Pentjak Silat Serak®
DEFINITION
“Pentjak” roughly translates as, “choreographed movement.” “Silat” means, “fight.” Pentjak Silat, then, means, “choreography for fighting.”
Pentjak without the Silat would be dancing. Silat without the Pentjak would be brawling.
Pentjak Silat comes from Indonesia, home to 4000 islands, the world’s fourth largest population (200 million), 300 dialects, all major religions, and a rich history of high culture and constant tumult.
Indonesia has long been a proving ground for many of the prominent Indian, Chinese, and Indonesian systems that have survived the test of conflict. The island of Java is home to over 120 million people. This region has been a terrific breeding ground for realistic combative systems since pre-history. There are over 400 styles of Pentjak Silat currently practiced, and many of the earliest and most sophisticated come from Java.
Our System, Pentjak Silat Serak®: The founder/creator of this formidable system was nicknamed “Pak Sera,” and had the unique attributes of one arm ending at the elbow, and a clubbed foot. Versed in 9 different arts, 3 Chinese, 3 Indian, and 3 Indonesian, he created a system with a technical base tuned to his unique physiology that allowed him, and later his students, to effectively counter the dominant combatives of the region. The result was a system that allowed for maximal effectiveness with minimal athleticism. Serak® was formulated in the early 1800′s in West Java, and was selectively taught to Dutch Indonesian people of privilege prior to WWII.
Our Guru (Teacher) or MaHa Guru (Professor) is Victor deThouars, one of the last Javanese-born Dutch Indonesians the world will know. He is busy ensuring that the system of Serak® will continue to be taught as it was in Java when he began his study before WWII. Our group was featured in the “Inside Kung Fu,” December 2000 issue, as well as in the “Black Belt Magazine,” December 2001 issue.
CURRICULUM
Our curriculum consists of the following:
History & Culture
Martial Philosophy
Djurus – Upper Body Forms
Langkas – Footwork Patterns
Tendjeks – Striking Techniques
Sambuts – Take Down Techniques
Sambutan – Technique Counters
Sensory Training
EMPHASIS
A great deal of what we do can be practiced almost anywhere as solo activity. These practices develop muscle memory, correct body mechanics, strength, breathing, and visualization skills.
Our class environment is somewhat academic. We focus on the understanding of movement and development of muscle memory first, and develop sensory training separately. For this reason, and because our techniques can be very dangerous, we do not spar. The degree of physical exertion varies based on the goals and capability of each individual. Our classes do not demand high physical exertion, which makes us ideal for middle-aged or elderly people. In fact, we believe that this is an art that will grow with you as you age.
Classes in Pentjak Silat Serak® are currently offered TWICE per week
“Pentjak” roughly translates as, “choreographed movement.” “Silat” means, “fight.” Pentjak Silat, then, means, “choreography for fighting.”
Pentjak without the Silat would be dancing. Silat without the Pentjak would be brawling.
Pentjak Silat comes from Indonesia, home to 4000 islands, the world’s fourth largest population (200 million), 300 dialects, all major religions, and a rich history of high culture and constant tumult.
Indonesia has long been a proving ground for many of the prominent Indian, Chinese, and Indonesian systems that have survived the test of conflict. The island of Java is home to over 120 million people. This region has been a terrific breeding ground for realistic combative systems since pre-history. There are over 400 styles of Pentjak Silat currently practiced, and many of the earliest and most sophisticated come from Java.
Our System, Pentjak Silat Serak®: The founder/creator of this formidable system was nicknamed “Pak Sera,” and had the unique attributes of one arm ending at the elbow, and a clubbed foot. Versed in 9 different arts, 3 Chinese, 3 Indian, and 3 Indonesian, he created a system with a technical base tuned to his unique physiology that allowed him, and later his students, to effectively counter the dominant combatives of the region. The result was a system that allowed for maximal effectiveness with minimal athleticism. Serak® was formulated in the early 1800′s in West Java, and was selectively taught to Dutch Indonesian people of privilege prior to WWII.
Our Guru (Teacher) or MaHa Guru (Professor) is Victor deThouars, one of the last Javanese-born Dutch Indonesians the world will know. He is busy ensuring that the system of Serak® will continue to be taught as it was in Java when he began his study before WWII. Our group was featured in the “Inside Kung Fu,” December 2000 issue, as well as in the “Black Belt Magazine,” December 2001 issue.
CURRICULUM
Our curriculum consists of the following:
History & Culture
Martial Philosophy
Djurus – Upper Body Forms
Langkas – Footwork Patterns
Tendjeks – Striking Techniques
Sambuts – Take Down Techniques
Sambutan – Technique Counters
Sensory Training
EMPHASIS
A great deal of what we do can be practiced almost anywhere as solo activity. These practices develop muscle memory, correct body mechanics, strength, breathing, and visualization skills.
Our class environment is somewhat academic. We focus on the understanding of movement and development of muscle memory first, and develop sensory training separately. For this reason, and because our techniques can be very dangerous, we do not spar. The degree of physical exertion varies based on the goals and capability of each individual. Our classes do not demand high physical exertion, which makes us ideal for middle-aged or elderly people. In fact, we believe that this is an art that will grow with you as you age.
Classes in Pentjak Silat Serak® are currently offered TWICE per week
Contact [email protected] for more info and class schedules