Fighting Forms title

Review by Bobbe Edmonds
March 9, 2009

Bob Orlando Sets the Tone

The Southeast Asian martial arts are growing in popularity, and to be honest, I  figured it would sooner or later.  This stuff is far too cool to keep a secret for long, try as some people might (and some people do indeed try mighty hard.)

I  like Bob Orlando's material a lot, he has the kind of analytical mind for martial arts that I  aspire to.  There isn't a single publication or DVD he has produced that doesn't speak to both the advanced and beginner student, and I  own them all.

The first video, "Indonesian Fighting Fundamentals" and it's companion book were the best resources of Indonesian Silat and Kuntao since Dreager's "Weapons and Fighting Arts of Indonesia", particularly since they tackled such a broad spectrum of principles and applications in them.  The book was (and still is) a bit pricey, but if you are a serious practitioner of the Archipelago arts, this book is a must-have.

As if to make up for the Prada price tag of his first book, Orlando's second work, "Martial Arts America" was a third of the price, and worth at least twice as much.  Martial Arts America is an easy read for a book that tackles the level of controversy Orlando seems attracted to like a prison parolee in a JC Penny's women's underwear section.  Still, although he pulls no punches, Bob is never in-your-face blunt, and usually softens his hard-hitting points with alternative views and the occasional "perhaps".  To the average martial arts instructor, most of Orlando's material comes across as heretical or insulting, but that's only because he addresses many of the points that the conventional martial arts teacher believes are either taboo or simply not to be discussed.  Lawrence Kane's "Martial Arts Instruction" takes a dim view to Orlando's points about forms, but he's less abrasive in his Amazon.com comments.  (I'll post a review of his book later, I'm still digesting it.)

I  have seen many posts denigrating his thoughtful and intelligently phrased questions, or dismissively waving them aside as if such thoughts weren't worthy of the dignity of a retort.  Write that one down as "Mistake #1", because the intelligent practitioner of today, armed with youtube, websites and podcasts is far more informed and inquisitive than in the 1980's.  You can no longer tell your students "When in doubt, fake it", and get away with it, a dues-paying adult with a full time job and a family to support won't stand for such nonsense.  (Call me, Larry.  We'll get some coffee and talk.)

Orlando's videos are, simply put, worth their weight in gold.  Luckily, DVDs don't weigh very much, or we wouldn't be able to afford them.  There is no style, instructor, or student on the face of this planet that can't benefit and learn from Bob Orlando's DVD's.  Any of his DVD's.  Seriously, pick one.  You'll find yourself drawn to the presentation of the material and the analysis of the technique, no matter if it's something you do every day or have never seen before in your life.  I  personally recommend the Langkah videos, they are the cream of the crop, so far.  I  have gotten tons of ideas on how to classify and arrange my own curriculum into a more understandable manner.

I  just got his latest, Fighting Forms of Kuntao-Silat.  Right out of the gate, let me say that I  am not the world's biggest fan on solo exercises.  I  don't hold with the Bruce Lee-esque, "Forms are useless" camp, nor do I  subscribe to the Funakoshi-like "Everything can be found in Kata" school of thought.  I  do teach Jurus (Indonesian forms) but they are closer to the end of my curriculum than the beginning.  I'll post my own views of forms in a more in-depth article later, but for now, let me say that me and forms are not the closest of friends.

Bob has devised two forms that cover a broad spectrum in the Archipelago arts, and his motions and order of technique are very comprehendible and attainable for mere mortals to achieve.  No "monkey-climbs-the-slippery-tree" or aerodynamic dogfighting you see in many of the more classical forms.  This is important, because you could spend a large amount of your training time working a technique that serves no practical function unless you are a yoga master or a goddam contortionist.

As to the form itself, I  would say it serves the purpose.  It's not outstanding, nor is it mediocre, but watching the entire set several times in one sitting, I  can see that Orlando has taken the "warehouse" approach to training: Pack it in as efficiently as you can, and don't leave any glaring edges sticking out.  The form itself isn't anything revolutionary or groundbreaking, indeed, I  have seen much of it in smaller doses from various Pencak Silat styles I  have trained.  Having said that, it's just as useful and correct as anything I  have seen in Indonesia or Malaysia.

The interpretation, on the other hand, is far and away some of the best demonstrations of pure Kuntao and Pencak Silat you will find on video today.  Bob Orlando knows his stuff, and is willing to give it to you with no nonsense or mystical oogah-boogah.  This point alone makes him stand out from the typical martial arts DVD crowd like a circus freak at a child's birthday party, but where he really shines is the rationale behind the moves.  Bob interlaces his physical demonstrations with a technical lesson thats difficult to ignore.  He points out various possibilities and directions you can take a move, and intelligent discourse behind his reasoning for doing it the way he does.  It's the kind of DVD you continue thinking about for hours after you turn off the TV.

At $80.00, this two-DVD set is a touch on the pricey side, and the footwork DVD's will set you back $160.00 for the entire set.  (Luckily, you can order them one at a time).  However, you get SERIOUS payoff out of these videos, Fighting Forms itself is THREE HOURS LONG, and packed to the gills with solid training.  The footwork videos are wellover 5 hours long, and an absolute must for practitioners of any style.  In this world of "you get what you pay for", Bob Orlando gives you every penny's worth, with interest.

There are hundreds of videos on Silat and Kuntao out there, with more coming out every month.  It's easy to spend a lot of money on something that wasn't worth the box it came in.  However, if you are looking for some serious insight into the Indonesian martial arts, Bob Orlando's "Fighting Footwork of Kuntao and Silat" and "Fighting Forms of Kuntao-Silat" are the perfect place to start.

 
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Last update:  Aug. 6, 2016
by Bob Orlando
Web Site of Bob Orlando: Instructor in Kuntao-Silat (Chinese kuntao and Dutch-Indonesian pukulan pentjak silat), author of two popular martial art books: "Indonesian Fighting Fundamentals" and "Martial Arts America: A Western Approach to Eastern Arts"; and producer of four martial art videos: Fighting Arts of Indonesia, Reflex Action, Fighting Footwork of Kuntao and Silat, Fighting Forms of Kuntao-Silat. Offering practical martial arts instruction to adults living in and throughout the Denver metropolitan area including, Lakewood, Littleton, Morrison, and Golden Colorado.