History

There are many myths regarding the arts of Serak and Bukti Negara. Many are fanciful or intentional fabrications made up and propagated by dishonorable men who wished to abuse the arts for personal and financial gain. We have only one truth in the history of the art. Paul trained with his uncle John de Vries. Uncle John trained in West Java Indonesia with his teacher Mas Jut. This has been verified to be true by the family in Indonesia. Uncle John was a famous fighter who worked for the Dutch railroad companies as a manager. His teacher was a foreman for the Dutch Rail Road. Mas Jut was a famous teacher who was challenged by Uncle John, Uncle John was defeated in a single fight and became a student of Mas Jut.

After World War II Uncle John returned from Indonesia back to Holland where he began teaching Paul full-time. After four years Paul completed the basic curriculum of Serak. Upon his deathbed in 1970 Uncle John gave Paul the 10 keys, which became the principles which guided Paul's life until the end. Many people believed that they were martial arts secrets but in fact they were philosophical quotes and colloquialisms given to Paul by his teacher to help him understand the nature of people.

Uncle John was a wise man, a martial artist, a philosopher, a gentleman, and a well respected businessman who showed nothing but utmost honor and respect to all. He was called the gentle teacher, known for his sophistication and his ferocity. Paul always said Uncle John had the world's greatest timing. Many stories say that Uncle John would follow a punch with his nose and lead it all the way back without being hit. Uncle John was a man of great stature and skill, confirmed by the family in Indonesia.