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The teacher is guru besar / pendekar Ph.J.C. Tönjes Glr. Sanjoto (‘Paatje’), who was born in 1928 in Probolinggo, East Java. He is of Madurese origin. In probolinggo it was a custom that the youth participated in training (at that time the words Pencak and Silat did not exist yet). Thus Paatje joined at the age of seven. In those days the play was called Jagotarung (cockfight play).

The Jagotarung is still taught by Paatje, besides the PAMUR and Tjimande. The three schools are not combined however, as the name of the association may imply. They are practiced strictly separated.

In the year 1949 during his service as the interim head of the general police in Tanjungkarang Lampung Selatan (Sumatra), Paatje got acquainted with a teacher of the school Silat Tjimande Tari Kolot Kebon Djeroek Hilir Banten, named Bapak Guru Sarkani. Until his transfer to Bangka (approximately 1956) he dedicated seven years to this art of self defense, along with the other students of Bapak Guru Sarkani. With permission and a lot of support by the head of police of the Lampung districts, Bapak R.M. Djoeki Mangoenredjodidjojo, who gave the name ‘Sanjoto’ to Paatje.

From 1956 until mid 1960 Paatje worked in Bangka (Mentok) as an interim chief of police. From mid 1960 until September 1964 he was employed by the police section 1 in Surabaya, as the head of detection and research criminal services. On the picture above this article you see Ph.J.C. Tönjes Glr. Sanjoto, first inspector of policeforce, Policeforce of the Republik of Indonesia, KEPOLRI, Brawijaja, Surabaya, 1964, before he left Indonesia in order to live in The Netherlands.

Since 1964 Paatje has been living in the Netherlands, because of family reunion. On a regular basis he accompanies his pesilats to Indonesia to show them the important places of the Indonesian history, the Pencak & Silat and his association. On Madura, with the late Raden Hassan Habudin (founder of the PAMUR in 1951) as well as in Jakarta, the pesilats have been trained in the PAMUR every other few years. This way the association keeps up to date with all developments. Additionally there are still connections with the Tjimande Tari Kolot Kebon Djeroek Hilir Banten (see also Travel report).

In the eighties Paatje has founded, together with Guru G. De Groot, the NAPSI (Nederlandse Associatie Pencak Silat Indonesia). Paatje was the chairman of this organisation. In this period Bapak Tönjes also got a diploma Expert Martial Arts which you see below. NAPSI was the only organisation which was recognised by the FOG (Federatie Oosterse Gevechtskunsten / Dutch Federation of Eastern Martial Arts).

In order to get more unity of Pencak Silat practitionars (there were several bonds) IPSI in Indonesia wanted one organisation in the Netherlands. Because the NAPSI was recognised by the FOG, SekGen Bapak Oyong Kharmayuda requested the NAPSI to coninue under a new name, namely: NPSB (Nederlandse Pencak Silat Bond). Pesilats (practitionars of Pencak Silat) who wanted to be registered in a national organisation, joined the NPSB. NPSB obtained a new administrative board. This was one of the aims of Paatje, he wanted young people to rule the board under the auspicious of the Eldest. This goal, however, has not been reached yet by the NPSB.

In the nineties Bapak Tönjes dissociated himself from the NPSB, because he disagreed with the administration and policy of the chairman. In his opinion the policy had nothing to do anymore with the cultural values and the spreading of true Pencak Silat Indonesia.

In 2003 Paatje founded, also with Guru G. De Groot, the ASLI foundation: an interest organization for general style leaders, teachers and instructors (‘Algemene Stijlleiders, Leraren en Instructeurs’) in the Pencak Silat Indonesia, which accentuates and promotes the Indonesian culture in the Pencak Silat with the aim to gather again the splintered Pencak Silat alirans of which the biggest part has already withdrawn from the NPSB.

Bapak Tönjes still has contact with the PERSILAT, the IPSI and he coöperates narrowly with the Indonesian Embassy in The Hague, like 'friends' (mitra in Bahasa Indonesia) and also introduces other Pencak Silat alirans who have a true source in Indonesia to the Embassy. He is also chairman of the Dewan Sesepuh (Council of the Eldest of the Pencak Silat Indonesia).