# Vunak Part 2



## IFAJKD (Nov 5, 2001)

PFS: Could you give us an example of what you mean?
  I think the best way we can go about this is to explain the genesis/evolution of my trapping paradigm.  It all started back at the Kali Academy when I was boxing six days a week, four hours a day.  I thought I had taken my boxing hands extremely high, and that the world revolved around the glove.  Then one day I met and sparred with a guy named Bruce Curry, and his brother Donald.  I was beaten so badly, I was lying there hunched over, and Dan looked at me and asked what the hell was the matter.  I told him this incredible revelation that I had, that no matter how hard I trained or how many hours I boxed, there would always be someone a little bigger whos trained just as hard.  Dan said, Youre right, Paul, when you do just full-contact punching and kicking, you have to fight within your own weight class.  Theres only one way that I know to fight outside of your weight class; you have to de-fang the snake and render it harmless.   At that point I said, What snake?  Dan looked at me and his mouth said, The metaphorical snake, Paul.  But his eyes said, The metaphorical snake, dumb****!   When you smash the hand, the opponent relinquishes his weapon, and you have de-fanged the snake.  In the world of empty hands, the way you de-fang the snake is to straight blast the opponent and force him to run backwards.  Now you have rendered this person relatively impotent. For the next several weeks to months, I put the helmet on everyone and sparred full-contact in all the classes (Phases Two and Three).  Once I became proficient, I was amazed at how effective the straight blast was.  Eventually, people started whining and I was forced to blast on their chests - no one wanted to put on the helmet anymore.  Straight blasting the chest was much more difficult; but eventually I prevailed.  The one thing I noticed was no one ever gave me a reference point for me to trap when I would blast them.  Most people simply covered and turned away.  I could rarely, if ever, apply a pak sao or a lop sao, etc.  Where were the Wing Chun traps?  Most people covered up, and it was most natural for me to trap the neck, using the Thai boxing clinch, and subsequently thumb the eyes, and head butt, knee and elbow.  So my formula became: EnterStraight BlastHead butt, Knee, Elbow.  I got to the point where I could do this formula in my sleep, with relative impunity. As the years went on, I moved up to the Phase Four and JKD classes.  The folks in these classes were simply at too high a level for me to pull off my formula against them.  We had many pro boxers, kickboxers, and Thai boxers, and for month after month after month, Dan would watch me attempt my formula (enter, straight blast, HKE) to no avail.  I had no boxing gloves on, and could not return fire to the face, but would receive very heavy blows from everyone else.  Dan finally got tired of watching me eat leather, and gave me a rather odd directive.  He suggested that I stop sparring in the JKD class, and join his weapons class.  At that point, I protested vehemently.  I believe my words were something like, Dan, what the heck do I need weapons for?  After all, Im not going to be walking down the street, and some crazed Filipino is going to jump out of a tree with espada y daga, and I of course have my espada y daga handy to defend myself.  At that point, Dan once again gave me the dumb**** look and very patiently explained to me that there were these things called attributes, and I seriously lacked them.  There were a myriad of wonderful drill that the Filipinos invented, that he called self-perfection drills; and he assured me that if I got into his class for six months, the attributes that I lacked would be raised and I would be able to enter, straight blast, and head butt the JKD guys as well.
  Well, to make a long story short (it appears to be too late for that), after six months, four hours a day of sumbrada, serrada, numerada, carrenza, hubbud, etc. Dan approached me and advised me to go back into the JKD class.  I did so, and to my amazement, I was straight blasting, head butting, kneeing, and elbowing every person in the class.  This gave me an incredible epiphany: I learned that full-contact sparring alone, even though it is the most alive drill one can do, is not enough to take a person even close to their fullest potential!  I was elated at my new tools (my self-perfection drills) that could make people functional with their trapping.  This is why I find it ironic that many of the people who say they cannot functionalize their traps coincidentally also hate self-perfection drills.
  At this point I was convinced that there was no need for Wing Chun traps!  About two years later, I got into a fight with a very famous Wing Chun man (Im not going to mention his name).  When the fight began, I entered with my straight blast, but instead of him turning and covering like everyone else, HE occupied centerline as a response, and we were stuck at a reference point.  This precipitated a pak sao/lop sao from me, and I followed up with several elbows to the face, and was pleased with the result.  The very poignant lesson that I learned was this: The only time you ever need to do a Wing Chun trap is if youre fighting a Wing Chun man who happens to occupy center line.  Otherwise, the vast majority of the time, one never needs to trap the arms at all.  This is why over the many years to follow, when people hear me refer to trapping, Im talking about an entry, straight blast, and head butting, kneeing and elbowingnot some pak sao!  (Later, when I was teaching SEAL Team Six, I coined the name Rapid Assault Tactics, or RAT for short) for this method of trapping.  

