KunTao Silat
拳道
KunTao Silat is a rare and powerful hybrid martial art born of the interplay between the indigenous Pentjak Silat styles of Indonesia with the KunTao arts brought to the archipelago by Chinese immigrants over the centuries. More than merely a sum of its parts, KunTao Silat draws upon the accumulated wisdom of centuries of conflict in one of the most ancient, diverse, and contested regions in the world.
A zero range fighting system, KunTao Silat recognizes the reality of predatory ambush and addresses the use of weapons in close quarters.
KunTao Silat was codified and named in the late 1970s to early 1980s by the Kun Lun Pai, the original group of students who studied under the De Thouars family that brought both Silat and KunTao from Indonesia to the United States. Senior most in this martial brotherhood was Steve Gartin, who represented KunTao Silat in full contact challenges and re-proved its merit to the American martial arts community.
As a result of his dedication and prowess, Steve was honored as a Lineage Disciple and given the personalized art of Malabar KunTao Silat to carry into the future. In the early 2000s, Steve recognized that the vigorous fundamentals of the Malabar art provided a barrier to people who would benefit from martial arts study but possessed physical limitations. As a result, Steve created a second branch of the curriculum geared towards these individuals which drew upon his studies with Grandmaster U Un Surya, a master of “Internal” Maenpo KunTao who had come to America alongside the De Thouars. Steve’s goal was to create a holistic Martial Lifestyle which, through Daily Constant Practice, enhances not only the practitioner’s fighting ability but also their physical and spiritual vitality.
Working tirelessly for decades to share KunTao Silat with others, Steve pioneered the use of Distance Learning via video and online courses. Although he is recognized as a Pendekar, or Master, he prefers the simple title of “Pak” (“Dad”).
In March of 2022, Pendekar Steve Gartin named Dr. Jonathan Pyndus as Keeper of the Lineage, entrusted to continue sharing KunTao Silat with the next generation.
If you are interested in studying KunTao Silat, please contact Dr. Jon.
Jon with Pendekar Steve Gartin