Progressive Fighting Systems… “During the wee hours of the morning PFS was born”
Back in the early eighties, Sifu Paul Vunak was teaching at the old Kali academy. There was a tremendous influx of students. I vividly remember a certain ‘group’ of individuals that sort of gravitated towards Paul. These were the people who were primarily interested in the street fighting side of the “curriculum”.
Guru Dan taught in two basic ways, (in which later he blends). One we call self-preservation. The other is called self-perfection.
Self-preservation has more to do with taking an adversary out of commission, (in a very primitive and barbaric fashion). Self-perfection has more to do with the ‘art form’. Grace, beauty, body mechanics and the continued growth and refinement of one’s attributes. For now, let’s just say that Sifu had a proclivity for the self-preservation side of the arts back then. This formed the nucleus from which the embryonic stage of PFS began.
I recall driving from Fresno to Long Beach on a weekly basis to watch and train with this cadre of about 20 of the Kali academy’s best fighters. I still and will always remember Sifu's stories relating to Guro Dan. I have never in my life seen such a love and loyalty listening to Sifu Paul speak about his Guru. This was the main reason, the best reason, and the most motivating reason for starting my training…
As the years went by, the group grew larger and larger. We all kept getting better and better under our Sifu's vigilance. People came from all parts of the country to train in this group. Unfortunately, a sad event occurred. The Kali academy closed down. This, (sort of), created a split up.
Guru Dan eventually opened a new school. Simultaneously, the IMB was created. Mean while the ongoing political ‘rhetoric’ was at the opposite end of the spectrum from where Sifu Paul’s interests seemed to be heading. He was not only disgusted but found it to be incredulous as to how certain of Guru Dan’s top people could be caught up in these petty politics.
I had listened intently on many, many occasions during group classes, seminars, and private lessons while Sifu Paul promoted camaraderie and loyalty while teaching. These two things meant so very much to him in his striving to perpetuate the principles and concepts that had been so freely given to him by Guru Dan and so lightly taken by others.
Sifu Paul and I had, at that time, become good friends in addition to his being my teacher. During the wee hours of one morning, he said to me, “Tom, we are going to form our own group, with our own name, and have a very simple agenda”.
1. Perpetuate Bruce Lee’s concepts of Jeet Kune Do.
2. Have a team of people with undying loyalty to the man without whom none of this would be possible; Guru Dan Inosanto!
Progressive Fighting Systems was now officially formed. For roughly the next ten years, Paul flew all over the world with this agenda. The first revelation was getting the martial artists/ people out of their stances. Secondly, getting their hands up and implementing footwork so that they were up on their toes and moving like a fighter. This was the first phase.
This edification, over the years, continued. Teaching instructors how to box and kick the legs along with the training methods to teach their students. This may sound ridiculous, but back then these points were brand new.
The next phase that Sifu Paul introduced was close quarter, trapping and how to deal with the clinch. This allowed for people to deal with opponents who also kick-boxed but were much larger and/ or were better at the kick-boxing game.
In yet another phase destructions, disabling your opponents tools, were introduced along with the straight blast which gave our students the ability to enter with impunity…After many long hard years, people started to believe.
During the course of this process of building complete fighters, I can still hear Sifu’s perpetual, famous words ringing in my ears…
“This is not my stuff, this is Dan’s, and I am just the conduit!"
Paul was following Dan’s directions. Educate, grow and always be a student. As Dan required of Paul, continuing to investigate new arts, researching and developing, Paul found Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. This was an element that was absolutely critical to complete our game. Starting in 1987, I witnessed Paul, for the next 6 years, introducing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to basically the whole Martial Art world. (Most of whom were not particularly enthused) Paul, in his tenacious way, got people to experience the ground game.
1993 UFC # 1……Denver Colorado…..Paul had been chosen to be Elio Gracie’s bodyguard, not that he needed one, for the entrance into the very first UFC. ..Paul’s prediction was “You watch Tom, this will change…everyone will learn the ground game and that will force everyone to learn the standup game and that will require everyone to learn the clinch and trapping game.” ….at that time, the UFC was predicated upon comparing arts and styles and pitting these arts against each other; Kickboxing vs. Karate, Ninjitsu vs ….sumo vs Savate. Gracie Ju-jitsu vs etc. And then lo and behold, the whole fighting world wanted to learn how to grapple. To be continued... |
