Indonesian Fighting Fundamentals: The Brutal Arts Of The Archipelago [Paperback]

Bob Orlando (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1996

The fighting arts of Indonesia, a mix of pentjak silat and Chinese kuntao, were never meant for sport: they are brutal, unrelenting and designed to take the enemy out and punish him every step of the way. This unprecedented book by a long-time student of Dutch-Indonesian Master Willem de Thouars shows you why.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The martial arts of Indonesia were never meant for mere sports exhibition. They are an eclectic mixture of "pentjak silat" and Chinese "kuntao", and arose out of brutal necessity thought a history of violent cultural clashes and oppressive foreign occupation. As such, they are grounded in the reality of what actually works. They are designed not only to take out the enemy, but to overwhelmingly punish him from the first blow to the last. Bob Orlando's Indonesian Fighting Fundamentals gets to the heart of what makes these arts so formidable by placing the movements in context, providing a deeper understanding of their self-defense applications, and by exploring the underlying principles that make them work. Indonesian Fighting Arts is for the serious, defense-driven martial artist making accessible and adoptable the elusive, closely-held fighting styles, techniques and skills of the archipelago. No martial arts reference book collection can be considered complete without the addition of Indonesian Fighting Fundamentals. -- Midwest Book Review

About the Author

Bob Orlando is the founder of Je du-too, a hybrid fighting system that combines elements of Chinese kuntao, Indonesian pentjak silat, Chinese kenpo, kung-fu and the Filipino martial arts. He is also the author of the best-selling books Indonesian Fighting Fundamentals and Martial Arts America and is featured in the video Fighting Arts of Indonesia. For more information on his unique approach to the martial arts, consult his Web site at www.orlandokuntao.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Paladin Press (September 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873648927
• ISBN-13: 978-0873648929
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #933,260 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Overview of Fighting/Movement Concepts, August 17, 2002

By 

"randmeister" (Chillicothe, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Indonesian Fighting Fundamentals: The Brutal Arts Of The Archipelago (Paperback)

Author Bob Orlando has written something which is sadly rare these days: a martial arts book for people who think. If like many, you scan through a book and just look at the pictures, you will probably be unimpressed with the volume of techniques. If,on the other hand, you actually READ this book, you will be presented with material which cannot help but enhance the martial art which you practice. Even if the art you practice already contains these concepts, seeing them presented in such a clear and accessable form can help you to understand the "why" of many techniques, and can assist in applying these concepts to other moves in your system.
I held off on buying this book for years (primarily because of the price), but now I could kick myself for procrastinating. This book is written in a straightforward and reader-friendly style, and the photos are large enough and show enough contrast to clearly demonstrate the ideas represented. I'm kind of stingy with five star ratings, but this book is clearly deserving. If your pursuit of the martial ways is mature enough, I feel that you will truly appreciate Mr. Orlando's book. If, on the other hand, your idea of a good martial arts book is one which tells you how to kick butt like Van Damme (hint: it's just a movie, it's just a movie, it's just a movie...), this book is not for you. If you know any grownups in the arts you might want to buy it for them, though.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The principles are essential, October 19, 2003

By 

Joseph M Burtner (Kennesaw, Georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Indonesian Fighting Fundamentals: The Brutal Arts Of The Archipelago (Paperback)

The title is a little decieving. This book doesn't really profile silat or kuntao. Rather, it is one of the best books on concepts that I've ever read. I'd place it up there with "Tao of Jeet Kune Do". The concepts of gyroscopic rotation, shearing, adhesion, etc. can be applied to any art, given a little imagination. While the reader will learn something on the history of Indonesian martial arts, it is really the underlying principle that recieve the most attention. One won't really learn HOW to do silat or kuntao, but will gain an understanding of WHY the practitioners of such arts do the things they do. There is nothing on weapons, which I thought was strange, and nothing on Kali, which I thought was Indonesian, but that doesn't take away from the fact that this is one of the best books on martial arts principles out there. No matter whether one is looking for asthetics, self-defence, understanding the "arts", or sporting aspects of martial arts, there is something in this book for everyone. I'd recomend it to anyone serious about the martial arts, but those with a more casual attitude towards the arts may not find anything useful here. If I could only have five martial arts books, this would be one of them.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My copy is dog-eared., February 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Indonesian Fighting Fundamentals: The Brutal Arts Of The Archipelago (Paperback)

This is not a book that you read just once. It is a well of information that you will continue to return to again and again. Everytime I read it I come away with new understanding of the depths of martial arts. No matter what style you study, the principles here will help you better understand your own art. Marc Animal MacYoung