Discover the Best Kept Secret of Close Combat Martial Arts
You are not here by accident, what you do now is in your hands...
What is Serak?
The Mysterious Combat Art
Over a hundred years ago, on the island of Java, Indonesia, a small, physically disabled man with a brilliant mind created a close combat fighting system more sophisticated than the world has ever seen. In a time and place where everyone had a bladed weapon, and your adversaries came from all over the world, deep knowledge of movement was essential. This system called Pencak Silat SERAK, has been closely guarded and passed down to a select few who had the passion, patience, and temperament to learn this fight science like no other. There are countless martial arts, and hundreds of styles of Pencak Silat, but none like Serak.
Guro Dan Inosanto on Serak
Quote from Martial Arts Legend
Guru West with Guro Dan Inosanto 2013
"Penjak Silat Serak is ingenious. It is incredibly sophisticated. The whole system is based on maximum destructive output with minimum effort. A lot of systems are built around power or speed. Serak is all finesse. It's all physics and knowledge of anatomy, and how energy is directed. It doesn't take strength or even speed, and it is practically unbeatable. The hand traps are at least the equal of Wing Chun Kung Fu, and the footwork and body angling far surpass anything I've ever been exposed to. Serak is a martial artist's dream system."
What makes Serak special?
This is not Hollywood martial arts. Serak is not a sport art, or for show. It is a process of enhancing your stability and balance, while disrupting your opponents structure. Serak's reaction is to INSTANTLY AFFECT THE BALANCE. Once they are offset, a variety of strikes or dislocations can be employed to counter the threat. A drunken fool can be misdirected or controlled, while a knife-wielding assailant may deserve a deadly response. Serak teaches the range of response from subtle to lethal.
Also Serak is renown for having THE MOST SOPHISTICATED FOOTWORK IN THE WORLD. Our PANTJAR floor grid training platform, allows detailed study of positions and stepping found nowhere else. With this tool, you become more highly aware of range, reach, and position, while learning steps that enhance your power via your BASE.
Many systems have weapons practice, but mostly their weapons movements are separate from their empty hand practice. In Serak, the weapons including, knife, stick, staff, sword, kerambit - and many more - all relate to the 18 base structures. How the founder refined all these motions into a coherent system is mind-boggling.
A Brief History
Serak crosses the world
Three generations ago, the Indonesian masters of this art entrusted their knowledge to a family of Dutch-Indos. The youngest of these was Pendekar Victor Ivan Charles de Thouars (1941-2017). "Pak Vic," as he was known, spent 70 years of his life learning, mastering, archiving and passing on this elusive system to a select few. Pak Vic came to the USA in 1960, served as a Recon Marine in Vietnam, and was a mechanical engineer by trade. He was tough and ornery, but had a kind heart and a sly sense of humor. Although he could strike with thunderous power, he taught with a gentle touch, as he knew that the Serak structures could cause severe damage without restraint.
Guru West with Pak Vic 2013
Although Pak Vic taught thousands of people throughout his life, in the end he only trusted a few people to continue his teachings. Among those is Guru Karl Westin 'West' Bolz. Guru West met Pak Vic in 1999 after learning various other styles of martial arts. Upon his exposure to the art of Serak, Guru West dropped all his other training to focus on this hidden treasure. He was awarded the title of Guru Mudah from Pak Vic in 2010, and continues studying the art under the lineage holder of Serak, Maha Guru Horacio Rodriguez.
Pembantu Guru Steve Gresham, Pak Vic and Guru West 2000Only a handful of teachers, or Gurus, of this secret art teach publicly. Your chances of finding a Serak teacher near you are virtually zero. Guru West was tasked by Pak Vic to spread the art of Serak worldwide. Now with the tools of the Internet, you can learn the foundations of this awesome combat system wherever you are. We have members all over the world who are learning Serak step by step through SILAT CLUB. In fact, many times there is another member close enough for you to train with.
Guru West with Maha Guru Horacio Rodriguez
Is it easy to learn a martial art online? NO. Can it be done? YES. Can YOU do it? You are the only one who determines that. Truthfully, Serak is a study for a person who is 1 in a million. (Are you 1 in a million?) It takes focus, determination, persistence and patience to learn the movements and assimilate them into your muscle memory.
Pendekar Victor de Thouars
'Pak Vic,' or Pendekar Victor Ivan Charles de Thouars, was a unique treasure in the martial arts world. He saved the system of Serak (or Puncah Serah) from being lost to history. He was a brilliant mind like no other.
What is Silat Club?
Silat Club is an online library of Serak teachings. It contains OVER 219 LESSONS that teach the base curriculum of the Serak system. This is step by step through the foundational structures of the system including empty hand Sambuts (battle techniques), Buwangs (control techniques), Jurus (motion studies), Tongkat Matjan (short stick), Pisau (blade), Tongkat Pantjang (staff), Langka (footwork) and much more. The Belajar (study) lessons explore more deeply the motions and their applications. Overview pages give insight into the techniques and concepts.
Silat Club is a subscription membership. Each week unlocks more of the secret library for you. Serak is an elite martial art like no other. People pay thousands of dollars to learn this information. This material is not available anywhere else. For a modest tuition of $49.95 per month you can start your journey into the mystery of Serak.
As soon as you sign up, you will have access to your first block of lessons. Each week a new chapter will open for you to study. We have paced Silat Club so you don't receive so much information at once that you get lost. Each week you will want to follow the motions and repeat them until they are in your muscle memory.
What is Muscle Memory?
Great athletes break down movements of their sport into small pieces. It may be the way the foot pivots, the angle the shoulder is positioned, or the lowering of height to compress the body. When this micromovement is practiced and studied many times, the muscles of the body learn the position and can repeat it without the brain needing to direct it there. Remember when you learned to tie your shoes? It was really hard! Now you can do it without looking in a few seconds. In Serak the motions are meant to be rehearsed so that the body will stay in balance and know where to go afterward. Every combat encounter is different, but your body will hit various position points which are familiar.
Pak Vic: In Memoriam
The Last of the Butterflies
This course and my teaching is all in honor of my Guru and my friend, Pak Vic. He passed away in 2017 shortly before his 77th birthday. The "Last of the Butterflies."
"Look what you have in your hand; be careful not to lose what it contains. Hold on with great care, close your hand for it can slip like sand, and be lost to the wind." (1960)
"Pak Vic", Pendekar Victor Ivan de Thouars (1941-2017) Rest In Peace