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Pentjak Silat Serak®
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International Headquarters of
VDT ACADEMY©
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Kees Boering, “Guru” Pentjak Silat Sera
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Kees Boering, one man from so long ago, well not that long. It was the summer of 1956, I was in front of the Technical College playing soccer with a big ball of paper with my class mates. In a very uneventful announcement a young man on a bike stopped and started to talk to me. Somehow we had a scuffle and also became good friends after that.
Kees said he did practiced Judo and recently earned his yellow belt. I returned my answer to him that had all kinds of belts, to hold my pants.
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Guru Kees and his son Arwin
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He paused and gave me a strange look, what do you mean he said. And for sure he had to try his throws on me, nah not a chance …. Well sometimes they went, and throws are harder then you can imagine. Even by friendly encounters. He said what is that you do, I said Pentjak Silat Serak. Well the rest is history.
Of course at my age then, I could whip any one, so it was believed. Well Kees and I, we wrestled, played hard and learned who we were (hot heads). We became great friends, till this very day. He sent me some photos, this past week and I got some tears in my eyes. Here he was with his son Arwin doing some techniques. Arwin the second generation.
For the next four years I trained Kees almost daily in the Art of Pentjak Silat Sera. At the end of 1959 Kees came to a completion of the Curriculum. Kees became an awful great fighter, with the heart bigger then anyone could imagine. Kees was born on October 2, 1940 and 10 months older then me. He lives at the time of this writing in Koog aan de Zaan.
You know when we left Holland on May 3, 1960, Kees was in Nieuw Gunea, serving in the Dutch Army. We arrived in the US on May 11, 1960, and set foot on land at 10 am. Many things went through my head, change to fast and we came to the land of milk and honey (Well as long as you make the honey your self that is, the opportunity for all).
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One day not too long ago in my Bellflower Studio when Guru Dan Inosanto came in to train, Kees was on the phone. And over the speaker phone he called out to Guru Dan the Curriculum I taught him, Djurus, Tiga, Pantjar, Sekurum, Djurusan Sepak, Kombinasi, etc etc. So, my teaching has not changed for all these years. We were reading a posting that someone did, and claims and accusations from a Ex-family member that my knowledge was only on a limited basis, and only knew the eighteen Jurus. You know, witnesses from over forty years ago pretty hard to beat, in what training they received
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*****
To go a bit off the subject, last year in a hotel where a large family gathering was held. I invited a student from over twenty years. The man's name was Mr. Gary Piehl. Yes, Mr. Piehl your training with me and what you earned no one can take, for it is there.
You know when requested to do movements of Sera, he came through as he never left my school. Just another moment in time, that if you keep the same in all, and the motto stay’s as one for all these years. Proving that student from forty years or twenty years or today’s student of VDT Academy can proudly say, that the teaching has not diminished for all these years. Well, what happened to the limited knowledge (only eighteen Jurus) of Silat Serak, I was accused of having
*****
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With the unity of Pak Andre Knustgraichen and his Silat Adek (Anak Serak), the VDT Serak Tjabang is a force. To all are equal and the Tjabang made out of people, who progress the system. Not one man can hold that honor. No the honor is to all to make the growth and give Hormat to the founder.
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Well, maybe it is the other way around, I know I may not belong to the so-called big four, in which it is okay, I have no desire at all to belong to any of their lineage. To dictate and control and to micromanage the spirit of free spirited people, a downfall of any so-called leader. And it has!
But………………..I am happy to be part of the many Gurus in Pentjak Silat Serak created by the VDT Tjabang I started for over four decades. If we are to go to west Java now, and Pak Mardjuki saw our Tjabang, I know he would feel proud to be part of a so ever growing VDT Serak Tjabang that is hard to stop. Wonder were the other folks are hiding? Please, please………no teeth or tongue biting, it is unbecoming of an old philosophy that is dying. The tissue is in the mail.
Well, ………..maybe the other folks have what they accuse the other of having, limited foresight. Never wake the sleeping giant in the wake of a storm. The storm and knowledge of Unity of the VDT Silat Serak Tjabang, that is now and years to follow after my closing of my eyes. The hormat to the founder Bapak Serak, to let any one with spirit and who wants to know the system, can learn the system without any stumbling blocks of secrecy and close door philosophy. For the Honor and Virtue to Pak Serak…..Always faithful, his system will never die, it is accomplished.
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A continuing line of Dutch Rednecks...
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Back to my brother Kees. And in the days of our youth, Kees and I, well the weekends was our big day, after school we ironed our pants and white shirt. And of course you wore a tie. Well, that was the custom in those days. One Saturday, as usual we darted fifteen kilometers north to Amsterdam, and kinda steered toward Kalver Straat. Our normal parking garage was full, and like wow, no parking. Can you imagine, by this time it was 1958, no parking.
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Well we parked the bromfiets (small motor bike) in the alley. Pretend we were locking the bike, (of course no) and went down to the movie house. You know out of the corner of our eyes we could see a man watching us. And you guessed it, the man five fingered the bromfiets. Darn, we thought, we had to move quickly, the last train left Centraal Station 12 midnight. And you guessed it, we missed the train.
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So Kees and I sat forlorn in some chairs in front of the train station. Out of nowhere a man and his car passed by. He called out to us, “Missed the train boys” He drove out of his way to my home in Wormer. Will never forget his kindness.
Sunday morning as usual with Kees, Jurus, jurus and Pantjar, and then hand to hand sparring. Black and blue marks a common thing. Getting hit in the snoz also a waker-upper. Also mention to Kees, you know how to fix it right? Yeah…”block better, he he………yup, great memories that will never pass. You know, till this day I remember that very vividly.
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And yes we will have more accounts from my youth with the true Holland Red Neck.....My brother, student and most of all my friend for life...
...Guru Pentjak Silat Serak Kees Boering.
*****
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