If I seem to harp a lot on the important of “context” in my posts, it is because so much misunderstanding in the world of martial arts and its various subsections of focus are due to people equating whichever part interests them with the whole pie. When we are discussing the effectiveness of techniques, this […]
The Physics of Entering Stance
Stances are a key component of KunTao Silat, as they are in any system. Integral to our Family Art is the Entering Stance, as it is from this position that much of the ingress and body to body contact with the enemy is conducted. If we look at the structure of Entering Stance we see […]
Self Defense vs Fighting
By Dr. Jonathan Pyndus on September 30, 2022 in Applications, General, Informational, Training, Uncategorized
Depending on your background and life experience, the following statement may or may not make sense to you: fighting and self-defense are NOT the same thing. Now, let’s clear some semantics up: by “fighting” I am referring to a mutual physical conflict between two or more participants. “Self-defense” in this essay refers to the protection […]
Book Review: Meditations on Violence
Many people begin their study of the martial arts with the intention of developing self defense capabilities. Yet few people appreciate that the subject of violence is a complex one, and that self defense is as much a legal concept as it is a physical one (much less an ethical or moral one). Is a […]
Structure, Frame, Posture: Combat Shape!
Depending on the system and the teacher, a martial arts student will often hear references to posture, structure, frame, or stance. All of these are referring to the same core idea: proper alignment of the body. Classical martial arts of all cultures place a premium on developing structure, and it’s common for teachers to require […]
The Burden of Teachers
Recently, I had a patient come through my clinic who ended up having a spirited conversation with me. He grew up in a very conventional “Western” demographic, playing football in high school, joining a fraternity in college, and entering the “rat race” as an adult. Yet he practices Qigong and looks to Eastern Medicine when […]
Internal/External Horse Stance: The Root of KunTao Silat
By Dr. Jonathan Pyndus on September 2, 2022 in Applications, Forms, General, Health, Informational, Inner Circle, Teachers, Training, Uncategorized, Video
Depending on long you have been in martial arts, or how wide your experience has been with the innumerable traditions available to us now in the 21st Century, you may or may not have noticed that some version of Horse Stance (aka Tiger Stance in Malabar) is found in virtually every system. Even “modern” combat […]
Why Forms?
In American martial arts culture, particularly with the influence of Bruce Lee, it can be common to encounter the argument that the choreographed solo practice routines we call “forms” in English and “Kata,” “Djurus,” “Hyung,” “Taolu,” etc. in other languages are a waste of time. When you consider how most “strip mall” Dōjō conduct their […]
KunTao Silat: The Healing Art (?)
Greetings to all in KTS, Recently I found myself undergoing an emergency appendectomy, or the removal of my appendix due to inflammation. While the entire experience is an educational story all its own on many levels (which I may share at some point for those of you who are interested in the healing arts), for […]
Djurus Satu: One Form to Rule Them All
By Dr. Jonathan Pyndus on August 12, 2022 in Applications, Forms, General, Health, Informational, Inner Circle, Knife, Training, Uncategorized
It does not matter how many years or repetitions I have playing Djurus Satu. There is always so much more combat lore to mine from its depths I truly stand in awe of it. Of the various forms I have studied in 21 years of martial arts, an argument could be made for Djurus Satu […]