Mande Muda Silat, a dynamic Indonesian martial art, was founded by Guru Besar Uyuh Suwanda in Bandung in 1951. Uyuh Suwanda, having studied 17 styles of Pencak Silat, created Mande Muda by combining these techniques with Cimande, a style he learned through his marriage to Mimi Rukimi.
After Uyuh Suwanda's death in 1989, his son Herman Suwanda took a leading role in propagating the art. Born in 1955, Herman began studying with his father in 1960 and later expanded his knowledge by learning from other pendekars. In the early 1980s, Herman moved to the United States, where he played a crucial role in introducing Mande Muda Silat to the Western world.
Herman Suwanda's efforts in the US were significant. He taught extensively, attracting notable students like Dan Inosanto and Antonio Somero. Through seminars and regular classes, Herman spread Mande Muda across the United States and parts of Europe even visiting London England and teaching on one occasion.
Following Herman's tragic death in a car accident in 2000, leadership of Mande Muda Silat passed to his sister, Rita Suwanda.
As the new Guru Besar, Rita continued to promote and develop the art internationally.
The lineage has extended to Paul Finn, who trained with Ibu for more than a decade and which highlights the art's continued growth and international reach, with Finn playing a key role in its development and promotion within the United Kingdom.
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