SERA
Sera is a system from the Bogor/ Depok area of Java that combines the style of Cimande with the Sumatran system of Sabandar, and was created and taught by Bapak Sera during the 1800's. Pak Sera was believed to be either a direct student of Embah Kahir or a student of one of his sons. Sera has spread to the U.S. in various forms. The streams found in PCK Silat include:
1. Sera Kombinasi: This Sera lineage had a very strong influence on our art and it's principles.The Sera from the Mas Jud lineage was passed to Guru Besar Jerry Jacobs from William Sanders over many years. Mas Jud was a student H. Miftah a direct student of Pak Sera. He was a practitioner of Cimande, Sera and Cikalong as well as his own family Snake system of Silat. He created his own unique blend of Silat from these sources and passed his knowledge on to a few key people that have influenced our Lineage. The first is Master Willy Wetzel. Willy Wetzel was a Dutch-Indonesian who studied under Mas Jud and went on to teach his art under the name Pukulan Tjimimdie, making his way eventually to the Pennsylvania in 1956. This art combines the principles of Cimande, Sera and Cikalong, along with the 5 animal styles of Monkey, Tiger, Snake and Crane. The fifth animal is the Naga or Dragon and this is considered to be a culmination of all of the animals. The style of movement and striking that is used in PCK Silat is most heavily influenced by this Lineage.
2. Sera (Panglipur): The other Lineage to influence PCK Silat though Sera is from Cecep Rahman from the De Vries. Cecep trained extensively with the De Vries who also share a direct lines back to Mas Jud. Kang Cecep's Sera training in Pencak Silat Panglipur includes many Lineages of Sera that are all linked to Pak Sera, but it is the style of training from the De Vries that really encapsulated the combative fighting spirit that old Sera was known for and that we sought out in PCK Silat. We teach Kang Cecep's modified version of the Panglipur Sera, supercharged with the energy of the Mas Jud Sera lineage
3. Sera (Pasundan Pencak Silat): Guru Ismail Sujadi has also begun sharing some of the Sera from his family system of Pasundan Pencak Silat. We look forward to learning much more.