'PAK'ING PUNCHES in to PAY-PER-VIEW

With Pentjak Silat Serak® Maha Guru 'Pak' VIC de Thouars

Recently, I paid an unannounced visit to an unassumingly small martial arts studio in Bellflower, California, which is operated by the rather colorful Maha Guru 'Pak' Vic de Thouars.

As a youth in the early years after WWII,de Thouars traveled from Java to Siam (Thailand) to be with his father and his other family members. In Siam his brothers began Silat training with his uncle. In 1946, he and his family had moved to the Netherlands then soon back again to Java. Later, in the summer of 1948, Vic de Thouars began his personal Sera martial arts training.

'Pak' Vic is now best known as a Master of the Indonesian martial art called: Pentjak Silat Serak®. This still fairly exotic fighting system was originated many centuries ago in the islands of Indonesia and then later introduced to the rest of the world only within mere decades past. Since then it has become a highly sought after martial art for many enthusiasts seeking to study more specialized self-defense systems.

After formally introducing myself to Guru de Thouars as a humble student of Sifu Larry Hartsell of the Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do Grappling Association in Los Angeles, and also a writer for American Martial Arts Movement Magazine, I was finally able to persuade him to allow me a precious few moments of his valuable time to sit down and speak with him as he began stretching out his leg muscles in preparation for an upcoming class later that evening. Once seated, I glanced around his studio a bit as we both talked and noticed a video camera was neatly set up in a corner of the room. I asked him if he did a lot of filming and if he was planning on recording that evenings training session.

Then he explained that he’d been airing some of his classes live via the Internet to various studios around the world on sort of a Pay-Per-View program. I found this very interesting and inquired further on the usefulness of this modern technology. He confessed that he felt broadcasting a more convenient option than having to physically travel to so many different locations to teach in person, and it also seemed to him that he could reach out easily to certain students in some the most remote areas of the planet more frequently.

'Pak' Vic had been able to set up these digital cameras and broadcast his training sessions online, while a variety of participating martial arts studios paid him view the lessons using the websites E-Commerce services. Guru de Thouars claimed that he was the first he knew of to utilize web cams over the Internet to achieve real-time class participation in this manner. 'Pak' Vic said that even though his students abroad are now able to train with him more often online, he still encourages them to periodically come and visit him in person to “touch hands”. Pentjak Silat Serak® Maha Guru 'Pak' Vic de Thouars can occasionally be found conducting martial arts training seminars in the Los Angeles area.'Pak' Vic completed a formal seminar this past summer at the world famous Inosanto Academy of Martial Arts in Marina Del Rey, California. Good response was generated by all those who were able to attend that particular event.

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