an American Martial ArtWelcome to the International KunTao Silat Association. Our goal is to provide access and training to practical, effective and efficient martial arts training. KunTao Silat was once only available to a chosen few, now the knowledge of generations of warriors is available to you. This web site is dedicated to sharing the value of this rare and wonderful art. KunTao Silat offers a unique opportunity to train both your mind and body. There are many activities that can make you stronger, more flexible, improve your cardiovascular system – all things you can achieve through KTS training. KunTao Silat as an exercise integrates both the mind and body into the training. Yes, you become stronger, more flexible, healthier – but you also learn to integrate your mind/body connection leading to a stronger mind and healthier body. KunTao Silat is much more than just exercise – it gives you the knowledge and ability to truly understand self defense. The confidence that comes from knowing that you can protect yourself improves your entire life – your work, your relationships with others. Everyone has their own reason for training – for health, for self defense, for fun. KunTao Silat training is unique in that it can offer all of those things. No matter your age or interest, KunTao Silat supplies a unique training experience that will transform your outlook.
KunTao Silat is a term first coined in America by the first generation of students from the practitioners of Dutch-Indonesian descent. The term honors both the Chinese and Indonesian teachers that influenced this art. There are a plethora of styles either KunTao or Silat that come from the spice islands. Many of these systems are ‘mixed’ systems, yet due to cultural prejudice are often referred to as “KunTao” (Chinese) or “Silat” (Indonesian). KunTao Silat is the product of Dutch-Indonesian teachers, who because of their unique position in society were able to “cross over” and learn from both the Chinese and Indonesian teachers. The American KunTao Silat Association teachers a martial art that has it’s origins in West Javanese martial arts. American KunTao Silat has seven levels of progress to Practitioner Level.Level One: LegWork & HandWork - First we train the stances, so they can be incorporated into the daily life and movements of the student. Basic HandWork is then added to the stances and incorporated into movement drills. Both VHS and DVDs are available as training aids. Level Two: Djurus Satu - First Form Having practiced the stances and hand movements from Level One, the student now begins to study traditional choreographed form which carries the combat knowledge from the Indonesian lineage and provides a means of personal practice any where and any time. Djurus Satu is very direct, explosive and offensive. The best defense being a strong offense, Djurus Satu teaches effective self defense understanding and training. Both DVD and VHS are available for this level. Level Three: Djurus Dua - The Flower Non-confrontation is always the most effective way to deal with aggression. It takes longer to develop and even longer to refine, so the student receives the initial training early in their KunTao Silat development. DVD available in November. Level Four: Lanka Monjet - The Monkey With hands and legs now integrated, the student now develops leg strength and mobility of uncommon proportions. The Monkey provides enlightment in movment unlike any other animal. DVD available in December. Level Five: Pai Yun - The Tiger With the leg strength now developed, the Tiger provides hitting, grappling, tearing, ripping and smashing techniques and training methods and another style of applying the legwork. DVD available in January 2004. Level Six: Ling Sing Toy - Preying Mantis Precision hitting and furious speed are now added to the student's arsenal of martial skills. Timing, precision and control are honed in this level, in preparation for Level Seven. DVD available in February 2004. Level Seven: Weapons Traditionally, the blade and the stick are the weapons of choice. American life offers the inalienable right to carry a firearm, so we offer the option of local expert firearm training in addition to our traditional knife/stick training. DVD available in March 2004. When the Student becomes a Practitioner a world of options opens. The parent arts of KunTao Silat are available for deeper study and the Practitioner is urged to experiment in the areas of their interest and ability. What is the American KunTao Silat Organization? The AKTSI is dedicated to insuring the highest quality of martial art training. THE AKTSI includes the following types of memberships: Authorized Schools Authorized schools teach KunTao Silat from our curriculum and are expected to maintain certain standards as set by the organization. Click here for a list of authorized schools Colorado – Aurora: Steve@Kuntaosilat.net / Chas@Kuntaosilat.net California – Contra Costa County: Joe@KuntaoSilat.net / Oakland: Vince@Kuntaosilat.net Illinois – Naperville: Myoung@Kuntaosilat.net Affiliated Schools Affiliated schools are martial art schools or clubs where the instructors are learning KunTao Silat and incorporating this knowledge into their lesson plans. Click here to find out how your school can become affiliated with the International KunTao Silat Association. Click here to find an affiliated school near you. Student Membership Martial art practitioners of all skill levels are welcome to join the KTSI. Membership gives you access to the practice leaders of the art, discounts on video’s and other merchandise, access to the Member’s only areas of the Web Page including the ever growing information archive, and 4 issues of “State of The Art” the American Kun Tao Silat newsletter. In addition to these benefits, your training and progress is logged with the KTSI, ensuring the quality of your training and proper recognition for your efforts. Long-Distance Student Membership Long distance training is available to interested students. Entering the long distance training program requires making a very special commitment to training. There is a saying in the martial arts world: “Many are called, few are chosen.” Throughout history, the only way to learn was from your village guru, family or friends who had a contact with a legitimate guru (teacher). Today the world has changed. With modern transportation, the internet and video, it is now possible to gain training even if you are not located near an authorized school. To take part in this opportunity, all you have to do is download the application form, fill it out and send it to KTSI headquarters. You must be a full member of KTSI in order to part of this program. From there you are put on a video correspondence course. You will receive: ¨ 1 instructional video a month. You will practice the material on the tape, and the tape yourself practicing. ¨ After you send this tape in to the KTSI headquarters, it is reviewed and you will receive corrections. ¨ In addition to this, you will have access to KTSI gurus via members only chatrooms on the world wide web. ¨ To achieve certification, you will be required to attend a minimum amount of personal training and / or seminars. This program is systematic and designed to not only teach you American KunTao Silat, it will also instruct you on how to teach this art. |
