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Hi. Just stopping by for an update on my progress.
I’m still practicing Lanka Nol & the Serak Djurus (almost) every day. Also the Maiden Bathes, the elbow/knee set (including George’s Elbow Exercise), & the Sapu/Beset triangle lanka set.
I’ve got the 18 Serak Djurus down solid, & have been working with Guru Brandt on understanding the applications of them. I’ve gotten some of Guru Bob Orlando’s video’s from Palandin Press, Guru Richard Clear’s videos from his YouTube channel, and am enjoying finding the parallels and differences in how Gurus Brandt, Steve, Bob, and Richard express their Kuntao Silat. Guru Brandt says I already have a style distinct from all of the Gurus while incorporating their expressions.
I’ve also been practicing Djuru Satu and feel I have a good flow, both left and right handed. Still working on some of the “transition” moments. The preview of the “Kebangan” tape, where Uncle Bill applies each move on Guru George was also very helpful. Is there more from that tape that I don’t have in my 10 DVD set?
Guru Brandt and I are working on an “application expression” of Djuru Satu, which we like to call “Rescuing the abducted victims from the pirate ship”… basically setting up the environment of a rolling ship-deck with narrow boardwalks & stairs, mapping out the opponents and where they attack from, then stepping through short sets of moves as a take-down on each opponent.
Also, working on footwork on the triangle and the 6-pointed star, oh and Siloh… Wow, Siloh is very interesting (my leg muscles may have other words for it, lol).
So, all-in-all, going well. I’m going to focus on foot-work a bit more, and then jump into Lanka Dua.
Aloha to all the Kuntao Silat O’hana (family).
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Hi Mark. I’ve also just started learning this art in the last 5 months or so. I have not seen a written cirriculum (other than the 2 sub-style breakdowns under “LEARN KTS” above on this website).
But, I have found this glossary written by my Guru’s teacher, Chas Clements:
This was very handy for me to get up to speed on KTS terms.
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Welcome to the forum Duane. 🙂
I’ma also new to the Kuntao family, having gotten the 10 Video set a few months ago. Striving to practice every day (though it has been rough here in Oregon due to the forest fire smog). Still, I think this has been an eye opening experience for me as a martial artist.
Nice to meet you.
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I’ve also gone through many of the supplemental videos and an now very comfortable with the sapuan/basset triangle form, and have found video references to various Kilap Sticky Hand flow drills (such as this basic one here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTTHG_CPG8s).
Things are looking solid and I’m going to be moving on to learning Djuru Satu next week along with maintaining the previous forms. 🙂
Hope everything is good with the other forum-ites. ‘Aloha’ from Portland, Oregon.
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Hello Kuntao Silat Ohana! (Hawaiian ‘Ohana’ = Family) Just thought I pop in to post an update on my training.
I have been practicing all 18 Serak Djurus for a little over a week now. Guru Brandt is very happy with the progress I’ve been able to make in both Kuntao and Kilap styles in the last 3 months due to these training resources, so again a big thanks for providing these. 😀
I’ve worked some of the Kilap techniques into the ‘warm-up set’, including 2 versions of Pretty George’s Elbow exercises, ‘the Maiden Bathes’ expression of the Bow opening, and 3 different range expressions of the Covering Tiger. Still skipping the dragon sweeps for now as I build those muscles up with the low dragon covering stances.
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Greetings to all (& very honored to meet you Pak Steve). My intro post can be found here: https://www.kuntaosilat.com/forums/topic/hello-from-portland-or/
I had stopped my martial arts practice due to health issues that have been recently resolving, so I’m excited to get back to it – especially with such an interesting and rare style. I have been watching some of the 10 DVD video downloads with my Guru (Brandt Bollers) for about 2 months now and practicing daily for at least 6 weeks. Having the videos has been an immense help, especially the Serak Djuru videos, as I can see the different expressions from Pak Steve and Pak Chas (& the others on the video), then work them with input from Guru Brandt and then on my own. Guru Brandt also has me working the basics of the Kilap Betawi expressions every day and incorporating the movements from the Serak Djurus into the Kilap expression (& vice versa). Guru Brandt has been very impressed with my progress so far, and I am starting to be interested in the testing requirements to move forward.
I am on a break at work at the moment. Once I get home I will lay out what I’ve been practicing. Any advice or links on moving forward would be appreciated (which sub-style – Malabar or American – I would be closest to testing for, or any other advice).
