In these pesantren, Jamhari studied not only religious sciences but also silat. Martial arts were not unfamiliar to him, as his homeland—Cilegon/Banten—has long been known as the land of jawara. Historically, long before the arrival of Islam in Banten, martial arts were taught to soldiers for defense and territorial expansion of kingdoms. After Islam spread, these martial traditions were further developed by Islamic scholars and came to be known as silat or penca.
After completing his studies, Jamhari returned home to apply his knowledge within the local community. However, in matters of martial arts, he did not simply adopt the teachings of his former masters. Instead, he sought to blend their teachings with those of his new teacher, Zuhri, creating his own silat forms, which he named Berru Sakti or Kera Sakti (also the name of his martial arts school).
The name derives from the fighting movements of the berru (monkey), which inspired the techniques he created. The story traces back to a farmer named Ibu Melati. While on her way to her field at the edge of a forest, she witnessed a fight between a berru and a tiger, which the berru surprisingly won. Amazed by the berru’s prowess, she later reenacted its movements at home, eventually developing new silat techniques.
Ibu Melati passed this knowledge on to Ahmad. After Ahmad passed away, several years later she transmitted it again to Salim and Zuhri. It was from Zuhri that Jamhari learned Berru Sakti silat and was encouraged to establish a martial arts school around 1980. Over time, Jamhari also incorporated techniques from other martial arts to enhance the effectiveness of his Berru Sakti forms for self-defense.
As time went on, Jamhari did not limit himself to martial arts alone. His high level of creativity extended into other fields, including the traditional art of bendrong lesung. Bendrong lesung is performed by women during the harvest season as an expression of gratitude to God Almighty. The performance involves rhythmically striking wooden pestles (alu) against a rice mortar (lesung), producing a distinctive rhythm accompanied by dancing and singing Sundanese and Bantenese songs.
In addition to bendrong lesung, Jamhari is also skilled in crafting golok (traditional machetes). The golok he makes has a distinctive “C” shape, with the blade sharpened on the inner curve. This form symbolizes the intention of the wielder to defend what lies within—oneself, one’s family, and the nation.
Jamhari produces two types of golok: those made from ordinary iron and those made from 7P materials (chisel, hammer, hoe, crowbar, spring, nail, and pipe). Ordinary golok are made daily, while 7P golok are crafted exclusively during the month of Maulid over a period of 12 days. Both share the same “C” shape, with handles carved from wood in the form of a tiger’s head. The blade measures approximately 44 centimeters in length and 4 centimeters in width, with a sheath measuring 34.5 centimeters in length and 11 centimeters in width.
It should be noted that, in addition to these activities, Jamhari also holds various professional roles outside the arts, including water purification specialist; consultant and security advisor at Krakatau Steel; advisor at Krakatau Bandar Samudra, PT Krakatau Samudra, and Krakatau Tirta Industri; advisor at Banten Port; and coordinator of supervisors at SPBU Krenceng.
In his religious activities, Jamhari is also active in holding tausiyah and dhikr every Thursday night at his residence. At the same place, he practices traditional healing using heated mercury-based methods and conducts tarik urat exercises for physical health.