced with immediate danger to produce high levels of mental and physical power instinctively and sometimes without our knowledge or influence.

Example: A person who is afraid of the dog will have a remarkable ability to elude the dog by running or sprinting faster than he would normally be able to. When pressed by situation, the person can jump over 2 m high wall in a single jump. Excessive fear can generate this  'sleeping' dormant energy in us. Usually our bodies will generate this energy when faced with no choice and immediate danger, Automatically empowering us to do amazing feats just for the purpose of self preserving and surviving and after the danger or task is done it will go back to its dormant state  right about the time we realize that we have done something amazing or superhuman.

The History of Tenaga Dalam

Tenaga Dalam has already been known by the ancient Egyptians In 4000 BC,. In a Papyrus manuscript named  "Yedimesish Ontologia" which was copied from Ancient Gri language, its written that when activated in a certain ways, shoulder muscles and upper body will issue a strange power that can knock down or repel the angry people near us. In particular those who mean us some bodily harm.

Ancient Egyptians called that science by the name Krachtology from the word "krachtos" meaning power and "logos" meaning science.

From Egypt, Krachtology evolved into Babylon, Greece, Rome and Persia. Such internal power was also known as Dacht in Persia  . Its said that the tribe Bukht from Persia, used the famous  science of fighting or self defense called Dahtuz which enabled them to knock out or knock down the enemy from a distance. 

Persian nobility was trained in using Daht.

People of Chinese, Tartar, Patan, Moghul descents, know of some martial arts that can knock people from afar. 

Some of the famous Chinese arts that use similar concept are:

Zhan Zhuang, Da Chen Chuan, Wie Kong etc.

The concept of being able to affect other people and objects from a distance has not been unknown to the ancient Chinese and has had the name Lin Kong Jin or the empty hand.

This Science eventually spread from China to Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaya and Indonesia and from there it evolved in multiple streams such as silat Mandar of Sulawesi, East Java Timpung arts and arts Nampon of West Java.

Since then Tenaga dalam has been a vital part of Pencak Silat martial arts knowledge throughout Malaysian peninsula aside from being used and practiced trough out the world.

Right until recently this knowledge has strictly been reserved for the members of Royal families In China as well as in Malaysia and Indonesia and even Japan and even now in todays free communication world it still remains mystery since only those who show proper mind attitude and the humble spirit will be initiated into the world or energy.

Methods of training

The inner power in general is activated through special breathing techniques such as: abdominal breathing , chest breathing ,  natural breathing and breath retention .

The movements are taught in a group of respiratory gymnastic exercises.

People have been using Internal Energy for several purposes, including exercise, meditation, martial arts and healing.

Tenaga Dalam as a healing media

From 1980 to 1992 Observations that were conducted in the United States and Japan showed that out of the hands of a healer, energy (Prana) bio-magnetic field  radiated with a frequency of 0.3 to 30 Hz with an average of around 7-8 Hz activities. 

An expert in Qi-Gong can emit large enough field that can be detected by scientific energy measurement equipment. Further observations were conducted into involving acoustic field noise and thermal fields, through these findings medical science was encouraged enough to begin to study it.