"Everynight I dream, I scream the animal scream"
The Cure, Burn 1994
"Nature is the greatest of teachers.....it reveals and conceals many things,
and we must seek to uncover the secrets that she possesses"
Dr.Maung Gyi
Hey guys just wanted to expalin why I'd posted some posts originally posted by Guru Besar Liam.
One because Im working on articles on specific conditioning and drills for each animal mannerism of our beautiful system and as such is taking a while.
Im still working on the idea of "Application of the month" as a tribute to all the old style martial art magazines I grew up with as a wee child, yes I was once wee! where they had a featured system and basic applications per month.
I have plans for a couple of articles on my favourite weapon the Sundanese Kujang
And also because the articles I've reposted are good material anyway and some less sad than I maynot have read them before ;)
(Previously posted by Guru Beasr Liam McDonald Feb 2009)
(Original posting by Guru Eddie Ivester date unknown)
A number of my students have asked me, where our system was born from, and this excellent online article by Guru Eddie Ivester gives a good detail of the foundation from where we come from, and respect should be given to the Masters and Teachers who give us this art, and who dedicated their lives in teaching others. Hopefully one day we can honour them, by passing this beautiful art on to the next generation.
Willy Wetzel:
William “Willy” John Christopher Wetzel was born on January 23, 1921 in the village of Loemadjang, Java, Indonesia.
He passed away on March 17, 1975 in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, United States.
Willy Wetzel was part Indonesian & Dutch and was born & raised in Indonesia and could speak three Indonesian languages. Monk Huang Wu Wen was hired by the Dutch secret service to locate rebel forces wishing to overthrow the Dutch government in Indonesia. Huang's cover was as a tea merchant and probably adopted the name Oei Kem Boen for his cover. Oei Kem Boen met Willy Wetzel when he was 9 years old and because of Willy's language skills and being a child from Java he recruited him to help locate secret rebel training camps in and around Java in return for fighting lessons.
At age 14 Willy asked Monk Boen to teach him everything he knew about fighting so he could become a master like Monk Boen. At age 17 during WW II Willy served as a member of the Royal Dutch Indonesian Army and was recruited into the Dutch Secret Service where he was assigned to locate leaders of rebel factions.
It is said that Willy was in fact an assassin for the Secret Service and assigned to eliminate the leaders of the rebel factions that he located. Willy traveled throughout Indonesia undercover as a Pencak Silat historian and as such he learned many different styles of Indonesian Fighting Arts from all over the Malay Peninsula. It is believed that Willy knew hundreds of different Silat & Kuntao arts and thousands of different techniques as well as several Japanese fighting styles. In 1949 Willy moved to Holland and then in 1956 he immigrated to Vanport, PA. In 1960 Willy opened his and the first Indonesian martial arts school in the United States to the general public in Beaver falls, PA. He combined and synthesized all of the fighting arts that he had learned into a new system and called his new system Pukulan Cimande Chuan Fa.
Pukulan Cimande:
Pukulan cimande is a "Broken Mirror" system this means many styles woven into one.
In the tradition of Willy you are not bound or restricted to any one style or form, rather you are free and encouraged to seek and adapt what is right for you and discard the rest. pukulan cimande is taught and employed as the natural system and the students are eventually trained mentally to use their fighting/self-defense instinctively by accomplishing several moves at once without having to consciously plan each move.
This is accomplished by not just learning a fixed set pattern or sequence of movements but creating their own Kembangan (flower dance/form) also known as the "Crawl" by pukulan cimande practitioners.
Pukulan cimande is a varied art composed of a wide range of animal postures and movements inspired by the Bingatang Ampat or 4 animals; the Tiger, Snake, Crane & Monkey. Animal mannerisms were included in pukulan cimande because they increase human actions thus bringing to them a much wider range of technique possibilities and applications. Students learn to defend themselves from any position standing or on the ground. Striking, takedowns, weapons defenses and joint locks are all used and students learn the art through both structured forms and free fighting.
1. Tiger (Matjan) the Indonesian tiger’s grounded movement leads to the three-limbed fighting style of Harimau. The surprising but deadly moves of Matjan Tiengie- Leaping Tiger challenge practitioners to move quickly up from the grounded positions to attack either standing or grounded opponents with ripping motions, sweeps, springing shears or scissors, rolling elbows and knees. The Chinese tiger form uses open hands with extended fingers to claw or rip at vital targets. The method is to hit or place with the palm to the target, then grab and pull.
2.Crane (Blekok) the Indonesian fluid White Crane, erratic moods of the Mad Crane and the quieter more deadly moves of the Lazy Crane, various fist blows and parrying movements as well as balance, stability from the agile movement of the crane, aerial and multiple kicking techniques, long range striking and the ability to strike from a one legged position are adapted from this animal. The Chinese Crane style uses low to high one-legged body positions with turns. Every second or third move begins in a crane position, with a retreat covered by open hand parries, then follows with attacks or counterattacks. Kicks are delivered from high to low. The head rotates in all directions to watch for any oncoming attackers, providing a circle defense.
