Paul Vunak/PFS/DEFCON.

[arnisador]

Does anyone know what the story is with Paul Vunak's new DEFCON program? What exactly will it entail? Is it just a new marketing program, or a real shift in philosophy? Details here (http://www.fighting.net/main.php):



DEFCON is the newest training curriculum within the PFS philosophy. What is the reason we study Martial Arts in the year 2006? Our personal answer first and foremost, is the protection of our loved ones and ourselves. Without that there would be just hypocrisy, there is obviously more benefits beyond the physical door that venture into the emotional and the spiritual. However, for pragmatic purposes we will stay purely in the physical plane. In order to affectively protect our family in this day and age, we must approach self defense with a military paradigm. What is the thirty thousand foot view? We must start with the big picture if you will. By the time you finish looking at this web site, there will be approximately (depending on how fast you read), sixteen children abducted, twenty-two murdered, forty-five women raped, thirty-six car jackings, fifty-nine house break-ins and one hundred violent assaults. Now let us share with you the next amazing fact: Learning how to stop a jab or defend and arm bar or practicing block techniques, working stances or practicing Kata will do you as much good in protecting your family from the aforementioned scenario’s as ping pong. Without the big picture first, these sport related technical and specific moves are useless. What is the big picture? Well first and foremost we must identify the enemy. What are the most common types of terrorist attacks on the average family? The answer isn’t one but is found to be held within five different types of attacks. Our objective with DEFCON is not only to identify but strategize together. We want to give you a simple game plan for each scenario and then with that accomplished - the rest of your Martial Arts training will kick in. Conversely, without that, the most accomplished martial artist couldn’t even get to first base. These “game plans” we call Defensive Conditions. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING of a new PFS.........more to follow soon.





PFS / DEFCON integrates a combination of the best, and effective techniques found in the four most effective disciplines known, specifically: Jeet Kune Do, Kickboxing, "No Gi" Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Filipino Kali - to provide you with the most efficient and effective self defense system for today's world.

[Brian R. VanCise]

Sounds like a new marketing ploy! However, I am willing to
reserve passing judgement until I see some of the material.

Brian R. VanCise
www.instinctiveresponsetraining.com (http://www.instinctiveresponsetraining.com)

[arnisador]

A new marketing scheme is exactly my guess, but I am curious to hear exactly what it is that he's up to with it. I think most of his stuff has been good material, albeit over-hyped.

[arnisador]

The current issue of the U.K. martial arts magazine Combat (which I found at a Hastings bookstore here in NM) has a regular feature called "The Filipino Way" by Keith Gilliland. In this issue (Jan. 2006, Vol. 32 No. 1) it features a terse two-page (three columns) overview of Paul Vunak's appraoch to Kali. I didn't learn much, but then, I have been studying under one of Mr. Vunak's instructors.

[arnisador]

I don't see the DEFCON stuff up there any more...did he abandon this project?

[ajs1976]

There is an article about DEFCON in the current issue of Black Belt (Chuck Norris on the cover). It does show some techniques, but the focus seems to be more on certain situations: Sexual Assult, Home Invasion, Kidnapping, Car Jacking, and a fifth one that I can't remember right now. There is discussion on each situation and how to recognize a potention situation, how to aviod it, and finally recommendations on how to handle it when it occurs. It is only a couple of pages, so there are not a lot of details.

I wonder about some of the statistics used in the article. I think it mentioned something like 1,000,000 home invasions and 50,000 kidnappings per year. Those numbers just seem really high to me.

[arnisador]

I'll look for the article...thanks for the lead! Is this what is now being referred to as Executive PFS on his web site? I don't see the DEFCON info. any more (by that name), but the same descriptive text is still there.

[ajs1976]

Not sure about the PFS connection, I will reread the article when I get a chance.

[ajs1976]

I skimmed through the article and did not see any mention of PFS. It did mention RATs (Rapid Assault Tactics) a couple of times.

I think the first quote you posted is acutally the beginning of the article.

The DEFCONS sound like examples of SD scenerio training.

Just so you know, this article is in the July issue.

