Paul Vunak says he can't touch Dan Inosanto

**Otaku Waffle** · Posted On: 11/15/2008 3:55am

Originally Posted by Zendetta

Most fillipino people I've met have really great attitudes. I asked a fillipino friend about it.
me - not to stereotype, but all the flips I meet are REALLY HAPPY.
her - their happy because they arn't in the Phillipines anymore!
/coldbooded

Exception for the Pinoys in Japan.
While I was there, I didn't see a single happy Pinoy...except for the one time where one sat opposite me in the metro and suddenly spotted my gaijin ass. He went from "Man, what am I doing here?" to "YES! Somebody who won't see me as a lower lifeform!" in a split second.

PS - not that any of you asked: a student of mine (I teach massage therapy) gave me an AMAZING antique kampilan from his father's collection. Its pretty much my prized possession, and I feel like I need to get into some FMA - out of respect for the blade if nothing else.

If you do take up FMA (which I heartily endorse), you might want to mention that Kampilan.
I haven't met many instructors who teach Kampilan techniques at all, let alone that they'd do it by default.
Not that the rest of the curriculum isn't fun, mind.

**Section-8** · Posted On: 9/08/2009 2:37pm

Originally Posted by DerAuslander108

There is no god but Bruce & Dan is his prophet.

I just came across this post and once again I spit coffee all over my laptop, to funny LOL!

**unladylikedefns** · Posted On: 6/10/2011 12:26pm

Sigung Paul Vunak has trained Under Guro Dan Inosanto as one of his top instructors for over 30 years. Guro Inosanto was Bruce Lee's Protégé, training partner and best friend. I haven't met Dan Inosanto yet, but I hope to one day. Paul Vunak is great!

Originally Posted by Holy Moment

Isn't Paul Vunak that guy who has advertisements in the magazines that go something like this? :

"You may not know who Paul Vunak is, but all of the 'insiders' sure do. He teaches navy seals, and he can teach you how to be DEADLY DEADLY DEADLY! .......... All you have to do is learn eight moves."

If so, I'd be inclined to take whatever he says with a grain of salt.

**Brazzzuka** · Posted On: 7/01/2011 12:27pm

Bravo clap clap clap are expecting him to reply after 2 years lol

**Ginzo** · Posted On: 7/09/2011 1:16pm

I lost in a fight to Billy Blanks, after watching like 10 tae-bo tapes.

**tsaphah** · Posted On: 7/27/2011 10:54pm

Originally Posted by unladylikedefns

Sigung Paul Vunak has trained Under Guro Dan Inosanto as one of his top instructors for over 30 years. .... Paul Vunak is great!

Isn't Vunak the guy that loves to bite people? What can of martial arts is that?

**selfcritical** · Posted On: 8/01/2011 12:52pm

Originally Posted by tsaphah

Isn't Vunak the guy that loves to bite people? What can of martial arts is that?

Cocaine

**grizzledot** · Posted On: 8/04/2011 5:13pm

I think it was Vunak's mullet that was the thing to be feared and not his teeth. I don't believe there is a "best", and people need to try and better themselves instead of coat-tailing.

**pakua42** · Posted On: 9/29/2012 11:30am

Originally Posted by Flipper

ok maybe "owing us" is too strong a word, but my sentiment is that it would a major step for FMA if someone of his caliber would visit the homeland and share his knowledge. Which makes me wonder why he hasn't done so all these years.

Im sorry for entering this thread 4 years after you posted, it is kinda weird, but only because I think I have the answer and no one seems to, that I have an itch to stick my 2 cents in. Sort of like Im helping someone to scratch an itch, a curiosity if you will. Ok a bit about me.

Im 53, and back 25 years ago when I was living in Las Vegas, I studied JKD with a man named Jack Soderburg whose older kung fu brother was Paul Vunak and Rich Bustillo. As well he got some training in with Dan also. Now, 25 yrs ago, when we got Rich to come down from Cali to Vegas to give us a seminar, ,my teacher tried to get Dan to come also, but Dan wasnt available. As in for the rest of the year, unavailable! So if 25 yrs ago, when JKD and Phillipino arts werent 1/2 as p[opular as they are now and Dan was booked up, imagine now what it would take.

So I suspect Dan has no connection in any way to the Phillipines and no relatives he knows and has no desire to gothere for any reason. It is for example why I, being of Russian ancestry, have no desire to take up the art of Sambo or Systema. I dont consider myself russian at all. Its been 80 years since any of my relatives were there. Im 1005 American. Thats reason #1. Now it gets simpler.

Reason #2-Have you ever noticed there are 2 kinds of teachers in Martial arts. Rarely youll find mixtures of both but usually not. Okay, one type of teacher is rarely at the school that has his name on it, because he is always "giving a seminar somewhere" (in other words going for the travel, money and excitement. Nothing wrong if thats your thing) But then you have the second kind of teacher, and I have been blessed with them. These are teachers that if they are sick, they dont cancel a class. If their car breaks down,they get a lift. Unless their mother dies(literally!) they never, ver, ver take a vacation or miss teaching a class. They consider it their obligation. As strong as a husbands obligation to return home to his wife every evening.(in that case make it stronger!!!! lol ) So, as a gambling man, Im willing to wager good money, that Dan will never go "back home" as one poster put it because he feels he has an obligation to the people who have given their loyalty for years to him. #2-He wont go to the Phillipines because then people will start hounding him, beseiging him is a better word, with phone calls and emails asking "When are you coming back?" and thats a door he doesnt want to open. #3 If Im wrong in any way about the first 2 reasons...then you can bet yopur a$$ or as the brits love to say, your arse, that he IS booked up with super high paying seminars maybe 9-12 months out! So take your pick. Oh...and I almost forgot, when a person ages(Yes I was a psych major in college) they develop year by year, a reluctance to go to unfamiliar places and their world gets smaller, so if Dan never went back in his youth and prime......he aint never going back! If anyone would like to bet I'm wrong, I'm willing to listen. BTW.. as one poster was saying about teachers never getting better than their teachers... that's another discussion but true here as well. Why did no one Dan trained ever become at least his equal, especially since age is not on his side at this time of his life? I will tell you straight up, one (of many) reasons is that greatness is sometimes born and not made.Sometimes. My teacher told me that Dan was able to run the 100 yard dash in college at the speed of an Olympic sprinter, AND...was offered a shot to play baseball for a minor league team and for personal reasons refused. "He could play almost any sport well." So.... if we could each have Dan's body, his athletic prowess, his calm, his lack of ego, and nervous system, I will make a bet that we would all be champions in any martial art we chose. How else could Dan get a black belt in BJJ at such advanced age. The way studying computers 12 hours a day,7 days a week will never let you start another Microsoft or be another Bill Gates, as Clint Eastwood said in a movie once..."A mans gotta know his limitations." I can tell you more of my JKD observations seeing Pauls students 25 yrs ago if anyone wants to ask polite questions. And if Im wrong, please....tell me so! I studied as a reporter would for 30 years, why some people become great fighters in a comparatively short time training 60-90 min a day, and some teachers have admitted to me that after 30 years of training that "I look good in the dojo, but in a real fight against a maniac with no hesitation to take a life thats on Angel Dust, I wouldn't have a chance."

But there is one thing the greats in any sport or martial art have, the rest of us dont. And "Uncle Bill" of Kuntao fame told me what it is. One day I will write an article about it.

peace to all,
Pakua