Pukulan Pak Flohr
Besides the various Serak styles which are taught in the NKI (Naga Kuning Institute), the Pukulan from Pak Flohr (or Pukulan Pak Flohr Cabang Serak) is the second major lineage represented within the organization.
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Pak Flohr training in Indonesia
Pak (or Bapak/Paatje) Flohr was the man behind the first style that the founder of the NKI, Walter van den Broeke learned and the most influential and inspiring teacher that formed his approach to Silat and Pukulan.
Pak Flohr started his training at the age of nine, learning several Silat styles which involved conditioning of shins and knuckles training with weights on his legs, before he met his teacher Mohammad Hoesin at the age of seventeen from which he learned the style of Pukulan in Surabaya (East Java).
Since Bapak Hoesin was from Madura later Pak Flohr called his style Pukulan Madura, but there was no distinct name at the time when the young Pak Flohr was training, it was just “Pukulan” (to hit with punches).
After an interruption in his training due to the Japanese invasion of Indonesia, he continued his studies under M. Hoesin until his final “grading” (the task of delivering a letter to a nearby village, while his teacher had in secret asked eight different Silat practitioners to attack him on the way – Pak Flohr defeated them all).
A unique way of Teaching
Pak Flohr’s teaching was individually tailored to each of his students, depending on the personal level, experience, Martial Art background, interest, character, trust and training intent of the student.
Pak Flohr emphasized a rather direct approach in his fighting style, as Walter said: “Pak Flohr, did not like fighting – he liked winning.”
Martial Art Acknowledgments
After moving to the Netherlands, where he started teaching in 1962 he got recognized by the Dutch Silat (and budo) community, becoming Technical director (examiner) of the International Pencak Silat Federation “Pakubuwana” (seventh dan), chief technical advisor in jiu-jitsu and karate, and technical advisor for the World Ju-Jitsu Federation in the Netherlands.
Additionally, he was recognized by the P.C.I.F.S.I., an Indonesian organization in budo/martial arts.
Pak Flohr connections with the Serak
He changed the style to make it more accessible for teaching in larger groups and schools (being called Pencak Silat Pukulan Pecutan) and even though there is no official link in the lineage of Pak Flohr’s Pukulan and the Serak from the de Vries family, there are similarities that might indicate a connection between the styles (for example the use of a platform with identical layout to train langkah).
It might be possible that Pak Flohr’s teacher M. Hoesin traced his lineage to an Abah Hassin who might be the same person as Elijah Haboen Hasin (Pak Serak). However, due to the lack of certain evidence this remains speculation.
The variation of Pak Flohr’s Pukulan taught in the NKI has the suffix “Cabang Serak” (originating from Serak) as a reference to Walter’s connection to this style.
This addition was endorsed by Oom Dolf de Vries in his role as Kepala Aliran Pukulan Pak Serak (Chief Officer of the Pukulan Pak Serak style).
Carsten Spannagel
NKI Assistant Group Leader – Oslo (Norway)
