Randall Goodwin

 Kun Tao Silat

a senior’s perspective — early years !
(C) Gurug — a pal in drome!?
Guru Randall Goodwin
Kun Lun Pai Kuntao Silat Thouars
3/25/97

“Uncle Bill” is one of the ways that we address our teacher Bapak Willem de Thouars in public. This is an indication of respect or an act of hormat. Though some think this came about when in pain we cried Uncle.

I recognize Steve Gartin, George Morin and Phillip Sailas as my seniors in this art. Phillip Sailas is the Monkey King. He is a small man with a big spirit. His son has been practicing for a long time too. His wife Christina also practices. I must give these three respect and honor for a time in the art exceeding my own.

Uncle has given others Names for their Arts over the years. My late teacher, Earl Alston, was given the name of Combinato for an organization of eclectic martial arts in which Uncle also participated. The participants were in Tae Kwon Do, including a lot of Russell Perone’s students, Silat under Uncle, and Okinawate through Earl. Uncle had a practicing and personal relation for ten years with this man. Earl’s Okinawate teacher was Woodard, and Earl also knew many things from many arts including Kun Tao, Silat, Kenpo, Boxing, and TKD. Earl had a big heart and helped many people in their personal development. He worked as a counselor for troubled youths.

Earl Alston and the de Thouars brothers Bill, Paul, and Victor tested me for my 3rd degree black, yellow and red sash in Kun Lun Pai. Something like a 3rd degree black belt at the time (the early eighties). I remember George Morin and Phillip Sailas attacking me unexpectedly in the middle of that test.

George Morin shares a distiction with me, George and I are the scholars of the group with a little more eclecticism in practice than some. He studied the Serak® Silat under Victor de Thouars for several years. I studied the Serak® Silat under Paul de Thouars for seven years. I obtained the ranking of Guru Mudah in Serak®. This attempt to get both sides of the family has given us both much trouble.

We were attempting to implement a plan to combine the de Thouars family systems under a common roof. It was to be called the Pukulan Tongkat. Paul made the first form, I taught it at the Highland Art Center where Chas Clements was kindly providing me space to teach, this was around 1979 or 1980. This is how I came to introduce Chas to the de Thouars brothers. Bill made the second form. Victor made the third form.

Chuck Stahmann, John Garcia, and Dave Anderson were my three senior students at this time. I had started teaching them Shotokan, Okinawate, and Tae Kwon Do. They learned the Tongkat #1 form from me. This mirrored some of my own evolution. They learned Uncle’s system from me until I followed Uncle’s advice, and Paul de Thouars to California to learn Serak®, at which time I made arrangements for them to learn from Uncle. Now they are all Gurus in their own right. Dave also achieved a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do.

At that time Richard Bruell, a friend of Uncle’s and a good Kajukenbo practitioner (and Black Belt) under Wayne Welsh, started studying with Uncle. He is Gurug Agung and the highest ranked of the seniors. Wayne Welsh is in a class apart from the rest of us, Uncle’s longtime friend and his practice partner, I have seen Richard’s and Wayne’s names on the Kajukenbo family tree at Phillip Gelinas’ home. Wayne Welsh is Sigung to us.

On the way to California I stopped in Sante Fe, New Mexico where I was hosted at Brian Lee’s Tae Kwon Do. They let me stay there, teach, and enjoy the community for the summer.

Presently I teach in Montreal.

Hormat

Taung Lung Tai from KunTao Silat.