The Importance of Pukulan

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 public consumption) have a similar principle.

In Tai Chi Chuan, we find “Kao” alternatively translated as “bump” or “shoulder stroke.”  Japanese Koryū Bujutsu teach “Tai Ken,” the “whole body fist.”

The essential principle is to turn the body into a battering ram which disrupts the enemy’s structure and balance whilst simultaneously inducing injury.  While the shoulder is commonly taught as a striking surface, once Pukulan is understood, any body surface can be used.  Watch the video of Pak Steve playing with the heavy bag and observe his hips, back, shins, and elbows all being deployed during a “bump.”

To execute these techniques properly, the stance work must be developed to build proper structure.  The player must have good body mechanics to generate power, and the body needs to have been conditioned to impact so as to not injure the bumper him/herself.

As the whole body mass is employed during Pukulan, these techniques carry a high level of damage potential, especially when the elbows are used as the contact surface.  This is why the “Bella Lugosi” pose is such an effective counter assault tactic:  your whole mass is propelled through the target via the tip of the elbow.  When delivered to a target such as the solar plexus or sternum, the effect can be devastating.

As these total body percussions disrupt the enemy’s balance so thoroughly, they serve the save purpose setting up throws and sweeps as the tricky pushes and pulls do in arts like Jūdō.

Pukulan is a key factor in the efficacy of your entries.  If you find that you are struggling to move or throw a partner in training, it is very possible that you have not employed the correct Pukulan.

Practice gently and slowly at first, but build in intensity as you and your partners improve.  The Iron Body benefits that come with Pukulan training offer a whole other set of benefits.

Dr Jon