What is Pencak Silat Serak?

Pencak Silat is the name given to the indigenous martial arts of Indonesia. There are hundreds of styles from the groundfighting Harimau system of Sumatra to the Hindu styles of Bali. Sera or Serak, named after its founder, is from the Western part of the island of Java. It is a comprehensive system emphasizing infighting, sophisticated footwork and deception. It has much in common with other West Javanese silat systems such as Cimande.

It is widely accepted that Serak, along with much West Javanese Silat, has been strongly influenced by the old, influential Cimande styles. Some educated practitioners say that they can see traces of Cibandar, Ciular, and Cikalong in the system. While we are not educated in these traditions and can not verify it, we would not be surprised. There has been wide cross-pollination and exchange of information among the Silat styles of Western Java. Or at least a lot of fights between West Javanese Silat players. It would be shocking if evidence of this were not in one of the younger styles from that region.

Where Can I See Serak?

The Indonesian martial arts have never been very common in North America. Serak is somewhat easier to find in this country than most. The de Thoaurs family who brought the art to the US can be contacted on the Web. This site is dedicated to Guru Stevan Plinck, one of the students in that lineage.