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I think distance learning and GCC people should put up vids of themselves “In Progress.”
I like to put up vids of myself In progress not just at test. In those progress videos I’ll look weak, sloppy, confused and that’s ok. I do this to be honest with myself. To assure myself that I am working on progress, and not just sitting on the sofa fantasizing that I’m performing at Bruce Lee levels, as I grab a beer and stick my hand in a bag of chips.
We all know that you can cram for a test, the night before, pass , and forget everything you crammed the moment after the test. Even with physical things it’s possible to fake it one time, to extend yourself just enough to get by on one vid after many takes, submit that one as if you’ve spent so much training time that it only took this first one take. This Kuntao Silat program shouldn’t be something you can forget after you taped it. Pak Steve calls it “The American Martial Lifestyle.” Make it a part of your lifestyle, not a hobby you once did.
I’ll be putting up a vid sometime of the things Pak Steve pointed out on my test saying needed improvement. He should see us taking to heart the corrections he offers under the label of “Destructive Criticism.” And working on the improvement.
We should show work done in the learning stages how stances go from wide one week, to low and tight 3 weeks later. How balance sucks one day but a month later it’s on the button. Then when you submit your test vid it’s not that you had a lucky day but that you trained, practiced, and prepared, that’s why you look good now and can pass.
I had a karate teacher once who didn’t test people for their belts. You couldn’t say or ask “When can I test for my green/brown/black belt?” You’d get kicked out. You got promoted when he promoted you and not a minute sooner. Many years later I asked him about that. He said that you were being tested every day that you showed up to train. He knew when you were ready and didn’t need a “test” as confirmation. Also, when he promoted you to something it was because you were consistently performing at that level for a while, it wasn’t a one day lucky fluke.
That phrase “consistently performing at that level” meant a lot when you did get your belt. Our fresh and new 1st degree black belt was practically at 2nd degree level when he got his first. In the South Bronx Martial Arts circles there were many martial arts predators looking to kick someone’s ass at any rank especially black belt.
Not as a brag, but I used to go to a place, the P A L, where practitioners from many styles would go to use the facilities and train and check each other out, I’d spar with everyone. Mouthpiece, cup, hand wraps was the extent of our gear. My teacher was well known and so to beat up one of his students would be a big deal. One night as a green belt I fought a couple of senior black belts from another school. Afterwards one of them came up and asked “Hey, when is Charlie going to promote you, you need to be wearing a higher belt.” I knew what was happening. The were higher ranked than I, a mere green belt, but I fought in a way that embarrassed them. I think I spent 2 years as a green belt and almost 4 as a brown belt. When I got my first Black, no one in town could question it.
So, I encourage my peers in the GCC and distance learning programs to submit vids of themselves in training. Doing repetitions where some are good and some are off. They say it takes 10,000 hours to develop excellence at something. Show yourselves putting in some time and effort into getting past the bad reps to consistently good ones. Not 10,000 hours of video, but little bits at different times.
I just submitted 2 vids, I wish they were perfect but they’re not. I am learning and learning is a process.
I submit mine not just for comments from Steve and the moderators, but also from my peers, Have you mastered a move I’m working on, tell me how you did it. Are you working on the same thing, maybe I have a tip you need, but we need to see honestly where we are and what we’re doing. -
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Thank you for the feedback Pak Steve.
Just something to show you I’m working on stuff, not just trying to learn like a took a Matrix pill and got it all downloaded into my mind… Gonna take a little more time before the next level test in American. Seems there’s a lot more subtlety involved there than just plain ol punching and kicking, so I gotta observe a lot more closely, work through those finer movements and try and see the essence, that’s a lot for a slow learner like me! But I like the challenge, the work.
I’m also inspired by a couple of my KTS brothers on site, Estevan and Jonathan. Estevan puts out stuff he’s doing in addition to the curriculum, and Jonathan does things like a fine technician. Each also has a style and flavor of their own so it’s not something you can copy, but stuff you can draw from.
Again, I gotta mention how great it is that you make so much available all at once, I’m still coming across stuff on your sites by Uncle Bill and your early students that inform some of the other stuff and give you different angles, speeds, body types and levels to examine for yourself and learn from.
I know there’s other participants on the forums, there should be a lot more activity exchanging info and idea. Everyone, Don’t be shy, I need y’all!“A moker,” “lean forward,” “pretzel position,” “Umph.” Got’em! More work.
Back to practice, I know a little bit of how to punch and kick, but this Po Kwa Zen stuff requires a little energy and movement. I may have some questions on the finer details.
