Pencak Silat Pertempuran: Vol. 1

When I first decided to study Pencak Silat I was lost wading in all the information out there, some good and some not so good. There are a lot of people out there looking to make a buck, so it can be difficult. Most of the material out there just outlines a few applications of Pencak Silat without going into detail about the meat and bones or culture (ie. the djurus). This is not true of Sean's book. The first volume goes over the basics in detail, everything from the strikes to the footwork used in his style. From this book I think a person could view various DVDs on Pencak Silat and understand what is happening a lot easier. Being a former practitioner of Aikido and Jiu Jitsu I found the section on Masukan very interesting. The one criticism I can make about this book is the picture quality and this has already been mentioned. Everything in the book builds on itself, so if you can't make sense of an earlier technique then it could effect your practice later. However, you still must read all of the book to understand the earlier sections (hope that makes sense, lol). I also appreciate Sean's traditional approach as opposed to the MMA mentality I see in most books nowadays (and don't get me wrong I like MMA). The glossary at the end was absolutely brilliant, especially because he shows you how all the words are pronounced. Since Pencak Silat is normally practiced in back alleyways or your garage without the assistance of an Instructor it is nice to know how these terms are properly pronounced. You can also impress friends! I bought all three of Sean's books and greatly look forward to reading the second! The information in the second book is what interests me most.

Unlike a lot of books on systems that aren't well known, this one lists and illustrates the various moves (it doesn't just give random samplings without context). Dodges, strikes, locks, takedown, entries... number 1, 2, 3, 4,... When you get that down, move onto book 2. Color pics would've been nice but I'm sure it would've doubled or tripled the cost.

the books are excellent and combined with the videos do provide a good grounding of the art but are not a substitute for having a live instructor and training partner. Guru Stark gives a great written view of the world of Combat Silat including the history of the art, including the spiritual and mental aspects.

Highly recommend this book for some one interested in expanding their knowledge on the Silat concepts. Full of pictures and great clear description in the text by author.

Great Product, Fast shipment

The book is well-written and includes a lot of background information on Silat in general. Unfortunately, the pictures aren't very clear (poor contrast and resolution) and there are not enough of them for my liking. Many movements (e.g. evasions and entries) are covered with just one or two pictures depicting the starting and end-position, while the bows and greetings are covered with numerous pictures (This is the kind of detail I want to see for every technique!) Most techniques are described adequately, although most could either be shortened a bit as many text patterns repeat for similar / mirrored techniques or filled with more details to make up for the lack of instructive pictures. Often I was unsure if the movement was "correct" and interpolated with my knowledge from FMA and other Silat styles. Nevertheless, the book left me with some new ideas and starting points to play around with and I had fun playing around with the possibilites shown in this book. In spite of it all, the book shows that Combat Silat and its didactics are well thought out. This leaves me uncertain wether I should further invest and buy the DVDs (because the system intrigues me) or not (because the image quality in the book is lacking).

Just wanted to post a quick review on this book. Pencak Silat Pertempuran Vol 1 is an awesome supplement for those training in PSP (Combat Silat), not to mention a great book on Silat. In general the book IMHO seems to be targeted to the PSP practioner, but by all means it also serves as a great study of Pencak Silat in general. The book is well written, well thought out and contains a plethora of pictures demonstratng the movements the author is describing. A real must have for anyone interested in Pencak Silat. I can not wait to own/read/study Volume 2. Great job!

Ive studied Silat for years, and have several books on the subject. I have not yet found anything remotely close to this in terms of content, detail or value. ***If you're at all interested in Pencak Silat this book is a must have.*** It is an invaluable reference guide for practitioners, and a wonderful introductory read for curious seekers...

Trainiere selber schon Jahre lang Kampfsport und wollte mich jetzt ein wenig in die Selbstverteidigung einlesen. Die Bilder sind eindeutig zu wenige.Man kann den vollständigen Bewegungsablauf kaum oder nur schwer erkennen. Meiner Meinung nach fehlt dem " trainer" noch sehr viel Training . Die Bewegungen sehen nicht flüssig aus und von Körperspannung hat er auch noch nicht viel gehört. Werde das hier nochmal aktualisieren wenn ich das Buch durch habe.

Livre intéressant sur une tradition martiale largement méconnue ; malheureusement, l'auteur décompose peu les formes de corps présentées et offre peu de variation et d'enchaînements techniques. Si vous comparez ce livre avec les ouvrages sur le Karate Do ou le Judo, il y a beaucoup moins de matière pour un apprentissage " à la maison ". Ce que je veux dire par là, c'est que dans un manuel de Karate ou Judo, on vous présente toutes les techniques canoniques du style, de la ceinture blanche à la ceinture noire ainsi que des exemples basiques d'enchaînements et d'assauts codifiés. Rien de tel ici, en particulier concernant les méthodes d'entrée dans la garde adverse où vous ne verrez que la photo finale et non la manière de parvenir à ce point. Bref, un livre dont la pédagogie n'est pas au niveau de ce qui se fait ailleur. Reste le fait de présenter un art de combat dans sa forme traditionnelle et non dans une adaptation moderne orientée self defense comme trop souvent avec le Pencak Silat. Une curiosité.

Poor pictures, copies&pastes of terms and technics too much recurrent. Not enough about the silat philosophy. Heavy and not clear. Good point for the definitions of indonesian terms and moves.