Touch a hot stove real quick. Notice the involuntary withdrawal reflex? It is unconscious and tied into your sympathetic nervous system which controls fight or flight response. These reflexes come from the spine, which is a shorter signal distance than the complex skills of the motor neurons in our brains. So if I punch you unexpectedly […]
Bela Diri – Self-Defense
By Dr. Jonathan Pyndus on February 3, 2023 in Applications, Informational, Teachers, Training, Uncategorized
Many readers may or may not know that there is an epidemic of homelessness in the United States. Many major cities have large populations of individuals living on the streets. A significant number of these people suffer from mental illness and/or addiction. I bring this up as a lead in to this week’s subject: teaching […]
Family Ties: A Comparison of Filipino Martial Arts and KunTao Silat
By Dr. Jonathan Pyndus on January 27, 2023 in Applications, Forms, Informational, Teachers, Training
Recently, a member of the Distance Learning Program asked me about the similarities and differences between the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) and KunTao Silat. As there is much crossover culturally and technically across the Southeast Asian martial arts, and many KTS players have a background in FMA, I thought this would be a great topic […]
Gauging “Success” of a Technique
By Dr. Jonathan Pyndus on January 20, 2023 in Applications, Children, Informational, Training, Uncategorized
A frequent source of online martial arts debates (as these questions could be easily resolved in person) is on whether or not a particular technique or even whole style “works.” That the functionality of any endeavor ultimately rests in the effort of the individual notwithstanding (because who wants to take responsibility for their actions), these […]
Training Theory: Eccentric Contraction and the Martial Power of Flexibility
One of the hallmarks of many classical or Pre-WW2 martial arts, regardless of culture, is that a practitioner typically finds a sophisticated physical training theory and specific conditioning exercises as part of the curriculum. Whereas many “modern” systems make good use of the widely available strength and conditioning tools and approaches available to the modern […]
Learning to Teach Yourself
By Dr. Jonathan Pyndus on January 6, 2023 in Applications, Forms, Informational, Teachers, Training, Uncategorized
Pak Steve has often referred to KunTao Silat as a, “collegiate martial art.” There are many reasons for this. First, it is important to remember that Pak Steve and the other founding members of the Kun Lun Pai were already experienced and highly proficient martial artists before they began training with Ba Pak Willem De […]
Happy New Year
Greetings, I just wanted to take this chance to reach out to the KunTao Silat community to thank you for your participation and support this past year. From the implementation on our regular online classes to Pak Steve’s life events to the (unexpected) passing of the lineage on to me for the next generation, it […]
Why Are You Hitting Yourself?
By Dr. Jonathan Pyndus on December 23, 2022 in Forms, Health, Informational, Training, Uncategorized
One of the distinctive motions of Pentjak Silat has to be the percussive slaps players inflict upon their own bodies as they practice Djurus or play Kembanggan. While many Okinawan, Chinese, and Korean Systems may feature an occasional technique wherein the practitioner strikes or slaps against their own body, Silat is generally full of such […]
The Difference Between Malabar and American KunTao Silat
Recently, I was asked an excellent question by a member of the Distance Learning Program: “What is the difference between Malabar and American KunTao Silat?” The answer can be simple or complex. Simple answer: Malabar KunTao Silat is the original curriculum granted to Pak Steve by the De Thouars family First Lineage Disciple, and contains […]
Engines of Destruction: The Difference Between Silat, Shaolin, and Taoist Mechanics
By Dr. Jonathan Pyndus on December 9, 2022 in Applications, Forms, Informational, Teachers, Training, Uncategorized
The following will also be found in some variation in the upcoming book: GuruMuda James Kern coined the phrase, “Destruction Theory,” to refer to how a martial art school develops and applies force (Fa Jin in Chinese) for combat. It’s a cute term, easily appropriated by any number of “internet tough guys,” but it gets […]