Pendekar Madya Haka Tahir:

Haka Tahir was born 1918 in Gorontalo, Nord Sulawesi (Indonesia). Already as a child, Pencak Silat fascinated him and at the age of 7 years, he began to pratice it against the will of his father with the local Silat style Langga. Since there were very few Pencak Silat schools in Sulawesi, Haka got under the umbrella of an old, wise man, who introduced him to the art of Pencak Silat. At the age of 18 years Haka Tahir moved to Bandung (Java), where he attended the high school. He found there a master, and succeeded to extend his combat art.

Since in Java the Pencak Silat was more developed and more common than in Sulawesi, Haka Tahir studied a great variety of styles, so that eventually he developped his own style, the HAKA TAHIR Pencak Silat style. This style particularly considers the street fight and self-defense, also with weapons. The discipline and will power of Haka Tahir during the hard times of captivity in a Japanese concentration camp in Indonesia, during the II World War, made his own style a perfect style. Haka Tahir is today still convinced that he mastered this difficult time only thanks to Pencak Silat. After the war, he headed to Holland, where he had three-years training as a sport teacher (boxes, fencing, self-defense). He won his reputation also in the swimming national team.
In 1949 he moved to Switzerland. As a foreigner, his life was not easy. He worked in a factory, and always found time to train Pencak Silat regularly. In 1958 he opened his KARATE SCHOOL HAKA TAHIR in Zurich. The school had a great success, although at that time actually only the JUDO was known, and Karate was still quite unknown. Besides Haka Tahir worked as a sport teacher to the Kantonalen Maturitätsschule for adults. Also he trained Swiss officers in close combat. In the early 70s he moved his school into the gymnasium Rämibühl, where it still is.
On 20 February 1988 Haka Tahir received the biggest honour. The world union (PERSILAT) for his school 30th anniversary, gave him the rare title “PENDEKAR MADYA” (great master). This honor is higher than 10th Dan, and it's granted in Pencak Silat. Haka Tahir, beside the Indonesian president Suharto, is the only person, who carries this high and honorable title. He trained during last 40 years over 30 black belts. Today there are more than 10 schools in Switzwerland, in which Haka Tahir style is taught. Today Haka Tahir at his old still leads the school in Zurich. He also gives private lessons. Due to two accidents with a bicycle his legs do not carry him any longer, he is a model for mobility and joy of life.
If you stand in front of this 92 years old man, you feel the enormous power of his karisma. This is a proof that PENCAK SILAT learnt as a life guide line is a solid basis for bodies and minds.