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Guess everybody knows everything. :-)>

Kendang is the most combat oriented silat art I’m aware of.

Li Po Chang was a Tibetan Monk whose lineage was a mystery, so the arts he taught took on his name, Po Qua Zen, I Shing Po, Tai Keah Po ~ Po Style.

The gaze is directly into the opponent’s eyes, although the wide eyes take in the terrain as well.

Wow! I can’t believe that there aren’t any questions!

Here’s a few:

What made you decide to make Kendang Silat the primary Silat base for Kuntao Silat?

Do we know which systems of Bagua, Taiji, and HsingI that our Indonesian lineage was derived from? (Yang, Chen, Gao, etc?)

In Kuntao Silat, where is the gaze directed?

Blessings!
Jonathan

On the subject of PracticeLeaders, I post this email exchange:

Good day Jonathan,
I appreciate the positive feedback. The program is finally approaching completion and it’s a good time to be involved, now that all the basic information is readily available in video format. Being able to comment on test videos will certainly yield huge results for…[Read more]

Hi Paul, I have not seen the latest vids that are provided, so I’m not sure what content is available in which ones – but – the absolute best place to start is with the basic legwork and handwork. Get that down rock solid before moving on to other stuff and you will develop real skill.

A lot of folks rush through this because they are eager to…[Read more]

It’s funny, I don’t think either gives one an advantage over the other once the training starts, just different blind spots.

But awareness of the popular ideas of what martial arts ‘is’ in todays society – wether one has trained or not certainly holds people back.

It does sometimes appear that decades of martial training can be an impediment to progress in KunTao Silat. Beginners have little or no baggage to discard before learning the KunTao Silat way.

The one that made the most difference is, “You must change the way you think. . . ” The one I think about the most, “Your LegWork sucks!”

KTS is a very…[Read more]

Thanks. But I’m no longer in Texas. After I got laid off from the job I moved to Texas for (after only 5 weeks!) I moved back to the east coast of Florida.

Well my Friends, it has been a most enjoyable week conversing with you all.

I can’t really apologize for having spent Seven years in the Cave of Adullum, because it was the right thing to do ~ but I have very much missed the companionship I find amongst you.

This is the Grand Shemitah, what Christians call the Year of the Jubilee ~ although…[Read more]

Pak Gartin,

Thank you for your thorough and insightful reply! And much gratitude for the promotion. I am humbled by your compliments! I really wasn’t planning to try testing until August!

Please nit pick away! I want to get better, and it is double important to have the details drilled in when the master isn’t immediately present!

The…[Read more]

Pak Gartin,

Thank you for your thorough and insightful reply!

The martial arts as a whole have truly become watered down here in the west…and from what I have seen and heard in much of the East as well. This is a point I always try to share, albeit gently, with my friends who do not study more “rigorous” systems like Kuntao Silat or Koryu…[Read more]

Howdy Jon,
The day got away from me. Sorry I don’t have time for a more exhaustive reply, but you brought up several cogent thoughts that I did not want to leave for later. I’ll quote you and respond so that no one will have to go back and forth to figure out what I’m responding to:

“I eventually become an instructor and have worked to preserve…[Read more]

A fine day to you Jonathan,

‘Twas a pleasure to review your video of Djurus Satu and the first four Serak Djurus!

I posted my review of your performance on the KunTao Silat Testing Group: https://vimeo.com/kuntaosilat/jonpyndusdjurussatu

I’m quite impressed with your performance, particularly in light of the fact that you’ve only been in the…[Read more]

Pak Steve,

Sorry it took me so long to hop onto the forum to check what was going on: it’s the busy life a grad student who works part time I am afraid! And trains constantly 😉

I am honored that my simple letter has become a part of the conversation stream!

And blessings to you and your house as well!

To elaborate a little more on my view of…[Read more]

Well, there is a lot going on in KunTao Silat; and those of you who are not on the Vimeo Testing Group are missing a whole lot.

Those who know me oft decry the fact that I have such disregaurd for money; but if that is a failing, I accept full responsibility.

From now until Sunset Tomorrow, when the Sabbath begins, anyone who can get a test…[Read more]

Well, there is a lot going on in KunTao Silat; and those of you who are not on the Vimeo Testing Group are missing a whole lot.

Those who know me oft decry the fact that I have such disregaurd for money; but if that is a failing, I accept full responsibility.

From now until Sunset Tomorrow, when the Sabbath begins, anyone who can get a test…[Read more]

Well, there is a lot going on in KunTao Silat; and those of you who are not on the Vimeo Testing Group are missing a whole lot.

Those who know me oft decry the fact that I have such disregard for money; but if that is a failing, I accept full responsibility.

From now until Sunset Tomorrow, when the Sabbath begins, anyone who can get a test…[Read more]

The topic of “Learning by Video” is evergreen. Lot of People will tell you that it can’t be done, but I’m not sure that those of that persuasion do not have a vested interest in martial arts classes in their locale.

Now I’m not trying to say that learning by video is the best way to learn, but for some in this world it is the ONLY way available…[Read more]