PFS: In the course of the invention of the Internet and these forums, some people have used them as a method of slander.  In your case, some people have brought up alcohol and drugs.  Could you please explain to us why on earth you think this is?
  Absolutely.  Because I did alcohol and drugs.  (Although the drug thing is exaggerated greatly)  Personally, I find it interesting and even slightly amusing why anyone would care what I did in the 80s, but I can tell you this  the way people know is quite simple.  Ive been telling people for the last fifteen years.  In every seminar, I allocate a certain amount of time for talks on spirituality.  I have told people, very honestly and very blatantly, about the trials and tribulations, the highs and lows of my life with complete honesty.  I have discussed, in great detail, how the martial arts have changed me as a person.  At this point, if someone chooses to judge and take my inventory and not look deep down inside at their own personal skeletons, so be it - I have no control over that.  Besides, guys, its not my fault!  Im allergic to alcohol.
PFS: Youre allergic to alcohol?
  Yeahevery time I drink, I break out in handcuffs! 

PFS: What do you think about Bruce Lee and Dan Inosantos concept of Aliveness?
  I think aliveness is a highly important aspect of training.  To me, the ultimate aliveness is to put a motorcycle helmet on someone, throw a pair of boxing gloves on them, and instruct them to spar you full-contact, anything goes.  I have been preaching this very point to people for twenty years.  If anyone were to get my Straight Blast tape that I made in 1986, they would hear me mention putting a helmet on and sparring full-contact roughly 19 times!  When I sparred with Pat Bagley (hes the 230 pound big brawny guy), I instructed him to simply spar normally, no cooperation.  As I entered to straight blast, and head butt, knee and elbow, I got hit a few times in the face.  At that point, some student said, Are we going to do another take?  We dont want to keep that one in, obviously; you got hit.  I found that statement funny  I get hit in ALL my fights! (laughs).  This is aliveness, folks.


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## arnisador (Apr 4, 2002)

> _Originally posted by IFAJKD _
> 
> * (Later, when I was teaching SEAL Team Six, I coined the name Rapid Assault Tactics, or RAT for short) for this method of trapping. *



What exactly _is_ RAT? Is it a system of techniques, or a strategy for using whatever techniques one already knows?


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## Cthulhu (Apr 4, 2002)

> _Originally posted by arnisador _
> 
> *
> 
> What exactly is RAT? Is it a system of techniques, or a strategy for using whatever techniques one already knows? *



From my limited understandint, RAT is composed of: an entry technique (usually involving pain, like a destruction), straight blast, then HKE (headbutts, knees, and elbows).

Lather, rinse, repeat.

I'm sure this is overly simplistic.  IFAJKD can give you a far better description.

Speaking of which...
Hope the school opening goes well!

Cthulhu


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## IFAJKD (Apr 4, 2002)

Cthulhu: I am so sorry for being so absent. I will drop you a good line soon. 
Thanks for the wishes. I too hope it all goes well. 
RAT is Vunaks system that he taught to the SEALS. It is simply a method of fighting that is very direct and methodical. As usual, Cthu's explaination is correct. (man he's good) Rapid Assault Tactics is technical in the way you intercept or destroy an attackers attempt. Pressure is the SB followed by typically, an opportunhity or need to trap and terminate in many different ways. Look at the typical stages of a fight

1: Entry (someone makes a moves and presents an opportunity to respond)

2: Pressure (the response is either an intercept or a destruction always followed in some way by Attack by Combination and typically centerline control

3: Terminate HKE, chokes, restraints etc. Can be any thing. 

A fight can end at any one of these stages and what you utilize in these three stages is dependent on your skill level. This is JKD in its essence and allows for the attributes of the fighter to develop. It is easy to teach as it can be taught in a very basic but extremely effective form. As the student develops their art they add more and more technical skill and sharper attributes to the equasion.  This is where the straight blast becomes alive and trapping begins to make sense. This is also where for that brief moment you play their game then suddenly you find a way to cheat. Bruce could find this in a milisecond. most of us take a little longer.


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## bscastro (Apr 5, 2002)

Just wanted to thank you for the eloquent explanation of RAT.


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## arnisador (Apr 5, 2002)

> _Originally posted by bscastro _
> 
> *Just wanted to thank you for the eloquent explanation of RAT. *



Yes, same here--it's good to have you back! With the school just openning we won't be surprised if your presence is intermittent. I hope you'll post something about your experience with that at some point--tips for the rest of us.


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## IFAJKD (Apr 5, 2002)

Well again, thanks for the support. I certainly will contribute what I can by way of mistakes and successes in this adventure. I will also not let the time go by this long again. MT is a great networking tool and I have learned much here from all of you.  In the old days things were held in such secrecy that no one would think of this type of sharing. This is good to see. Arnisador, Got your message and we will do it (seminar Cthu).  I will respond in more detail tonight or maybe Sunday night.


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