By Wayne Welsh

     Winter 1969, Snowstorm in Denver Colorado.

     A friend came up to me at work and asked if I ever heard of Kung Fu.  (At that time I was a 1st. degree black belt in Chinese Kenpo)  I responded " Yes, how did you hear of it? "  (There was no Kung Fu in Denver back then, so I thought it odd that he had mentioned it.)

     Then he said, " On the way home last night, I stopped to help a man whose car was stuck in the storm and ended up giving him a ride home.  He was really grateful. He said his name was Bill, and asked me if I would like to learn Kung Fu."

     Immediately, I asked where this guy lived, and the very next day went to the house and knocked on the door. Bill came out from around back of the house and said "Hello", so I introduced myself and reiterated what my friend had told me.  I inquired as to what art he practiced and he replied " Indonesian Pentjack Silat ". I was stunned to hear this! About 2 years before, I read an article in Black Belt magazine on this art, which featured Paul deThouars and Rudy ter Linden. This style was extremely rare in the western world.

     This "Bill" I was talking to was Willem de Thouars of the famed de Thouars Silat Family.
     To meet Willem, one would never guess he is a Master of these arts!
His humble manner belies his immense skill. He is totally down to earth in his actions and relations to others. I've noticed this same quality in a few of the really skilled masters over the years.
 
     I invited Willem to dinner and he became hooked on my wife?s fried chicken.
To this day, 30 years later, she sends him fried chicken when I go to visit. After that first dinner, we retired to the back yard for a little martial exchange. I showed him a little Kenpo and asked him to show me a little Silat.

     He brought his hands together in the traditional prayer position and then he EXPLODED into a form and was all over the yard into twisted seated postures, flying into leaping kicks and displaying hand motions that were a visual blur.

     I could not believe my eyes! From that day on, I began to learn from Bill, and we became the closest of friends. I discovered that he did not have anyone to train and work out with, and I introduced him to a few students I had started to teach.

     Shortly after our first meeting he began to show me " Kun Tao " which is a closed-door art and is only recently coming to light. I have seen a number of "blended" Kun Tao styles from the island nations, but Willem is the ONLY Master I have ever met who knows the "Old Chinese Kun Tao", still does the Chinese forms, and is truly an INTERNAL Kun Tao Master.

     Willem is one of those very rare teachers who has maintained students for up to twenty, twenty five or even thirty years, and his students love him like a father. Over the years, he has developed a large and devoted following, and sponsors a yearly "Gathering", which draws his students from all over the world.

     Of all the people Willem has ever taught, I am the most fortunate. He calls me his brother and we have been brothers for many years. I was his first student in America. The best part is... Willem is not only my friend, but after thirty years and a million bruises, Willem is still my teacher.

In Tao

Wayne Welsh