Handwritten Certificates
By: Victor de Thouars
The following certificate content was presented by Pendekar Paul de Thouars to Victor de Thouars in 1982. It may be seen at the VDT Academy, Bellflower, CA:
"I, Paul de Thouars and Senior in the Art of Pukulan Silat Serak® by the authority vested in me as successor to John de Vries, my teacher, who in his time was senior student and appointed successor to Mas Djut, founder of Pukulan Pentjak Silat Serak® , do hereby commend Victor Iwan Charles de Thouars for having successfully completed the art of Pukulan Pencak Silat Serak® .
Through his ability he demonstrated himself to be fully qualified to guide others in understanding the principles and moral qualities required for progress in this art and has thereby earned recognition as successor to my lineage."
Signed by Paul de Thouars, presented 1982
In his OWN handwriting now on an 11X17 parchment (In both Behasa Indonesia and in English).
Please Click Here for the link to another Certificate from PDT
Now my own thoughts:
Interesting concept, let me see written down on his own older Bukti Negara Website, we still have copies of this page and actually still on the internet saved in a cache memory on some search engines from websites.
"Limited knowledge of Serak ."
Now I have not spoken with Paul since my last Seminar in Denver of August 1994, that I gave for him. This was by my choice, our differences were greater than they seemed after fifty three years as his younger brother, and thirty eight years of association with him in the martial arts.
Well, is there really a closed door system? I do not know. That definition is Greek to me. I will always recognize and give credit where credit is due. I studied Silat Serak® with Paul de Thouars, when he was still Guru and not self made Pendekar. And surely it does not any difference to me. Should the system of Silat Sera-Serak® survive then for sure any one wanting to learn should be able to learn it, and not only from the Gods on Mount Olympus.
Surely not some secret mystical system that only belongs to the Gods on Mount Olympus. Regardless what all those involved with the system of Silat Sera-Serak® it is a shame that all those who know will withhold things that should be told. Or is it because someone is angry because I am opening the doors, and letting in a little fresh air.
In learning Serak® the old way you learned to walk and then learn Jurus. 18 of them. In completion you were taught the Langkah Tiga. And yes we do have some old video tape where Paul was showing them. And even videos in the backyard with Mr. Jan Beiers. Bless his heart; he was a great man in my heart and his son Martin Beiers. Martin Beiers, Barbara Barns, and Phil Cabreros helping build his studio in Arcadia
With that scenario you learned Sliwah, a square platform, and then of course if you did not make your Jurus alive, they became a monotony of same Jurus over and over. So making them alive is very important.
From Langkah Sliwah you walked the Jurus on Langkah Pantjar, this unique larger platform. Paul put the footwork in manual pages that was written by me and copies given to him. Although his platform differ very much then what the original teachings were. Still interesting to me as of today.
Jurusan Sepak and Jurus Kombinasi, now going back to Wormer a city in The Netherlands were Paul showed and taught me these Langkah and Djuru forms. Well in the later part of the fifties studies, and hard work and study of Langkah Lima. Well, now, is that all there is, well of course the Sambuts and techniques are myriad's. In the summer of 1963 in Huntington Beach California, Paul handed me unceremoniously in the garage my completion rank of his Serak® methods. And finally in the year of 1982 he sent me finally a handwritten document on parchment paper, I was living in Colorado at the time.
In 1984, Paul even wanted to retire; I had a great part of for him not to retire. I offered all of my student body under his wing at that time. If it is a loss for students training from Paul is certainly debatable now. Most videotapes can be purchased from the website, to see my involvement with Paul.
Paul came to The Netherlands from New Guinea in 1956. We had the reunion with our parents. That summer, we lived on Apollo Laan 28 Amsterdam CS. Maurice and Paul joining us from New Guinea, and he brought some Papua Weapons over. In the years that followed, and me helping Paul on Lake Street in Pasadena, in his garage studio, he shared many of things about his way of Serak® with me, certainly a learning experience in what not to do to students.
Now in growing up in Pradjekan East Java, I observed many of martial artist, and we even had Silat Guru's come to our home in Pradjekan. From that time period From Pak Tisari Mardjuki we learned Silat, but I had more interest in learning how to play with his son Dhaka Mardjuki, Bang Bang Winardi who still lives in Surabaya and our Chinese friend Bo Han. Father from Bo Han did Kun Taw, and I never participated in Kun Taw, and only watch the "Closed Door system at work"
Well between the Dutch Whiskey "Bols" and Kun Taw, really did not know what was better to watch. For a certainty my father was extreme good friend with Bo Han's father, and our family was allowed to either watch or participate.
Willem practiced with Bo Han's father at that time, I was more interested in having fun and playing with my friends, and did not care what an older brother did for fun and to let each other alone. Although living in the same house, he had his own desires and goals, and had very little to do when I was training.
Bo Han's father died from sclerosis of the Liver. What a loss, from what I have observed he practiced the Kun Taw in a great fashion.
Thought for the day!
"If you have an Idea, and only think about it and not put it to use then it is not an idea at all�
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