The Winds Blow ...

Though I don't spend much time there, now and again I get a note from Silat.TV. The latest pointed me to a couple of proclamations by Willem de Thouars, who refers to himself as "Sir Willem de Thouars," and "The Manggoose of Denver." (sic).

In these posts, Willem, the brother of the late Paul de Thouars, goes on at some length about the state of Sera(k). Aside from really needing to get somebody fluent in English to edit his posts, Willem could also do with a memory refresher, since his previous posts about this subject seem to offer more than a couple of contradictions. 

For years, Willem disclaimed any connection with the family art. Not him, he said, he was Kun Tao Silat de Thouars, got his training elsewhere, wanted nothing to do with Sera(k).  Didn't get along with Paul, nor Victor, and leave him alone.

Now, it turns out, he was actually the first de Thouars to learn the eighteen Sera(k) djurus, at the tender age of ten years, from Uncle Ventje.

Wow. Who knew? 

In his latest ramblings, Willem allows that Paul told him in confidence that he wanted the lineage to go to his son, Marcelino, and so Willem has taken it upon himself to show his support for that: "MARCELINO DE THOUARS IS NOW THE HEAD OF MY BROTHERS SYSTEMS."

I knew there would be a scramble coming for those who wanted to step up and claim the lineage, said so here, and allowed as how Maha Guru Plinck wasn't interested in playing that game. 

Willem's also offers his support of his "adopted serak son," Santiago Dobles, to help his nephew Marce further the arts of Sera(k) and Bukti. I have to say, I'd be surprised if Santiago doesn't step away from this in a hurry; given as how he is running Maha Guru's FaceBook page, and Willem is allowing that "Plinck has nothing to offer ..." and "a big ego."

Neither he (Stevan) nor his students are welcome in Willem's home. Don't call, don't drop 'round.

Aw, gee. Really? Breaks my heart. 

This was put forth, along with several other choice tidbits about how little Plinck, his arrogant students, and Paul's other students know, in a post entitled "No More Support of Stevan Plinck, By the magus of Denver" on June 30th, just past.

It would be funny, if it wasn't so sad. 

Well, actually, it is funny and sad ...

UPDATE: So I reached out to Santiago in an email and asked him about this. Went back and forth. He wanted me to call him, but I said, it's a yes-or-no question: Willem said such-and-such about Guru Plinck -- do you agree? 

He wasn't willing to answer in email. 

Make of that what you will.