Debus: Mind Control or Magic?

WARNING: May contain some disturbing images

"Every action of the mind produces a certain effect in the body"

Manusia selalu ingin tahu akan apa yang bisa dilakukan, tentang hingga di mana batas kemampuan manusia. Secara fisik, manusia seakan dibatasi oleh berbagai hal, keterbatasan kecepatan, kemampuan menahan panas, keterbatasan elemen tubuh dalam menghadapi benda tajam dan masih banyak lagi.

Humanity always wants to know what else can be done to test the human’s limit. Physically, humans are limited by a few things: limitations of speed, limitations of holding one’s breath, limitations of the body elements when facing sharp objects and many more.

 

Percayakah anda manusia dapat menahan panas api tanpa terbakar? Percayakah anda kulit manusia dapat menahan tajamnya pisau dan parang? Percayakah anda bahwa manusia dapat melampaui batas?

Do you believe that a person can withstand fire without getting burnt? Do you believe that the human skin can withstand knives and blades? Do you believe that a person can surpass human limits?

Di Tanjung Lesung, Banten, saya mau tidak mau dibuat percaya akan hal tersebut.

At Tanjung Lesung, Banten, I do not want to made to believe such things.

 

"Those who do not see will not believe"

Saya bukan orang yang percaya ilmu kekebalan, magic atau apapun istilahnya. Saya percaya ada logika yang membatasi apa yang dapat kita lakukan, ada ilmu pengetahuan yang membuka tabir bagaimana fungsi dan sistem tubuh manusia. Namun saya percaya pikiran dapat mempengaruhi tubuh dalam beragam aspek, namun kebal dari api dan benda tajam? sulit dipercaya.

I’m not a person that believes in the art of invulnerability, magic or whatever it’s called. I believe that logic is limiting us from what we can do, and there is knowledge that can reveal the ultimate functions and system of the human body. But I also believe that our mind can influence how our body works in different ways. But to be invulnerable to fire and sharp objects? Hard to believe.

 

"Debus"

Kata yang umum di telinga. Debus identik dengan menoreh-norehkan pisau dan benda tajam ke tangan dan bagian tubuh lain tanpa terluka, identik dengan makan pecahan kaca tanpa darah menetes sedikitpun. Ya, saya pernah mendengar dan melihat foto-fotonya, namun menyaksikan langsung aksi debus benar-benar memberikan sensasi yang berbeda.

A familiar word to our ears. Debus is identical with slashing knives and sharp objects to the hands and other body parts and not being injured. They are known for eating pieces of glass without shedding any blood. Yes, I’ve heard of them and have seen the pictures, but to see debus performances live really gives a different sensation.

 

Fire for dinner

Panasnya api mengawali atraksi debus, para jawara ilmu kebal memperlihatkan betapa mereka dapat menahan panas api dengan menempelkan kayu yang dibakar jilatan api ke badan mereka. Tidak cukup hanya itu, para ahli debus ini menempelkan lidah mereka ke api dan kemudian membakar bara api. Berulang kali mereka mendekat ke arah kami untuk memperlihatkan bahwa bara api yang mereka makan memang asli.

The heat of the fire began the debus attraction. The experts of the art of invulnerability showed that they can withstand the heat of fire by placing burning wood unto their body. Not just that, the debus performers stuck their tongue out unto the fire and then set the ember on fire. Again and again they approached us to show that the embers that they ate are real.

 

Saya seakan disuguhi magic show berulang kali. Dari api yang membara, aksi membengkokkan kawat baja dengan tekanan dada dan leher, hingga menusuk tangan dan leher - kali ini membuat saya menunjukkan ekspresi ngilu melihat leher sang jawara ditusuk hingga tembus.

It was as if I was given a magic show again and again. From the flames, the attractions of bending steel using their chest and neck, until the piercings in the hands and necks. But this time, I gave an unpleasant expression seeing the person’s neck being pierced by a foreign object.

 

Yang unik, para jawara ini melakukannya terkadang sambil bercanda. Saat kepala mereka dipukul dengan bambu besar mereka tertawa, sebelumnya saya pikir untuk melakukan aksi kekebalan tubuh mereka benar-benar harus serius dan khusyuk. Ternyata tidak.

What’s interesting is, that these experts are doing all this while joking around. When their head was hit by a large bamboo they laughed. Before, I used to think that to do these stunts they have to be very serious and focused. But actually they are not.  

Di akhir "show" sang jawara debus "mengubah" isi kelapa menjadi agar-agar. Saya yakin kalau bagian ini adalah trik yang sudah dipersiapkan sebelumnya.

At the end of the show, the debus performers changed the inside of the coconut to become agar-agar(jelly dessert). I’m sure that this is a trick that has been prepared beforehand.

 

Saya makan agar-agar itu sambil bercanda 

I joked as I ate the agar-agar.

"Kalau makan ini bisa ketularan sakti kaya bapak ya?"

“If I eat this, can your powers be transferred to me?”

"Yuk ikut latihan aja 3 bulan," ujarnya bercanda

“Join us in our training for 3 months then,” he said.

Saya orang yang sulit percaya magic, trik-trik mengubah barang A menjadi B, memindahkan sesuatu dengan ajaib masih tidak masuk di nalar saya. Namun kekebalan tubuh bisa saja dipelajari dengan kekuatan pikiran.

I’m a person that does not believe it magic easily. Tricks that change object A into object B, or to move something with magic, still doesn’t make much sense to me. But body resistance can be learned by the mind.

 

Trying to look "cool" around them but see who's photobombed us :)

Pernahkan anda tiba-tiba merasakan mulas di perut karena khawatir, merasakan pusing luar biasa karena stress, atau baru merasa sakit saat melihat luka di kaki yang sudah ada sebelumnya? it's mind that controls the body.

Have you ever suddenly felt sick in your stomach because of being worried? Ever had a severe headache because of stress, or feeling pain when seeing an old wound on your leg that was there before? It’s the mind that controls the body.

So the next step is, shall we control our mind?

@marischkaprue - her mind is wild, her body is at peace

Photo by Ferry Rusli

NOTES:

• Pertunjukkan Debus ini berlangsung di Tanjung Lesung Beach Hotel,  Banten
• Tanjung Lesung Beach Hotel berada di Tanjung Lesung Kav. R. 14 A, Pandeglang, Banten 42281. Telp: +62 819 1880 2900, email: tanjunglesungbeachhotel@gmail.com
• Pertunjukkan tidak berlangsung setiap hari, namun dapat diadakan dengan permintaan tertentu atau di event tertentu, hubungi pihak Tanjung Lesung Beach Hotel untuk informasi lengkap.