Intan/ March visit Aloha Intan ! Well, I will be in Kuching for a short time period only as I am there on a work trip but can spare sometime to meet you and anyone else who can make it during that time is welcomed. I do need you to contact me via my email as I will be in Malaysia on March 1 but not Kuching immediately. Mahalo Bernie
Mike, Do you mean serious on-going continuous students of silat? If you put in people who have studied silat but now only continue to practice by themselves and/or with a couple people or who studied kuntao/silat I can tell you the number is in the thousands. Masters like Willy Wetzel, Willem Reeders, Jim Ingram, Herman Suwanda, Willem DeThours, Eddie Jafri, etc.. have taught thousands upon thousands of people to one degree or another. Sincerely, Eddie Ivester
Good point. I was actually thinking in terms of "serious on-going continuous students of silat" - but I'd also consider people who still actively practice in private to be practitioners. But the point is still that there aren't that many of us - even thousands, even 10,000 would be far less than 1% of the number of people who train in, for instance, TKD. And even TKD's lofty estimate of 5 million practitioners in the US is less than 2% of the nation's population. Obviously, my original numbers were low - but the gist of the statement was still accurate. Silat is far from anything that could be considered "popular" in America Mike
Mike, Aint that the truth!! I ran into a TKD instructor at Master savelli's seminar recently that had just himself recently heard of Silat & Kuntao. I don't know maybe it's just me but ever since I was 8 years old I tried to learn as much about the Martial Arts as I could. I read & talked to anyone that knew, saw or heard of a Martial Art style, no matter what I was studying I wanted to know what else was out there. I run into so many people now a days with blinders on, just seeing in one direction and never looking to the sides. I mean it is so easy now with the internet to look up almost every style out there. So why don't they do it???? Sincerely, Eddie Ivester
Thanks Intan, I unfortunately can't come to Sarawak in March but will go to Borneo in one year I think.... I will e-mail you then.... I heard a lot of interesting things about your country, the peoples and their martial art culture and would like to see it... Spring is one of four martial arts I have to learn from my Grandmaster and it would be very interesting to see your spring system... Just another question on a different topic, you mentioned Simbalan, is it only staff or do they also train empty hands? All the best.
Yup. They don't because, often, they don't want to know. They believe - by choice or by training - that art/system they study is the only one of any worth. And there are a lot of people out there who've seen some Silat at a seminar then they claim to be Silat practitioners. Or they've had some Silat training but didn't reach anything beyond surface - so when they try to do the Silat they have they end up having to muscle their way through everything. To me, these people aren't "Silat practitioners" either. Mike
Hi Intan, I really think you shouldn't worry of the spirituality stuff BECAUSE you're a female. You see, women WILL learn quickly and easier than men ;p The mentality strength in a female's body is very very adaptable & supportive. Lol Don't hesitate :Angel:
Actually, you were one of the 6. 4 of the 5 others are in the same tjabang of Serak. You've given your KY location in a few posts. As I said, it ain't but a drop in the TKD bucket. I'm sure there are a thousand TKD players in the Knoxville metro area alone vs 12 Serak players (but we could take 'em ) in all of east TN. I was just astounded that of 300 I KNOW 20 and "know" another 80 about 1/3 of your initial estimate and I'm a nobody. So, I was wondering if you were considering only Guru level people as practioners.
About the Silambam, Krys. They do have empty hand combat. But the use of a stick just amazed me. And other weapons too. Well, actually I'm more amazed with their weapons combat. It's just amazing! Oh, Bernie I thought I did e-mail you. You didn't get it? Better check it.
Nope. I was just underestimating. Actually, just for the record, I'm not a Serak practitioner. I trained in Serak - Pak Vic to Guru Ken to me - for a few years. I've had quite a bit of exposure to it from various sources. My primary influence is Guru Ken - and his, Serak-wise - were Pak Paul de Thouars (via Bukti Negara), Pak Vic, Guru Dan Inosanto (back in the Bukti Negara days), and the Serak that's in Mande Muda from Pak Herman Suwanda, and some exposure to Guru Stevan Plinck's flavor, and probably some others that are slipping my mind. Me personally, I've been exposed to Serak from Guru Ken, Uncle Bill de Thouars, Pak Vic, Pak Herman Suwanda, Ibu Rita Suwanda, and Guru Stevan Plinck. But while Serak has definitely had a hefty influence on the Silat that Guru Ken (and, by extension, I) do, we're not formally Serak practitioners these days I know, it's pretty pedantic but I like to keep things straight so they don't come back to bite me later. Anyway - tangentially, where are you in the Knoxville area? I get down that way sometimes. And who do you train in Serak and PT with? Mike
Did not receive any email messages from you Intan I did not get anything in my email box , please try to send it again. I get into Kuching on March 4 and out on March 7. Please use the email address I sent you the other day as it is different from the listed here. Mahalo BC
Cool. I'll have to let you know the next time I'm going to be down your way. I'm not sure but I think I've met your instructor somewhere - possibly one of Pak Vic's Serak events. I found a couple of pics of him on the web and he looks familiar - but it's kinda hard to tell from the pics. Anyway, hopefully we'll be able to meet at some point Mike
He makes most of the events (ROF and the camps). Pak is coming here (health permitting) sometime in April. Jerry is 5'8"ish 220ish pounds. He's on the Blades of Thunder tape.
Then I almost certainly met him. Especially if he was at ROF 2000. My primary instructor, Guru Ken Pannell, was one of the instructors that year. I haven't been involved in any way with Pak Vic since 2001. Our parting wasn't bad - but it wasn't good either. I'm not sure how he'd react to me showing up at a seminar. I respect him immensely and still refer people to him if they're looking for Silat in the L.A. area. But he and I had some personality conflicts ROF 2000 was pretty much the end of my personal association with Pak Vic. My instructor continued with him until 2001 - or maybe even early 2002 (when did Serak: The Tsunami come out? It was shortly after that when Guru Ken and Pak Vic parted ways). So, until Guru Ken and Pak parted ways, I was still peripherally associated with Pak Vic and still talked to him on occasion. But since they parted, I haven't talked to Pak at all. I'm sorry to hear about his poor health. I just recently heard anything about it. If you don't mind, could you shoot me a PM or e-mail with some more details about that. If you're not comfortable doing so, I'll understand. Mike
Hello Intan, Do you have some pictures/images/web-links of Silambam weapon training? Did you try it yourself? Thanks, peace.
I'm not sure about Silambam's websites. And I did not try it because I don't have time to do so. I know its awesome because they did this documentary on my national tv and they showed off their skills. That's how I know Silambam. But maybe you could try searching on the net. Maybe you would get lucky and found one!