[monkey]

I know Paul can fight as his skills been tested in many bars.I know Paul had a few special force people train with him.I also know he had Pvs. then whent the Street with Police cars footage & he had others but 1 comon thred remains.Ive seen his wood dummy-knife-stick-seminars-students seminars as they branch off.No matter what it was called the same Head butt -knees & elbows are deployed,He dose it well-(but as a student under Bruce Lee )We never did Head butt-Knees & elbows.Its not scientificly possable to deploy with non telegraghic motion-nor is it deployable with scientific defence.Our motions were based on Epie(head to toe fencing-Western boxing for hook,jab,cross,backfist,upper cut-Wing chun traps & terms such as tan sau & lap sau & the rest for evolution.We cant evolve it we repeat the same set pattern or sequences just a new name wont change it.Example-If you have a bed of roses & I plant a daisy-tulips-beans-lettus it is no longer a bed of roses.Bruce stated If Jkd is the art you rep. lets say it is (y) then you must represent & be y & if the other style you do is x to do x & call it y with out the representaion of y you lost all that is,but if youmix x & y and still call it x then the representation of x is adhere to but no longer is it x.!Mind you ,you must train ever part of you body if you are to do combat.

[arnisador]

No matter what it was called the same Head butt -knees & elbows are deployed,He dose it well-(but as a student under Bruce Lee )We never did Head butt-Knees & elbows.Its not scientificly possable to deploy with non telegraghic motion-nor is it deployable with scientific defence.

Where I study PFS there is a very strong emphasis on the HKE approach, but only after entering to that range and gaining the clinch. It seems to work to me!

[monkey]

Like i said Paul can fight.Im not putting him down.As a student under James Lee & Bruce Lee for 2 years.We never did Head butt-knees--Elbows.Its not scietificly sound to deploy with Non - telegraphic motion.There is no simplicity or the context of no way as way.Sure it works.That dosent make it Police-or Street- Or Kali- or any other of the seminar or comercal titles its labled.Im just saying I see on every tape H-K & E.You think for the panajockmen he would teach differant.Its still H-K-& E.

[arnisador]

It is very strongly emphasized. Because it's done after clinching, though, it seems effective to me. We always have at least one hand grabbing the neck at the time.

When we do pananjakman, it's basic boxing--jabs, crosses.

[monkey]

If youd be so kind to let me quote from my teacher Bruce Lee-To move to me you must step.This gives me the oprtunity to intercept.I use my longest wepon,(My side kick) to your nearest target(Your knee).In Jkd if it is truely Jkd- we Intercept.We dont have time for the clinch,1-as it offers the opertunity for multi-attackers to advance while you were to fixated on the 1 clinch.My Last seminar I showed how to desolve any attack-even verious multi &( it was all desolved.)If you truely know Jkd there is no trapping.We intercept.Like a missle it destroys the targets.This leave no room for attacks or counters.It must be non-teligraphic-simplistic-scientific & a hint of self exploration for plyable and insubstancual attacks.

[arnisador]

We do hear often about longest weapon to nearest target in PFS, and we practice that. But, the idea is that intercepting allows us to move to trapping range, where the clinch becomes a finishing tool. We practice some Wing Chun style trapping too. The clinch is strongly emphasized--but so are ways to get there, which is where the interfcepting comes in.

I like the system. Whether or not it's true to the JKD heritage, I cannot say!

[monkey]

Paul is great & a great fighter like I sad, it has lineage.Heres any easy way to see JKD & if its other arts.
I give you a glass of water.If i put 4 tablespoons of kool aid -it becomes grape drink.In order to keep it water Yet use the kali-silat thai-ect.
First we look at the proprties of JKD.Scinetific & non telegraphic.
For me to study silat -put on a sorong-do jurus-long kahs-ect.
this is silat.Not 1 part of that is JKD.How ever I can use ulsa the riseing kick-or maybe salag the blocks.I use what I know is to the format of JKD & not hinder it.So like the cool aid.
I have to choose how much can I use with out the water turning color & properties.What is scientificaly sound- non telegraphic- smplistic to deploy- & easy for me to exsplore to my use.Vunak has great ways.I know Bruce would have enjoyed his egor & hard endevors for the art.

[arnisador]

That's a very traditional view! When I see people mix their Tae Kwon Do with some boxing and call it JKD because they have used Bruce Lee's "philosophy" of mixing arts, I think to myself that that isn't really JKD. On the other hand, I think that seeing the art evolve and change is only natural. If nowadays ther's more kali or grappling in some people's expression of the art, that still seems like JKD to me.