3. Monkey (Monyet) Indonesian monkey uses grounded stances, acrobatic movements, parries, grabbing, pounding fists, medium height positions, crawl, low movements, rolls, jumping and leaping with its playful energy sets. Also the groundwork for the heavy effective moves of the powerful ape the native Orangutan and the crazy antics of the drunken monkey are seen here. The monkey style is noted by its bent knee, wide leg positions with the body at a low height and arm movements that are circular with open hand parries, and closed hand grabs with palms down. Defensive body movements are side-to-side and forwards and backwards with dodging head movements and body rolls across the ground when needed.
4. Snake (Ular) Indonesian snake is recognized by the close foot positions and medium body height. Elbow-to-elbow distance is kept close to the body to protect the midsection from injury. By weaving the arms, body and legs during retreats and attacks the snake exponent appears to be giving in but immediately redirects the fight to his advantage. Advanced striking and wrapping techniques come from the Ular Sawa.
The snake in general, has fast multiple lightning strikes from any position, spiraling and weaving motions and short-range sweeping.
In the pukulan cimande style correct hitting is invisible and the striking weapons are camouflaged by foot & hand movements and always strike indirectly. The blow never starts or comes from the place the exponent is positioned from and never strikes the target it appears to be aimed toward. This deception is accomplished by having the arm or leg relaxed while on it's route of travel to the real intended target. In that way the same weapon can hit multiple targets without withdrawing and fools & confuses the opponent into blocking to protect a target that is not going to be hit. pukulan cimande makes good use of the head for butting action with head on, side to side and rear strikes, which are effective in very close in-fighting situations. Along with head strikes the use of elbows and knees are employed in close quarter combat as well.
Pukulan cimande is also an internal art where Chi Kung (breathing techniques) and meditation are developed for internal strength, focus, and healing.
(Originally posted by Guru Besar Liam Mc Donald back in Feb 2010)
Below is a lineage chart and format that is used by Pukulan Cimande Schools, so students can trace back their lineage. The use of the term Well, and River are to give respect and linkage to the Cimande aspects.
I have only used the names of the Gurus that have a direct lineage to my learning. They are many other very highly respected Gurus in our Family tree. Having a lineage is important to understand what came before us, very skillful dedicated people who have kept the Art alive for us to learn, and in doing so, we are blessed by having this Art in our lives.
To return this favor we can pass the Art onto the next generation, by doing this simple act, we keep this beautiful Art alive, so the River of Cimande Knowledge keeps flowing through all our and future lives!
The Well - The Art itself
First River - The Founders, i.e. Oei Kim Boen and Mas Djut Bang Salemoen
Second River - Mas Goeroe Agoeng Willy Wetzel.
Third River - Goeroe Malterer,
Forth River - Pendekar Sanders
Fifth River - Guru Besar Liam McDonald
Sixth River - Guru Dan, Guru Robert etc... (Students of mine who have reach Guru Level)
Seventh River - Students of the above Guru's
(Originally posted by Guru Besar Liam McDonald Wednesday, January 27, 2010)
Turning up for class is the single most important training tip there is! By doing the simple physical act of walking through the classroom door as either a beginners or a Guru, you are placing yourself in a interactive learning environment.
I tell my students this simple mantra” Don’t Think just turn up! “What does this mean? Well most of us are constantly fighting our internal demons, the one which comes up with all the so call reasons not to train – “T V good tonight “ “I go to the Pub”
“I play X Box” “I take it easy and have a night off” etc, in fact we get a whole day to think up a new excuse and to support it as why not to train, as most classes are in the evening. And when we miss one class, than it becomes that just bit easier to miss another class, than another till it becomes a habit, and one which is hard to break. So my advice is – Don’t Think, just do the simple act of turning up. Once you walk through the door than the teacher can do his work and help motivate you. You will begin to work out have fun and enjoy yourself. As human beings we are design to learn and develop, we take pleasure from it. When people leave class I look for two things “S and S” which is “Sweaty and Smiling” very few people ever leave a class in a depress state. Interacting with other students while training, having a joke or chat after class, is going to do so much more for your physical and mental state than sitting in your favorite chair watching the latest episode of Coronation Street.
On a final note on excuses, one of my teachers had a simple saying “what ever excuse you are going to use, its still an excuse, if you’re not in class, you’re not in class”.
Believe me I have heard it all from “A rash on a toe” to “Falling off a Toilet” to “I think I left the lights on at home” yes these some off my many list of excuses I have heard. Remember every time you miss class, you are taking a step back, and one which make the Instructor job harder, as he has to go back and retrain you on the material you have missed, or re-develop the techniques / skill you have forgotten. On this thought, how many of us have ever thank their Instructor for taking the time out to help us catch up, when we missed class? Or do You take it for granted that he will always take you back and will always help you catch up.
So help your Instructor out and more importantly Yourself and Turn UP
More Training Tips to follow.....
Posted by Liam Mc Donald at 9:44 A
