On June 3, 2002 the International Pencak Silat Federation (Persekutuan Pencak Silat Antarabangsa or PERSILAT) in Jakarta, Indonesia, officially recognized Kuntao Matjan as an authentic Indonesian martial art, as Pencak Silat Kuntao Matjan.
Pencak Silat Kuntao Matjan is the first system in North America from the post-revolutionary Dutch-Indonesian diaspora to be formally acknowledged by Jakarta, and only the second in the world (the first was Pukulan Betawi, an amalgamated system developed by a group of 'Dutch-Indo' emigres in Holland). Kuntao Matjan is also only the second system with a hybrid Chinese-Indonesian foundation to be accepted by Jakarta, the first being Pencak Silat Bangau Putih, or White Crane Silat, based in Bandung, West Java. Pencak Silat Kuntao Matjan is headquartered at the Flying Dragon Institute in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Informal discussions with representatives of PERSILAT national sub-federations in Singapore and the UK began in 1999 and 2000. Paatje Kudding entered formal discussions with PERSILAT via the auspices of Pak Aidinal Al Rashid, President of the UK Pencak Silat Federation, in October 2000. On the strength of these discussions, and Pak Aidinal's representations to Jakarta on our behalf, PSKM was informed that the 'door was open' to its membership and invited in February 2001 to submit documentation on its history, membership and activities. The Perguruan history and information pack was submitted to PERSILAT in March of 2001, and after a verbal assurance that the application was approved in April 2002, the final confirmation of that recognition was issued on 3 June.
In addition to recognizing PSKM as an authentic Indonesian martial art, PERSILAT has invited the system's Guru Besar Paatje Richard Kudding to establish a Canadian Pencak Silat Federation. The Federation, to be called PERKASA (for Persatuan Kanada Pencak Silat) will serve to promote traditional Indonesian martial arts training, competition and cultural events under the authority of PERSILAT, and in accordaince to PERSILAT regulations and procedures.
To learn more about PERKASA, go here.
