Why Practice Serak If You Already Practice Bukti Negara?
Today, we’ll address a question that is often misunderstood or misinterpreted, either because nothing has been documented and written about it until now, or because to truly understand, appreciate, and value a concept, you first need to be well-acquainted with the various options.
If you’re not familiar with Serak and Bukti Negara, here are some links to articles that detail these Martial Arts and their evolution over time.
First, a necessary disclaimer:
There are dozens of flavors and versions of Sera(k) and Bukti Negara, and the ones I’m discussing are those passed down to us by our teachers, Oom Dolf de Vries, Oom Harry James de Vries, Oom Maurice de Thouars, and Oom Paul de Thouars, to us and our teacher Walter van den Broeke.
The Bukti Negara we teach can be seen on our YouTube channel, which represents the union of the de Vries and de Thouars families. As always, we speak only about what we practice, not about other schools.
Here you can find out who these teachers were, in which years they lived, and their family connections, if you want to delve deeper.
Table of Content
Serak and Bukti Negara: Two Connected Arts
After these preambles, we can return to the title of the article: Why practice Serak if you already practice Bukti Negara?
The idea for this article comes from a question I was asked during a workshop held for our Bukti Negara Study Group in Modena.
I was discussing the didactic structure of our teaching program and explaining the origins of exercises like Pukul Drills and Sepak Drills, as well as the origins of the Bukti Negara Jurus and their connection to Serak.
The question then arose spontaneously from Paolo Ciriesi, one of the group leaders of the Naga Kuning Training Group in Modena (Italy).
Paolo is a practitioner and teacher of various martial arts with extensive and in-depth experience, accustomed to studying different teaching programs and seeing their connections to integrate them as effectively as possible.
“So why practice Serak if you already practice Bukti Negara?”
Well… Great question!
First of all, we cannot teach Serak publicly, nor can we properly promote it to make it known to the world, as we have promised to pass it on as it was taught to us. More about this promise in this article.
So why practice two curricula that have so many similarities?
It’s a question we constantly ask ourselves as the technical board of the Institute. One of the principles we always follow is:
If an exercise is not useful in developing a skill, but is just a combination of others, it doesn’t make sense to include it in the program.
Let alone an entire program like Bukti Negara!
So what does Bukti Negara offer that is DIFFERENT from Serak, and what is the SAME?
First of all, they are NOT two sides of the same coin
Serak and Bukti Negara are NOT two sides of the same coin. Those could be, at most, Pukulan (translation = striking with fists) and Permainan (translation = playing, controlling), which are the two aspects of the art present in Serak (if you want to learn more, I’ll leave you a link to a YouTube video).
I consider Bukti Negara more like the tip of the iceberg—a large iceberg—as the translation of the name itself suggests:
Bukti = evidence, testimony, proof
Negara = country, state
It represents the visible component of what was brought to Europe, and later to America, by the de Vries and de Thouars families in terms of Indonesian culture and knowledge of its martial arts.
So, what’s beneath the surface?
Common principles in Serak and Bukti Negara
Let’s make one thing clear right away: Serak and Bukti Negara follow exactly the same principles — timing, unbalancing, pressure—nothing changes at all.
In application, there is absolutely no difference between the two.
Serak has an EXTREMELY linear structure, typically consisting of:
- Between 18 and 21+ Jurus (solo forms), where each Jurus, as a fundamental, teaches you an evident principle.
- Between 5-7+ Langkah (steps, movements), where each Langkah, as a fundamental, teaches you an evident principle.
That’s it — very simple, as the foundation of an effective system should be.
Then there are dozens of combinations, striking exercises (which we call Pukul or Sepak Drills, and in Indonesia, Jurus Dasar, for example), and paired exercises created by various instructors, simply called “Techniques” or Sambut (as in the case of those created by Oom Paul de Thouars).
All the movements of the 18+ Jurus of Serak are present in the 8 Jurus of Bukti.
Additionally, Oom Paul included, in the Jurus of Bukti Negara, some ground work, which is not present in any Serak Jurus sequence. These were exercises that were separately combined and that Oom Paul decided were important to make Bukti Negara a complete art, including ground fighting.
So, what makes the two arts different?
The Curricula
Bukti Negara was developed from 1985 by Paul de Thouars and later combined with the knowledge of the de Vries family within the Naga Kuning Institute, to create a modern teaching curriculum that meets the needs and pace of a person in the twenty-first century.
The teaching methods of the early 1900s are not easily transferable to today’s world. Explanations were virtually nonexistent, and practitioners had to find their own answers. Often, as explained in the previous article, the connections and explanations were tied to Kejawen.
Today, very few people are willing to train for years with minimal explanations and a strong reliance on their relationship with their instructor.
In this teaching approach, the instructor becomes more of a guide who puts you back on the right path when you stray, rather than someone who gives you the answers you’re looking for.
At most, they will help you ask the RIGHT QUESTIONS.
This kind of work is necessary if you want to gain deep understanding, but it requires commitment, time, and an instructor who works with you one-on-one, who knows you, and with whom you develop a relationship beyond just a martial arts class.
And here comes the Bukti Negara curriculum.
It’s a program that gradually teaches the necessary principles with specific exercises that accompany the Jurus and Langkah.
Different timings, attack distances, entry angles, and work at different heights are some examples of the categories of exercises covered in the program.
Everything is done gradually, allowing the practitioner freedom of expression while providing guidelines that can lead to constant progression.
Are you a Pilot or an Engineer?
So, is Serak necessary if you already practice Bukti Negara?
It depends.
Specifically, it depends on your goal.
If your aim is self-defense and practicing a martial art, you probably won’t need it.
But if you want to understand how and why Oom Paul de Thouars created the Bukti Negara program in 1985 and how this curriculum was later combined with the knowledge of the de Vries family, then yes, practicing Serak will make everything much clearer.
The analogy that comes to mind is this:
Practicing Bukti Negara is like knowing how to drive a car, but if you want to understand how the engineers designed it and why each part is in its place, then you need to practice Serak as well.
But the world is made up of only a few engineers, while the vast majority of people simply drive a car.
Why?
- Not everyone is interested in engineering.
- Becoming an engineer requires time and study.
So, are you passionate about speed, or do you want to know why every bolt is where it is?
Or both?
Stefano Chiappella
NKI Technical Board Member