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I agree with Rick 100%. We are lucky. Been part of such a Family as the KTS is, should move us to share as many informations as possible. Martial Arts is a field in which we improve with cooperation. When i uploaded on Vimeo those clips abot dumbells and medicine balls i was a bit doubtful but i also thought: “perhaps someone could find it interesting..”. So i did it. I’m quite new in KunTao-Silat: not even two years of practice, but what i previously done seems to melt quite well with our practice so i keep training it as well. My suggestion for everyone is just to spend more and more time on the basics: (i consider Langkah Nol one of the most difficult forms i’ve ever studied). People usually want more techniques, more complicated forms; but according to me it’s far more better to study 10.000 times more a basic technique than a complicated sequence. I don’t want to look like a boaster but Mastery comes from repetition of basics. I hope to fix my technological issues in one week-time and then i’ll be back with some videos and chatting as well. Congatulations again for your work Rick!!!
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Good a place as any to address this here. About the American portion of AKTS.
Where do we really go for study of material and what to present on testing video for American level 4? I know that with Malabar you would go on to work with Lanka Monyet and applications. As for American, well, I’m a little lost.
For American Style, should we study Uncle Bill doing the Po Qua Zen, Tai Kei, Pak Steve doing the Bill Chang Internal, or do a random combination of all. The internal stuff is harder, for me at least, to follow. I know what a punch and kick are and can follow those easily, but these other hand gestures and full body turns are a bit harder to both read and understand. I am working on it though. Without a live teacher detailing the nuances it’s tough.
I don’t see anyone else in the certification program having done American, everyone is doing Malabar. Personally I want to do both, but the Malabar course has more…I can see Jonathan Pyndus and Estevan demonstrating the material for those levels in their tests but where are the American tests.
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The public offering for Level Four American is: https://kuntaosilat.com/learn-kuntaosilat/american-kuntao-silat/level-four-akts/
The private course material is at: https://kuntaosilat.com/lesson/american-kuntao-silat-level-four/
Let’s work on this issue and get some clarification.
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If i’m not wrong it seems to me that Langkah Tiga/Monyet is an hybrid form including various elements of Djurus Satu and Langkah Dua. Willem handwork reminds me of a version of “Reeling the Silk” exercise from Taijiquan i used to study with Shifu Anthony Walmsley (no fixed sequence but with a core principle: in this particular case a body structure that manifest itself with various hand techniques and configurations) .I very like Ted Garcia’s coreography because i find it more “rich”, but i like as well turning in the opposite direction of the elbow blow (as Phillip Sailas does). I decided that after the KTS Greeting, i’ll include 4 Mirror Hands(?!? if we can call it like that), than 4 Mirror Hands with the two-fingers pointing,than 4 Songsat, than 4 Finger Jabs,than 4 Punches and than 4 Triple Hitters ( Elbow, Backfist,Supported Punch).A Wave-Hand and the the King-Dragon Sits.
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The very fact that the Inner Circle KTS Greeting precedes this form indicates that it is a kuntao/silat hybrid. . . as is Satu. It also introduces the kuntao Iron BroomStick sweeps, which you will see later in Ling Sing Toy. It was understood amongst our Pai in the early days that the handwork was Satu & Dua with some double punches and you will see Willem confirm that in the video above.
From the first descending elbow into the pretzel position to the end of the form Marcelo, Chuck and Dave and Ted follow close to the the same choreography, Ted’s is easier to see the 9 ~ 11 ~ 12 o’clock landings and return to the middle for the next turning descending elbows and leaping out before moving in again.
The handwork consistently falls into twos and fours for testing and performance and eight for class.
It’s good to see you GentleMen working so diligently to get this form down correctly!!!
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I have another couple of questions for you Guys. Ted Garcia’s performance includes only a couple of Iron Broom-Stick Sweeps at the end of the form, whilst Marcelo, Chuck and Dave include a couple of those Sweeps after every couple of 360° turns. Is it just a matter of personal choice?! And: are the Sweeps going in the same direction you were heading before of the couple of 360° turns or not?! Let’s say i’m facing North-East after my Monkey Turn. I perform my two elbow blows and 360° turns. During my Sweeps, do i still face North-East, or do i face South-West?! Thank you in advance for the explanations.
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I believe the form had only two Iron Broomstick sweeps in its original version. Chuck and Dave’s version was for demonstration, so it was embellished a bit for the audience IMHO. Marcelo must have keyed in on that version for his own practice.
Out of the descending elbow’s full turn the broomstick comes in the same direction that you were moving when the turn was initiated and completed. You would still be heading North-East if I understand the question.
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