Basic Information

Diploma From Guru John Malter

Photo of Guru Malter

He is holding the Cabang in "his" left hand and its design was passed on from Master Wetzel.

Master Wetzel got this design from the students of Mas Jud.

Basic Information

How long did you train with John Malterer and what was the highest rank that you received?

I trained with John Malter from late 1972 until 1983 when I was awarded the title of 7th Degree Red Dragon.

Pendekar Sanders, what made you pick an unusual art like Pencak Silat?

I was looking for a fluid, powerful fighting art, and I liked the movement of some of the Kung Fu that I saw, but I could not find anything that I really liked. I went to see an Indonesian Martial Arts demonstration by Guru John Malter and his students. I liked what I saw, and so I began my training in 1972 in Wheeling, West Virginia. Guru John Malter was a long time student of Master Willy Wetzel.

What can you tell us about Master Willy J.C. Wetzel?

I was told that Master Willy John Christopher Wetzel was born on January 23, 1921 in Loemadjang (Dutch spelling), Java, Indonesia. Jane ( Master Wetzel's daughter) claims that both of his parents were Indonesian.

Master Wetzel trained in West Java and in WWII he was in the Royal Dutch Indonesian Army. In 1949 he moved to Holland and in 1956 he immigrated to Vanport, Pennsylvania.

Master Wetzel had 4 children - 3 sons, Roy, Wim and Jim and one daughter, Jane. Around 1960 he opened a school to the general public in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania and several of his students were John Malter, Barbara Niggel and Bill Dobich.

He died on March 17, 1975 in Beaver Falls.

Did you ever meet Master Wetzel?

No, I never met Master Wetzel, but I saw videos of him and I did considerable research on him through his students and friends.

Of all of the teachers that I have seen in America, I never saw any of them who could move and fight like he could.

His art was much more fluid and complete.

Is Pukulan Cimande Pusaka the synthesis of a Chinese style and Pencak Silat Cimande?

John Malter taught us, as he had been told, that the art was a synthesis of Chinese Kuntao from Oei Kim Boen and Indonesian Pencak Silat Cimande from Mas Djut Bang Solimon.

Please note Oei Kim Boen is not a Chinese name and Mas Djut Bang Solimon is probably not a complete name. They supposedly called their art Pukulan Cimandie, (Dutch spelling Poekoelan Tjimindie). Later when I spoke to many people, including Guru Wetzel's sons, I was told the story was a fairy tale. Roy Wetzel's exact words to me were, "You did not believe that fairy tale did you?"

I also visited Mr. Vanderlee, a man who had spent years with Guru Wetzel both in Indonesia and in a Japanese prison camp. Guru Wetzel had offered to teach Mr. Vanderlee his art and I was told this man had achieved a very high proficiency before he became sick. He laughed at me when I asked about the Chinese portion. He said, "No way! Willy only learned and taught pure Pencak Silat." I can only guess the rest. I believe this story served as a marketing strategy to attract students to take a look at what he had. Chinese Kung Fu was very popular during this time and virtually no one had any idea what Pencak Silat was.

This is based on interviews that I conducted with people in America who had visited with Guru Wetzel. To further illustrate the point Oei Kim Boen did not live in the same time period as Mas Djut by many dates that I have seen. Furthermore the Indonesians do not get along well with the Chinese.

Pendekar Jafri and I did extensive investigations in West Java. We concluded there was no record of these two men collaborating on an art. Let there be no mistake Guru Wetzel's art was 100 percent deadly Silat. His art was a superior combat system, and if you saw it you wanted it. There was no other Pencak Silat teacher that I witnessed that had the fascinatingly deadly manner of movement that Master Wetzel brought to America.

Can you explain the various spellings of Cimande?

Barbara Niggel teaches in Cape Cod, in Orleans, Massachusetts and her art is named Poekoelan Tjimindie Tulen.

John Malter teaches in Ohio and his art is called Poekoelan Chuan-Fa Tjimindie.