More to come later today.
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Finally got time to follow up tonight & get caught up on the thread. Thank you for the stance notes on the Malabar Set. I realize that’s the one I’ve been doing the first part of each day.
I started on the “Warm Up” set from Pak Steve’s videos and the Serak Djurus first to compliment the Kilap Betawi Djurus 1 and 2, starting with the first few sequences of each and adding more as I memorize and get comfortable with them (work them into muscle memory). Various parts of the below list were incorporated each week, and I started “easy” and worked up to the full Eagle stances, low tiger, etc. Here’s what I’m up to in my daily practice:
“Warm Up Set”
The Maiden Bathes – Stand in Maiden stance at the base of the triangle, perform the Bow with palms and elbows as tight to the body as possible (forearms relaxed), up to Monkey Brushes Eyebrows & down to the lower gate guard. Do this 9 times – one set with both hands to each point on the triangle, one with the right hand to all 3 points, one with the left hand to all 3 points.
Pretty George’s Elbow Exercises – With a short step w/ power foot each time (Maiden Bathes footwork, or a really short “tiger” stance) perform Pretty George’s Elbow Exercise Pak Chas’ style (from the Serak Djuru video) right and left. Then the “high gate” Betawi version right and left side (ending each “high gate” elbow set with the “Over There Now” bead – reach, grab, pull into forearm strike).
Knee Set – Turn 180, take short Maiden steps forward and throw 3 knees with each step: knee, ground, knee-knee, ground. Throw lead knee to lead hand for the first 2 steps, throw cross body knees for the next 2 steps. Turn 180.From there I re-center and do the Malabar warm-up set up to the Tiger Walking – left and right each 3 times, with some additions. During the turning exercises I work very close ‘maiden bathes’ wipes w/ forearm hits in all 3 gates before the mid range clearing. Also working a much higher dragon stance at first as I build the appropriate muscles up.
As a follow-up or a separate set each day I practice the Djurus. I’m up to Djuru 9 now, also practicing 3 variations of Djurus 1 & 2 and incorporating Pak Victor’s “battle djuru” short-ending every few days.
Djuru 1 Kedong (as seen in one of Pak Steve’s calsses warm-ups, with full 180 turn and re-cover)
Djuru 1 Serak (as performed by Pak Guru Chas – with a few kilap expressions ephasized)
Djuru 1 Kilap Betawi (skin-close wipe and response, ends differently)
Djuru 2 New (as performed by Pak Guru Chas – high counter & trap/break/throws)
Djuru 2 Old (as performed by Pak Guru Chas – low counter full turn/break/throws)
Djuru 2 Kilap Betawi (low counter into bamboo bends, into serak bead# 3, end with a variety of step through/throws)
I then perform 3-9, opening with as much of a synergy as I can of Serak and Betawi 1 or 2 as called for. Most days I run through 1-9 (1-6 a few weeks ago) as slowly and with as much intent as possible. Every few days I run them at speed. Sometimes I have the opportunity to work all 1-9, left and right sides twice a day. *grin*I will have to make some time to watch the video posted in the opening post this week. Thanks for any replies.
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Thanks for the welcome guys! Guru Brandt also appreciates the warm reception.
Let me know if I can help correct Video 009 Djuru_Satu, I’m very interested in the contents there.
Also, Guru Brandt is having me focus on Djurus 1 & 2, and some of the Betawi auxiliary exercises first. The Betawi expressions are actually much closer to the body than even Serak, and ends the Djurus slightly differently, but understanding the parallels has been very illuminating – so I’ve been working both versions. I have also been practicing the “Warm Up” set – up through the triple hit combos at this point. What would you suggest I look at next, after getting comfortable with all of the above?
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That makes a lot of sense now that I’m getting into the applications of the basic movements. Thanks guys!
I’m grateful that I had a number of years of kali-escrima training before finding Betawi/KTS, I’m finding many parallels and alternate expressions of things already in my muscle memory. We primarily trained stick & knife then, and something clicked two weeks ago as I was working the legwork warmup – I had done 60% of the leg-work before w/ different upper movements, ha! Brandt and I have also been talking about how our style’s expression works on top of my escrima basics for stick/knife/etc applications. I think TKS will definitely be something I treasure and hone for the rest of my life.
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