Paatje Carel Faulhaber

Paatje¹ Faulhaber was born on 2 November, 1923 in Semarang, Central Java. While growing up, he learned a form of Kuntao Matjan² or Tiger-style Kuntao, from a one-eyed Chinese master. Faulhaber would go to this old master each day after school for his lessons, although he was a sometimes over-enthusiastic student and 'played hookey', skipping school, in order to slip away and train with his Guru and fellow students during the day. He also attributed much of his knowledge to an unidentified Dukun or traditional Indonesian spiritualist/healer. In 1954, Paatje Faulhaber left Indonesia for Holland, settling in Renkum where he served in the Dutch army as a regular soldier. In 1959/60, Paatje Faulhaber began teaching his Kuntao Macan outside his immediate family, choosing as his students the so-called 'Ring of Five', consisting of his eldest son Robert Faulhaber, Richard Kudding, Max Bax, and Eduard Lammerts van Bueren. In 1963, the fifth member, Theo Verschuur, met the other four and began training under Paatje Faulhaber. Paatje Faulhaber passed away from cancer in 1974, aged 50.

Airbornweg 8, Renkum, December 1973 (L-R): Andre de Roode, Rob Faulhaber, Arnold Faulhaber, Max 'Jimmy' Bax, Maurits de Gijzel,, Hartati Faulhaber, Carel Faulhaber, Pim Miog.