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 […]
Archive | Forms
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
That Doesn’t Work, Except When It Does
Recently I was re-watching an old Filipino martial arts instructional video from the 1990s. The instructor was highly qualified and clearly knowledgeable and skilled. He made a number of salient points about how many martial arts deal with knives using unrealistic methods. But then he made a statement to the effect of: “no one stabs […]
The Importance of Pukulan
By Dr. Jonathan Pyndus on October 28, 2022 in Applications, Forms, Informational, Inner Circle, Training
Pukulan (Poekoelan) is a word coming to us from our Pentjak Silat Serak heritage. It refers to the colliding of bodies, and implies one body crashing into (or through) another. Many (or most) of the Asian martial arts predating the “modernization” period of the late 1800s-WW2 (where the fighting arts were being standardized for mass […]
Soft =/= Easy!
By Dr. Jonathan Pyndus on October 21, 2022 in Applications, Forms, Informational, Teachers, Training
It is not uncommon in the world of martial arts to encounter a practitioner (sometimes even at instructor level) who, upon getting into one of the “Soft” or “Internal” martial arts, is ready to talk your head off about how much better they are than the “Hard” styles. “You see,” such a person can say, […]
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 […]
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 […]