I like your emphasis on the interception principle and I see your adherence to the "absorb what is useful" strategy when you say that some things could be taken from silat and such. But, after interception, mustn't one finish the job? Doesn't that require closing? If I intercept with a jamming kick, I may have only stopped my opponent's forward momentum. The PFS solution might be to clinch and use HKE.

[monkey]

Thanks if you want to read a realy good view on what I say Intercepting Fist is !!
Go to" martialtalk" goto "serch" type " interceptin fist." I had to put it tight as they only give so much room.But I think youll enjoy what I saw & might want to print the conversation between me & another.We had fun & great questions asked & aswered.Thanks agian.As my teacher Bruce would say
Dojosai;

[arnisador]

I don't think I know the term dojosai; what does it mean?

[monkey]

Dojosai this is ( i hope i spell it right)

Cantenese & it was used by my Sifu
Bruce Lee
Kind of translate to Thankyou !

[arnisador]

Ah, thanks! Now I know!

[Sheung]

We do hear often about longest weapon to nearest target in PFS, and we practice that. But, the idea is that intercepting allows us to move to trapping range, where the clinch becomes a finishing tool. We practice some Wing Chun style trapping too. The clinch is strongly emphasized--but so are ways to get there, which is where the interfcepting comes in.

I like the system. Whether or not it's true to the JKD heritage, I cannot say!

So longest weapon say a two machette sharp, hidden, and glistening used for interception where is the clinch the trapping range and the clinch comes into this as a finishing tool the only finishing tool is that machette.

So you may know hundreds of ways to get to the clinch the machettes may know one that makes all that too many moves.

[arnisador]

His web page has just been updated and includes disclaimers that he is no longer associated with PFS Video or with DEFCON; it's all Executive PFS now, apparently, and he's quite blunt that it's a marketing move:
http://www.fighting.net/

He's also split with his instructor Bruce Corrigan.

[arnisador]

In the 20 August 2006 NY Times, there is an article (free preview here (http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F3061FFC3E5A0C738EDDA10894DE4044 82)) on people using martial arts DVDs to learn how to fight. They report an anecdote of a 44 year old man using Paul Vunak's tactics, learned from a DVD, to win a bar-fight. Bruce Corrigan is pictured in the article. Don Wasser of PFS Video is quoted as saying that sales of the company's street fighting videos are up 50% in the past 4 years. He states that most of the customers are not martial artists, and that they watch the videos for fight ideas rather than new things to work into training as a martial artist might.


In some ways, the street fighting video industry is set up like the pornography industry. Individual performers work through privately owned distributors for $500 to $1000 a video, which can sell for $19 to $79.

[arnisador]

Here's a link to the actual article that I mentioned above, which also features Jim Arvinitis, Kelly McCann (a.k.a. Jim Grover), and others:
Chicken Soup for the Street Fighter

(http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/20/fashion/20fight.html?ex=1313726400&en=9a1c0964175a58e4&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss)

[arnisador]

Paul Vunak Promo Clip:
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[Joe Hubbard]

Forgive for not first posting in the Meet & Greet section first folks. I saw this thread and felt I had something to share with Monkey:

I find it odd that you claim being one of Bruce’s students, but can’t get the concept of Clinch Range. Jun Fan Kickboxing places emphasis on securing an entry from a long range reference point to enable us to get to “Trapping Range”. Trapping range is the clinch! This is where you finish the guy off- end of. If you can bypass the “tennis match” all together and go straight to trapping range- all the better. Most fights do not start as a kickboxing competition; they are usually instigated from an unsolicited encroachment which is born out of a personal conflict. Many times the bad guy does not have his hands up and if he attacks from this close range, intercepting and going straight to trapping range is anything but telegraphic.

Out

Joe

[arnisador]

Anyone know how this new system is working out for Mr. Vunak? From his website it seems like things are moving along!

[UrBaN]

"“Trapping Range”. Trapping range is the clinch!"

Exactly! I've been saying it for years, this is the 1st time I see it in wrtiting by another person.

[johnmarkpainter]

If you can bypass the “tennis match” all together and go straight to trapping range- all the better.

Unless of course you happen to be really good at "Tennis" :)

I believe that Bruce Lee said something to the effect of "The easiest way to win a fight is to just reach over and knock him out..."

True economy of motion.

jmp