Kun Lun Pai History

Kun Lun Pai Martial Arts

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THE HISTORY OF KUN LUN PAI

Kun Tao is the Indonesian term for the Chinese Kung Fu arts that came to the Indonesian Archipelago. Pentjak Silat is the indigenous martial art form practiced there for many generations. Together, these two arts form the foundation of Kun Lun Pai Martial Arts.

The Dutch maintained colonies in Indonesia for more than three hundred years, and the skills practiced at Kun Lun Pai Martial Arts reflect their influence. The Dutch, being great innovators, often times moved away from the animistic beliefs common in Pentjak Silat and the mysticism found in Kun Tao, framing the arts in a more practical engineering perspective. While there are many different forms of Pentjak Silat and Kun Tao, the core of each system remains true to its origins. After the Second World War and the Indonesian War for Independence, many Dutch Indonesians immigrated throughout the world. They brought the culture and traditions of both Indonesia and Holland to the regions they settled in. They also brought the martial art forms they practiced.

The terminology used and applications demonstrated at Kun Lun Pai Martial Arts are often referred to as "colonial" because of the Dutch influence. The process of nationalization brought many changes to both the written language and the techniques of Kun Tao and Pentjak Silat. The generations of Dutch Indonesians that practiced the martial arts as they did in the colonial period are quickly becoming a part of history.

There were many Dutch Indonesians who immigrated to the United States and brought their particular styles of Kun Tao Silat with them. Some taught their arts openly, while others chose to keep their art to themselves or taught only a select few. One such family that immigrated to the United States is the deThouars family.

Pentjak Silat Serak, or Sera as it was first spelled, is the style of Pentjak Silat practiced by the deThouars family. There are currently four brothers remaining who practice this style. One of those four, Willem deThouars, combined aspects of Pentjak Silat Serak (as well as other styles) with Chinese Kun Tao. Kun Tao is primarily an empty hand art, and Pentjak Silat Serak is primarily a knife art, and the combination proved both effective and practical. Its most unique aspect is the use of the traditional Kun Tao stances in combination with the Pentjak Silat djurus (hand forms). The arts practiced at Kun Lun Pai Martial Arts are comprised of Chinese Kun Tao and Pentjak Silat.