Silat Institute

APPLY FOR CLASSES

Instructors

Abdul-Malik Ahmad

Head Instructor
Kak Abdul-Malik began his Pencak Silat journey at age 15 and has dedicated over 30 years to mastering the art. He established the Virginia branch of Pencak Silat in 1999, sharing his knowledge with hundreds of students. His training has taken him to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore, where he honed his skills and achieved numerous accolades in international martial arts competitions. Abdul-Malik is particularly skilled in Tanding (silat fighting) and Jurus Tunggal and regularly trains with Silat practitioners as well as martial artists from other disciplines.

Currently, Abdul-Malik serves as head coach of the USA Pencak Silat Federation’s national team. His expertise is recognized internationally through his certification as a Wasit/Jury (referee/judge) and his experience judging at three Pencak Silat World Championships. Notably, he was the first American to compete at the Pencak Silat World Championships and the first American to be an official judge at a International Pencak Silat World Champtionship in Phuket 2015. In 2025, he teamed up with two of his students to become members of the first-ever U.S. men’s Regu team.

His martial arts experience extends well beyond Pencak Silat. He holds a 7th-degree rank in Pencak Silat (red belt with three stripes), a black belt in Taekwondo received during his studies in Egypt, a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and a green belt in Judo. During his brief foray into MMA (mixed martial arts), he maintained an undefeated record, further demonstrating the breadth of his martial arts experience.

A. Malik’s accomplishments include:

Ammar Aftab

Kak Ammar has studied Silat for over 13 years. He has competed in multiple tournaments. He recently won bronze at an international Pencak Silat tournament in Singapore, 2nd place at the 2018 World Cup Tournament and competed in the Sarawak Open in 2023. He won 2nd place in tanding at the 2025 US Open Pencak Silat Championships.

Sara Saleem

Kak Sara has studied Silat for over 9 years. She has competed in multiple tournaments international tournaments, including the Middle East Pencak Silat Championships, where she won silver in Tanding (fighting) and 3rd in Tunggal (forms). She won 2nd place in tanding at the 2025 US Open Pencak Silat Championships.

Sarina Sheikh

Kak Afrah has studied Silat for nearly 20 years. She has competed in multiple tournaments winning first place in forms. Afrah competed in Singapore earning 2nd place (Silver) and 3rd place at the 2019 US Open. She won Gold medal in Jurus Tunggal at the 2025 US Open Pencak Silat Championships.

Ilyas Meth

Ilyas Meth has been training in Pencak Silat for over five years, representing the U.S. in international competitions in Dubai and Indonesia’s Piala Kasad 2. He earned a gold medal in Tanding, a silver medal in Tunggal, and received the Best Athlete Award at the 2025 U.S. Open Pencak Silat Championship, recognizing his exceptional skill, discipline, and dedication to the art.


Hamza Ahmad

Kak Hamza has studied Silat for over 13 years. He has earned his black belt and has won numerous competitions. Hamza is a great instructor and is passionate about teaching younger students. He was on the Silat demo team and has participated in many Silat demonstrations. He recently won a bronze medal at an international Pencak Silat tournament in Belgium and 2nd place at the 2019 US Open.

Sakina Ahmad

Sakina has studied Silat and other martial arts for over 13 years under her father Kak Abdul-Malik Ahmad. She has earned her black belt in Pencak Silat and has competed in many regional tournaments, winning first or second place in almost all of the tournaments she attends. She recently won gold medals at international tournaments in Belgium and Singapore.

Omar Daken

Kak Omar has studied Silat for over 8 years and received his Black Belt in May 2024. He has competed in multiple tournaments winning first place. He recently won silver at an international Pencak Silat tournament in Dubai and competed in the Sarawak Open in 2023. He won 2 gold and bronze medal at the 2025 US Open Pencak Silat Championship.

Sarina Sheikh

Sarina, with over six years of dedicated Silat training, has an impressive record of participating in various Open tournaments. Her notable achievements include winning Silver medal at the 2023 AmeriKick International Tournament in New Jersey. She received her Silat Black belt in Nov 2025. She was part of the first-ever USA female Pencak Silat Regu team.

Asmaa Shafi

Asmaa, with over 8 years of dedicated Silat training, has an impressive record of participating in various Open tournaments. Her notable achievements include winning gold medal at the Piala Kasad 2 in Indonesian in 2024. She received her Silat black belt Black Belt in May 2026. She was part of the first-ever USA female Pencak Silat Regu team.

Abdullah Shafi

Kak Abdullah has studied Silat for over 8 years and received his Silat Black Belt in May 2026 He has competed in multiple tournaments winning first place. He recently won silver at the Piala Kasad 2 in Indonesian. He also won gold and silver medals in major grappling tournaments.