Student Testimonials

Pendekar, just wanted to say thanks for the advice on my Sera Depok refinement it has really opened my training at such a higher level from when I first walked in the door in 1996. Some of the study groups may or may not know about the 18 standing jurus that were present back then.

I had been gone for some time and a few years back Guru Besar Ted Walls mentioned to me how the art has opened up with the Sera Depok and the Seated jurus. With my recent training I am absolutely amazed the difference in them. The mobility in the Sera Depok from every angle to changing of levels completely puts the art and myself at a higher state of awareness. I have been doing a lot of thinking about this, because when I was informed at the time that the 18 standing jurus were pretty much obsolete, at first I had my defense up because I was training of what i knew and the fear of changing (Ego). I had some anxiety as well because of the re-programming I had to do mentally. The more I work on the Sera Depok and if I practice in a honest manner it forces me to move in such a way that the 18 standing jurus didn't. It is almost like there are hidden nuances within each juru, from animistic expression, making your footwork more precise, strikes more effective, throwing energy from one direction to another and back again like opening this vortex around you. I can see the hits from the 18 standing jurus, but only it's compacting form where the footwork alone in the Sera Depok forces you to move. I do know this, if one seeks something pure in it's traditional state and you get a little piece of it's purity like I have, WOW! I can't even imagine what happens next.

I don't move around as good as some of the others, but I take what you have given us and use it in a good way and it forces myself to move regardless. I hope I have explained what my experience has been properly to the group and would like to hear some of your experiences as well.

The Sera Depok is definitely graduate class, glad you brought them to us.

Salamat! Jason

Hi everyone i started in the night club security industry about 20years ago and have been part of the great changes to the industry.

In that time due to ever increasing legal restrictions applied to the use of force in any altercation by "crowd controllers", as we call them in Australia,we have had to become a lot more strategic in the performance of our duties.So mastery of the mind game is imperative if one wants to keep their job, security license and possibly their house.The number one rule is to always try and deescalate any potential conflict, (as it should be).I could write a whole book an this fascinating and sometimes exciting industry and one day i might.

I too did a lot of practice with the old 18 standing jurus and found them to be of benefit.Now we have the sera depok jurus and when i began to practice those i was instantly amazed, the energy was so different and i felt it flowing instantly.The footwork and indirect vision fascinated me.On the job i found the indirect vision helped in the the deescalation process by not looking directly in the aggressors eyes,therefore not being perceived to challenge them, yet being fully aware of there position, this also confused them because they could not read my intentions,creating a fear of the unknown.

Also i automatically began positioning myself differently,thanks to the footwork, more angular, creating a kind of stalking of the pray effect, this creates an uncomfortable subconscious uncertainty in the potential aggressor.

I my opinion, people generally only challenge those they believe they can dominate, if they are uncertain they either leave the seen or become sociable.

This is a deep subject and will provide further feedback in future posts.

John Aurnia

For me the Sera Depok jurus take the thought out of moving properply. The variations in high low movement is something I personally had to over emphasize in the past, where as the new jurus makes you development the necessary mechanics in order to effectively move fight breathe real Silat. I find it very easy, once learning but a few of them to vision and tap into more animal movement. I find myself sinking deeper everytime I practice. I encourage all.

Salamat, Rumsey 

Selamat all,

I actually originally registered with the PCP distance program back in 2000. I was completely new to silat at the time, and there was no training in my area.

A few Panther videos later (which I know we don't use anymore, but it sort of gives you a time reference), I realized that silat was very different than any other martial art I'd ever studied, and I started to travel to find it, going to other states in the US (including Hawaii), traveling to Europe, and building a collection of various silat tapes that would come out from time to time. It's probably accurate to say that if a silat teacher in North America has made videos, I probably have at least one.

I won't bore everyone with the long details of this story. You're all sitting at your computers and I don't want to be liable for someone falling asleep and breaking their nose on their monitor or something. But I do want to say this:

No matter where I went or who I trained with or what videos I had accessed to, I just -could not get away- from PCP. Although I saw some very good silat and continue to respect those styles and practitioners, it just did not look like Pendekar's way of moving (once again, I realize some of the technical material is different, but the "spirit" certainly seems the same), nor did I feel spiritually connected to other styles, even though I sometimes became great friends with the other practitioners.

I have gamelan tracks I've kept for ten years, and it's because Pendekar's art would just never let me go. It just kept pulling at me, and I found that even with very excellent silat from somewhere else, it just didn't fit. Didn't seem right.

I won't make this speech any longer, just to say that I'm a different person now, I know what I'm looking for, I'm ready to train, and I'm happy to be here. Thanks to Pendekar Sander's for continuing to make this Art available and for Chris Martin patiently working with my "re-entry."

Phil