Kun Tao Silat a senior's perspective
gu...@odyssee.net
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a senior's perspective -- early years !
(C) Gurug -- a pal in drome!?
Guru Tua Randall Goodwin
Kuntao Silat
Kun Lun Pai
de Thouars
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"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.
I recognize Steve Gartin as my senior in Kuntao Silat under Bapak
(Uncle Bill)! Let us not confuse seniority with rank. Because of the
acknowledged rank fluctuation in our art, rank may change moment by
moment, as far as I know he is on rank probation. In any case I must
give him respect and honor for his time in the art. This does not
obligate us to agreement, we often disagree. We work it out! He was
honored by being given the name Malabar for his personal art. This is
not Uncle's art, it is Steve's formulation. However it may have some
of Uncle's forms, and Steve knows much. Steve is an essentialist in
his art. He is one of my long time personal and professional friends.
He can teach Uncle's art.
I must recognize Chas Clements as having had a long and close contact
with the de Thouars brothers as well. After all, I made the
introductions myself, and Chas is still my friend. Now Uncle gave Chas
the right to use the name Kilap Betawi for his (Chas') art. This was
an act of respect for the knowledge and ability of this man, that does
not imply that Kilap Betawi is a formulation of Uncle's. The art Kilap
Betawi belongs to Chas and while I am sure it is heavily influenced by
the de Thouars family, how could it not be after 17 years of
friendship and association, it is not Uncle's art. Chas must express
himself in his own art. Chas had a deep knowledge of martial arts,
blades and weapons preceding his contact with the de Thouars brothers.
In this respect and others, I must acknowledge Chas as having taught
me much. Sometimes we dispute the truth of various statements
including each other's. But, I do not doubt his integrity or his
Warrior soul.
Now I will recognize Roberto Torres--not as a senior, for he is my
junior with four years of association--but as having also recieved the
distinction of being given a name for his personal system. Roberto has
been taken at face value. He learned from Visatacion, he also swings a
mean stick in Kali and is good with a knife, he has learned many
things in his short time with Uncle. Having met him three times, I
find him a good man and a good practitioner. Recently he and I have
been seen to be in disagreement over the issue of CENSORSHIP. I would
hope that we may remain friends despite my contrariness and public
opinions. As far as I know Uncle no longer teaches him. He does not
know all of Uncle's systems, but he does know some of some of them, he
has had about 15 private lessons.
Uncle has given others Names 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 he 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.
Now George and Phillip were there before Steve so they are really
senior. 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. He has supported Uncle in ways that none of
the others of us were capable. I hold him in great respect.
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. 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. 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 studied Tae Kwon
Do.
At that time Richard Buell, a friend of Uncle's and a good Kajukenbo
practitioner 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. I wonder where Mr. McMahon is now?
Brian had named his school Brian Lee's though his name was Brian
McMahon. It was good marketing! But this is another story!
I will cover some of the later coming seniors in another post in the
future. But since I was in California with Pendekar Paul de Thouars, I
don't know them all equally well.
Hormat
gar...@rmi.net
I am putting my recollections of the "early years" together also. Those were grand days!
Having those years with all three de Thouars Brothers gives us a slant on the Family System
that I think few can claim. You and George Morin are particularly fortunate to have had
formal study with the Pendekar. You and I are particularly fortunate to have lived with
Brother BaPak Victor. Although I never formally studied with Paul and Victor, they have
both affected my art in major ways.
Those days when you and I were training partners were the highlight of my martial study!
We covered some ground. I think it fitting to express my opinion that you, Randall, are
one of the finest martial artists I have ever known. Hats off Brother!
God Bless the de Thouars Family!
B C N U
sg