Tali Merdeka Game (Kuantan Singingi)

1. The origin

Administratively, Kuantan Singingi is a region including in Riau province. In the region where the society uphold Malay culture, there is a popular game among the society called tali meredeka. Way of playing the game is one jumps over a coiled rope made of rubber. The name of the game is germane to the activity conducted during the game, especially at the last jump of the game. In the last jump, the rope is spread out vertically as long as a raised fistful upward. The move of fistful to the air which is similar to what patriotists had done to encourage the spirit of others is assumed to be the reason for naming the game as tali merdeka. In addition, the patriotists were get used to yell merdeka (free from other occupations) when they raised their fistful.

With regard to the time emergence of the game among the society and the location where the game was played for the first time, both are still difficult to be traced. However, it is estimated that the game emerged in the colonialist period.     

2. The Player

The tali merdeka game is played usually by 3-10 people. The players are partitioned into two groups: one group holds the rope while the other jumps over it. Typically, the game is popular among girls ranging from 7 -15 years old. Therefore, men occasionally take part of the game. Women who are above 15 years are usually reluctant to take part in the game. Otherwise, they usually became supporters for the players.

3. The Place of the Game

The tali merdeka game is a simple game since the game needs no spacious land. The tali merdeka can be played anytime and anywhere such as in schoolyard at break time or lunch, and in house yard.

4. The Tools of the Game

The tali merdeka game is a low cost game since the main tool needed is a rope made of several rubber-bands which are looped together tightly. The way to plait the rings is by combining the rubber-bands until reached 3-4 meters in length. To make the rope stronger, 3 or 4 rubber-bands (the amount is doubled) are combined together.       

The rubber-band, which has circular shape and can be purchased in most of traditional markets, are not sold in a piece but instead in gram, ounce, or kilo. Usually, the rubber-bands are utilized to bunch plastic bags, to bundle hairs, and to tight other staffs.

5. The Rule of the Game

As the tali merdeka game requires only skill on jump over the rope on certain height, the game constitutes a simple game. At least three players participate in the game where one or more participants jump over the extended rope so that it passes under their feet. This may consist of a participant holds the rope and another jumps over the rope, or a minimum of three participants taking turns, two of them hold the rope while one or more jumps.

If a player is able to jump over the rope, he will be pelompat (jumper) until he becomes tired. Otherwise, he will become pemegang (rope holder) until the other fail in doing the jumping.

There are several measures of rope height that should be passed:

1. Rope extended in line with the twirler‘s knee.
2. In line with twirler‘s waist (in both measures, the jumper is forbidden to touch the rope, otherwise he will be replaced).
3. In line with twirler‘s chest (in this measure and the next, the jumper is allowed to touch the rope as long as he is not trapped within the spinning rope).
4. In line with twirler‘s ear.
5. In line with twirler‘s head.
6. Rope spinning on a span of twirler‘s head.
7. Rope position is on two spans of twirler‘s head.
8. Rope position is on the arm of the twirler that raised vertically.  

6. The Process of the Game

Before the game is commenced, two players are selected to be in the pemegang (holder) position. The selection is based on gambreng and suit. The gambreng is performed by clapping hands of all participants who stand in circle form. Simultaneously, their hands are raised and dropped. When the participants dropped their hands, the hand positions will be different (some palms facing up and other facing down). One participant, whose hand position is distinct from the others‘s, becomes the winner (in the pelompat position) and the same way is repeated until two participants left. Those two participants will be the pemegang (holders). To decide a person who will first replace the pelompat (jumper), the suit is conducted. The suit is a choosing system that uses finger, especially the thumb, index finger, and little finger. Those fingers (thumb, the index, and the little) represent an elephant, a human being, and an ant respectively. If the thumb is competed with the index, the first is the winner since the elephant is bigger than the human being (the human being can get trumpled by the elephant). However, the thumb will lose if it faces the little finger as the ant can easily defeats the elephant by entering elephant‘s ear (easily crawl in the elephant‘s ear and tickle him to drive him crazy). The little finger will lose if faces the index as the human being by using his intelligence can kill the ant (as the human can stomp on the ant and squash it)

Following the selection, the pemegang will stand opposite each other and extend the rope. The pelompat will jump over the rope with eight different positions as inscribed above. Generally, the players are able to jump in the first three positions, and find difficulties as they jump in the rest of positions. To ease the jump, the player can also face the pelompat and rotate while doing the jump. This movement, which is usually performed by men, looks like the movement of propeller. And also the players can touch and put the rope beneath the feet before doing the first jump. The way of jump is usually performed by women. The game will end if the players become tired.

7. Cultural Values

The tali merdeka game encompasses several important values such as hard work, adroitness, accuracy, and fairness. Hard work value is reflected in the player‘s attempt to jump over the rope with different heights. Adroitness and accuracy can be seen from the player‘s prediction of the rope movement. The skill on accuracy in this game can be got if the player has played the tali merdeka game repeatedly. The fairness value is reflected when the player is demanded to twirl the rope when he touch it during the game and to accept all rules of the game. (HQ/ter/21/7-07)

Source:

Fakhri dan Bustami M. Lipsi. 2002. Permainan Rakyat Kabupaten Kuantan Singingi. Pekanbaru: Unri Press

Credit photo : www.pontianakpost.com

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