Kun Tao Silat Combinato

History and Organization

By Guru Tuan, Ch'uan Shih Sifu Randall Goodwin

Kun Tao refers to the Chinese Martial Arts, commonly known as Kung Fu, as they are practiced in the Indonesian islands and in other island cultures running up into the Philippines. Sometimes it is used to reference family styles of Kung Fu as well. In the Philippines it often refers to Indonesian Arts including some Silat based arts.

Silat or Pentjak Silat refers to the Indonesian Martial Arts. The newer spelling of Pentjak is Pencak. Silat based styles are known for their footwork which is trained on geometric diagrams such as the circle and square, as well as there knife work.

Combinato

Kun Tao Silat Combinato is a system combining principles and common motion from a wide base of martial arts. Its primary foundation is in the styles of Kun Tao and Silat taught by the de Thouars family. Guru Besar Willem de Thouars has combined his arts together to produce a style called Kun Lun Pai Kung Fu. This name was suggested by the late Bill Chang (U Un Surya) a great Chinese Kun Tao practitioner that was killed in Indonesia during the anti-Chinese rioting a few years ago. It honors the geographic region that our Kun Tao derived from. At a later time this art has become more widely known by the name Kun Tao Silat de Thouars. This is my foundation.

I also studied the de Thouars family style of Serak Silat under Pendekar Paul de Thouars, (see: Karate it's History and Traditions, by Bruce Haines), Willem's older brother. I must also credit Willem's younger brother Pak Victor de Thouars for helping me to understand the principles of leverage. At the same time I am unable to ignore all of my other teachers and friends that have contributed to my understanding of the martial arts over the years and it is in recognition of the combined contributions of my other teachers that I distinguish my practice as Combinato.

This name was goes back to my late Okinawa Te teacher Earl Alston. Earl was a friend and mentor that introduced me to many things. He worked to help troubled youth and taught for many years at the Northglenn Community Center in Colorado. Earl and Russell Peron shared space in a school in East Denver. This was my introduction to one of my first Tae Kwon Do teachers, Russell Peron. Earl was a friend of Si Gung Wayne Welsh and of Guru Besar Willem de Thouars and he provided me with introductions to each of them. In the mid to late seventies it was a combined dream of several of my teachers combine their teachings in matters of practical fighting. For a short time we had a Combinato logo across the gi's of Earl's students. I received my second degree Black Belt in Okinawa Te from Earl, but I must admit that it regard his teaching as a genuinely eclectic and American art combining boxing, Kenpo and TKD into his Okinawa Te.

While this organization never lasted, I honor the effort in choosing to continue this name as the designation for the set of forms that I have developed and the presentation of principles that I have derived by reflection on the lessons of all of my teachers.

I have a Yoga lineage through Swami Vishnu Devananda where I am ranked as Yoga Siromani. It should be noted that my title of Guru is a martial arts ranking earned through Bapak Willem de Thouars and separately from Paul de Thouars (Guru Mudah) and is not a Yoga title.

I thank all my school-brothers in the art and I must also credit my sometimes association with many others over the years, such as Sifu/Guru Philip Gelinas and Guro Dan Inosanto (both with too many titles to list); Sifu Grant Hagiya, Kenpo; Sensei Yutaka Yaguchi, Shotokan; Song Ki Padula, Moo Duk Kwan TKD, Sifu Roger West and Guru Chas Clements; my many training partners, most notably Guru Steve Gartin; and my supportive students of many years.

This is comprised of a set of forms which are intended to provide a bridge between styles. Currently there are four forms, several exercises, a collection of techniques, and a well developed set of principles.

Combinato Satu is a basic form which demonstrates common counters. It covers the upper, high, middle and low body areas both on the inside and outside of the body. It covers overhead and turning counters. It also introduces Palm Waving exercises, which are the foundation of the parry and counter systems in much of the Silat.

Combinato Dua provides a bridge between styles by demonstrating the transition in stances and footwork between various Kun Tao and Silat styles with Hsing Ie and Tai Chi, as well as, integrating handwork from each of these styles. It combines Metal, Earth, Water, Fire and Wood, with the Indonesian Sapu (front sweep) and Songsat (uppercut).

Pukulan Kilat Combinato - combines nine basic short Silat entry methods with long arm Kun Tao animal style. It develops balance and provides a foundation for advanced multi-style kicking integrated with the Pa Kwa and Silat footwork and provides a bridge between Po Kwa Zen and Pencak Silat.

Combinato Sepak presents combined kicking methods from several styles including Tae Kwon Do, Kun Tao, Pencak Silat and Karate. The handwork is primarily derived from the Kun Tao animal styles. Uses the Tiger, Crane, Snake and Mantis.

Basic Principles

The Aesthetic Principle

This philosophical principle is not intended to mean a beauty principle, but an organizational one, governed by the characteristics that distinguish an activity as an Art. This means that information is presented thematically and with variation in harmony. Also it is to distinguish this as a participatory art, i.e., the art is in the doing.

"Two roads diverged in a wood and I -- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." - Robert Frost

The Binary Principle (Yin and Yang)

Covers basic strategies in yielding and opposition as a function of direction.

The Systems Principle

Multiple Interdependant Systems (MIS)

Leverage (Skeletal System)- multiple, interdependent, synchronous levers, circulinear force, centers of rotation, fulcrums and semi-immobilizations.

Damage

The Progressive Principle

governs the succession of movements and development of technique in conjunction with the other principles.

Application Principles

- demonstrates and investigates the identity of dissimilar techniques in their function on the opponents structures.