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As I understand is, Pendekar Paul still just considers Serak to be an “indoor” system. That, I suppose, is quite valid from a traditionalist perspective, but wouldn't sit well with someone like Guru Dan.One of the things I most respect about Dan Inosanto is his general refusal to get involved in martial arts politics, but I got the impression that he chose to ally himself with Pak Vic because of this.
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It might be said that Sigung Steve's opinion on his title doesn't count.[Bear with me, I'm not being rude.]We could say that titles such as "master" have lost their value because people declare themselves to be master, or because their students give the title to their teacher out of blind respect or adoration.Perhaps it's time that these titles are bestowed by other knowledgeable practitioners who are in a position to make that judgment. Perhaps the Sigung or the Sijo should be reluctant to take the title.Just a thought. I'd love to hear what other people think. We're in a position here to fix what isn't working.
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I'm excited about Stevan Plinck teaching more openly, and even producing more videos. As a former VDT student, who went through more than one teacher, curriculum, etc., I'd like to see something solid and honest.Pak Vic changed the curriculum several times while I was a student. He'd add a new secret level whenever all his lineage holders either quit or were kicked out, just so he could say "They didn't learn the whole system." I'll always respect and love Pak Vic, but I have chosen to never relate to the DeThouars brothers again. I spent at least a third of all my study time and money keeping up with the new versions of the lineage story, or who has been permanently expunged from the system.Serak fits me like a glove, but I may never finish my studies if someone doesn't step forward and ignore the politics.
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I'm fully relocated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I even have a job insulating houses, which gives me a surprising amount of opportunity to practice both Harimau legwork and long blade technique.I know there are some other members in this area, and hopefully we will be able to connect with and form practice groups.The trouble on Silat.tv, unfortunately, mostly revolves around Willem Dethouars. He has been flooding the site with long, rambling hate mail, and people have chosen to deal with it by responding in kind. It's best to avoid it, I think, except as a learning experience.I think the encouragement is important. It's easy to lose track of your practice when you are alone, so logging on and sharing a few words with other practitioners is wonderful. Those of us who remember the days before the internet know what a blessing it can be when used properly.Anyone else remember having to order VHS tapes from the back of a martial arts magazine? Or sending off for a catalog. They'd show up 3 weeks later, and you'd have no idea what was worth ordering until it arrived.
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I've been thinking a lot about this recently. (Most of it focusing around the arguments on Silat.tv.)It's a funny thing that we study martial arts, which mostly require a) knowledge and b) practice, but since we can't do much of the first on the internet, and we can't do any of the second, we go through long stretches where we have nothing to say to each other.I'm hoping the other members will join me in coming up with ways we can use this forum to keep ourselves on track and studying, even through those rough spots where regular life gets in our way.I think the Peer Review Group will really help us with this, not just for the sake of direct review, but also to spur us on to practice as well. I know I work much harder when I have people to interact with.
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I think the knives I carried were the CRKT M-16 Zytel. They were recommended to me by both Jerry McCleary and Tuhon Bill McGrath of Pekiti Tirsia. Big handles. They were of the opinion that knives that are too small for your hands are one of the most common mistakes you can make. They both know more about knife fighting than I would want to know.
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I carried a couple of large Columbia River folders for a few years. I wish I could remember the model. Great knives, although they had a weird thumb lock that got in the way.These days, I'm looking at the Gunting Drone, and similar blunt folders. You can use your knife skills without having to cut anyone. At least in theory.
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According to the “Die Less Often” video, most “good guys” die from an attack that originated within 6 feet. Also, you are 85% likely to survive a bullet wound, but only 65% likely to survive a knife wound. I haven't checked those facts, but they sound likely.I have friends who laugh at the martial arts, claiming that the invention of the firearm made them obsolete. (The invention of the tactical nuke didn't make the firearm obsolete.) I ask them if they have a firearm on them. The answer is usually "No." If the answer is "Yes", I ask them if they could be sure they could remove it from its holster, chamber it, take the safety off, point it and pull the trigger faster than I could jump over the table and hit them.Like it or not, knives are still very much in play in self-defense.
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I wonder if I'm the only person here who doesn't like knives. I study knife fighting because I know what can happen if you don't.I have scars all over my back and shoulders from knife wounds I collected when I was in my 20's. I almost lost my thumb once in a friendly training incident.The glint of the blade; that "snick" as they open; the nasty sense of humor that my Filipino teacher had. The idea that "winning" really just means making it to the hospital before I bleed out...it all leaves me feeling ill these days.
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I suppose the question is, are they trying to teach us that:a) Fighting is violent and crazy, so you need to embrace it, orb) These eye "postures" have a useful purpose.A lot of the Chinese styles I have studied use similar eyes. Widening your eyes drops your brain into a more primitive state that responds more to movement than other details.
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Not to talk out of turn, but I can remember several times when I thought Pak Vic was trying to tell me “I am crazy.” In particular, he was swinging a shinai at me an I was blocking desperately with siku siku (sai). His eyes had glazed over as if he was having a flashback.On the other hand, I am absolutely certain that his siku siku method works in the real world. Maybe it was a clever teaching method.
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I'd love to come up with another way to conduct business. My own book sales are becoming increasingly “taxed” by Paypal and other middlemen. The government is pushing for all money to be electronic, but that means you are forced to pay at least three different corporations each time you make a transaction.
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I have actually been able to learn things from the “old masters” because of this attitude. All the young Asian students insist on learning the traditional “movie” way (bow a lot, never ask questions, etc.), but the old masters want their students to explore, examine, question. People have been willing to teach things to me that they never would have shared with a round-eye, just out of desperation.I genuinely think the U.S. will be at the forefront of the future growth of the martial arts.Peace and Hormat,Mas Jonty
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Coming from a Chinese MA background myself, I found the use of footwork diagrams to be a real eye-opener. The Chinese styles I study deliberately avoid teaching you exact angles and positions so you have to learn them through sensitivity, but I find it's easier to teach structure first and then move on to sensitivity. It has completely changed my approach to teaching.I'm still waiting for my training tapes to arrive, so I haven't seen the particular footwork patterns for this system. I'm all set up to produce electronic documentation, so maybe we can all get together and produce a set of pantjar diagrams.
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I haven't tried it with the footwork of this system, but I have had experience with Serak pantjars.Canvas would work well, but you will probably have to figure out how to tie the corners down, or it will shift and rumple up.Rugs work really well, except they are heavy, expensive, and tend to be too small unless you are willing to shell out the bucks.I once made one out of those cheap blue tarps, but it was a nightmare. It stuck to my feet, and it blew away once while I was trying to film a training video outside in the park. It blew across a couple of streets before I caught up with it. It was lucky no one was hurt.Right now I have an unfinished basement of a barn, so I am using chalk on concrete. It works surprisingly well.
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I'm completely new to this art, but here are my two cents.I recently spent several years studying Serak. In my... 34 or so years of studying martial arts, I had never found something that fit my character and mind as well as the Indo approach to teaching. It was a revelation for me.When I decided to leave Serak behind (all love and hormat to everyone who taught me, but politics and ego should never interfere with your students' growth) I went back to studying my main Chinese art, Kunlun Mountain Fist. When I went looking for more information on the internet, it took me right back to the DeThouars family. Perhaps that's a sign.I decided to sign up because not only is the quality of the training that I have seen excellent, but the teachers seem to be focused on teaching well and developing good solid character, rather than the usual political games that come with studying martial arts.
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