Hello to All, I have followed Guru Dan Inosanto's Filipino and Silat systems, for some time now. Recently, I learned that he has an 8 DVD set on Silat. The site isn't very informative on what's included in the set. I'm seeking guidance from anyone who may have purchased this set. I have most of his other instructional DVD's on Silat, including his appearances on the De Thouars videos. What I've started to notice, lately, is that some of the newer DVDs are showing "more of the same". In other words, when I had purchased new instructional DVDs on Silat, hoping to find new content, moves, techniques, etc..., it just turned out to be a regurgitation of old stuff. I am very excited about the 8 DVD set, wondering what new techniques I could probably learn, however it costs $300. Basically, I don't want to pay $300 on an instructional DVD set, that presents material I already know. Anyone have this set? If so, is it worth getting, if you're not a newbie?
Man, that's taking a supplement very seriously if you're willing to fork out $300 for DVDs. Just train bro!
I agree. On top of that, it's not like the material I already know is outdated or useless. It isn't. I feel like I've reached a point where i want to know more. I'm short on time and there aren't too many places that teach the system. So I rely on instructional DVD's, when the actual resource/school isn't available nearby. Thanks Chadderz.
Hmmm i never got to learn through DVD's, was always lucky to have good quality Silat nearby. I do understand from people that went to some his seminars recently, that it can be a bit of a deception (apart offcourse for the honour of meeting a famous and skilled martial artist like Dan Inosanto). The problem i heard is that you get to see soo many different techniques and only practice them for a couple of minutes before you move on to the next technique. At the end of the day you might end up with small bits and pieces of what he did. So in that way a DVD can be valuable since it gives you the opportunity to check the techniques frame by frame from different angles. Still not my cup of tea.
I don't regard that as a deception, though it's definitely been my experience of Guro Dan's seminars that he's throwing out a ton of information at you. He's like a water sprinkler. You, as a single patch of lawn, aren't getting all the water. You're getting enough to grow. I don't believe in seminars for learning anyway. Inspiration, yes. Exposure to new material, yes. Motivation, sure. But not actual learning. Most of us need to repeat one skill many times to internalize it. But a seminar is a poor format for one teacher to oversee that. We, as the audience, want variety. And he, as the teacher, can't possible effectively coach 80+ people at a time.
Which is why having twenty, thirty, forty or more participants is really to much. The best seminars or intensives are usually with a very small group. That way people can learn, have personal attention and grow as martial practitioner's. Having said the above I have always enjoyed Guro Dan Inosanto seminar even if they are crowded and he goes fast. Still a treat but as ApOweyn said definitely hard to learn from them particularly if you are a beginner or at an intermediate level. Even better I would advise people to go to his school and train for a longer period of time!
Watching a DVD can be educating but you will never get the " feel" of a technique. On the other hand, paying $300,- for a set of DVD's is preposterous, even if they are from Mr. Inosanto. I must admit I always had my teachers nearby, so I am kind of spoiled. Is there really not anyone you can train Silat with in the vicinity? I do not know where you are based and what exactly you are looking for in a style, but I can imagine there is more available then just the material from Mr. Inosanto and pak Willem de Thouars legacy...
I sell a two DVD set on Breakaway Training that sells for £195 (so that's about $325) - and it's worth it - well I would say that What I'm getting at is that information on DVD is meaningless to some people and very useful to others, it depends on: - How good the content is. - How good the teaching method is. - How good the editing is. - If the viewer is a visual/auditory learner... more difficult for kinesthetic learners. So, re the OP - If you like Guru Dan and can afford the money, then it's OK, if you can't afford the money, then don't and don't worry, other opportunities will come along...
If you live in America or England the odds of finding a silat school, or better....a good silat school are relatively small. Silat still is a relatively small martial art in numbers of practitioners. What i noticed is that a LOT of people practicing silat in other countries always link it to JKD or Kali, and that is mainly because of Dan Inosanto. A lot of people also talk about incorporating one or more silat techniques in their JKD. Like using the besets and sapu, whilst practicing JKD. To me silat is all, it's a complete system, unarmed, armed, ground play, way of hitting, way of kicking, locking, sweeping etc. Dan Inosanto is a filipino martial arts guy so undoubtedly his silat is very much influenced with his kali/jkd background.
Guro Dan practices Pentjak Silat Serak IIR....he tends to keep the arts as separate as he can when practicing, but the man has so much knowledge there is inevitable spill over [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcNgAf_mU6M"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcNgAf_mU6M[/ame] Different energy, but essentially the same vibe as GM Willem de Thours [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ehq7_GN6iM"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ehq7_GN6iM[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwOuh_p5r7o"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwOuh_p5r7o[/ame]
And to complement Taoizt: be careful what school you contact. Due to the limited offer, there is a kind of monopoly emerged in the U.S. major Silat - organizations that claim the exclusive right, but actually are qualitatively very skinny. In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king, shall we say ...Choose a school that is not screaming from the rooftops about its amazing background, authenticity, and oh so deadly techniques. Good silat schools are usually difficult to find, due to their modesty in self-profiling.
I believe he also did a lot of Mande Muda. I mean does this look Filipino? [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVvnr9BcLdE"]Madjapahit Silat - Inosanto Student - YouTube[/ame]
Well Dan Inosanto is probably showing his Maphilindo here since this surely is not Serak we are seeing here.... Some of it looks suspiciously like Muay Thai influence (Ajarn Chai influence?), but there is a small chance it's northern-malaysian silat influence. Although Dan Inosanto did practice with the late Pendekar Paul de Thouars and his younger brother, his silat is very much influenced, which is by the way not necessarily good or bad, the guy is skilled! The Thouars brothers made a big impact on Silat in USA, as well as Herman Suwanda. Paul de Thouars is in my opinion the most skilled of the Thouars brothers, but even he made no secret that he adopted his initial indonesian style of Serak , which was closed door, to make it more public and easy to learn and developed Bukti Negara. Sadly with that also the way of moving in a more 'silat' way also might get lost. One example: [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7CpiKL--5Y"]Silat Concepts - Joseph Simonet (A Brief History) - YouTube[/ame] The guy probably knows how to fight, i'm not debating that, but the movements are getting further removed from it's original serak source. And to be honest, i would not even classify this silat as Serak. Anyway to get back on topic, Dan Inosanto is a skilled martial artist with plenty of experience in Silat. He made a hybrid art out of it, if you prefer to train that, go for it, and yes. Having direct instruction from a good teacher helps you get the correct 'feeling' of the techniques and the subtleties in the movement which you cannot see on film.
I find it interesting that, in some conversations, everything is silat. But in others, a man with clear silat lineage is being questioned. Not offensive. Not irritating. Just interesting. Maybe with a side of ironic.
I'm not questioning his skills not at all, but Dan Inosanto was mentioned as being a silat serak practitioner, which he indeed is, and then a movie was shown of his, which obviously is Not serak, I'm 100% positive about that. It is probably maphilindo as I mentioned which is a mix of Malaysian, philippino, Indonesian and perhaps some thai boxing in it. That's all, he is great at what he does. More specific, the checking of the kick with a kick is not, I repeat not, a strategy of serak. Is it silat? not sure, might be. Perhaps some people with knowledge of mande Muda recognize it?
