The Target-Focus Training Experience by chad waterbury

[kuri]

Chris C just layed out the preferential strategies of most knowledgable MAists I've come across.

And I agree that unless you have a weapon of your own you will get cut if attempting to engage - which is the point Vunak made.

I haven't studied Filipino arts much but just enough to know that in dealing with weapons they don't simply disarm nor "block" but turn each evasion into strike. But along the lines of what KO said I seriously doubt someone can go to a weekend seminar and be able to pull this off in a real situation.

Will it help someone that has previous training and continues to train? Probably. But otherwise...

[BobbyD]

The video of Paul V. is VERY old. What it should teach is the difficulty of defending the knife and some concepts that are possible NOT probable.

One truism is there are things that are possible and things that are probable. What is the road to increasing probability? Put your self in a similar situation under similar conditions repeatedly over a long period of time.

Ask Guro Dan Inosanto who is also a long time inctructor of mine and I'm sure he'll say the same thing.

Kuri,
If you would like to take a class at the Inosanto Academy I could join you. It would be nice to check in

[kuri]

Do you currently study under Insosanto?

I would love to check out his Academy as it's pretty close to me, but I know I'd wanna join and I need more time and $$ for that.

Is it cool to visit and check things out?

[kuri]

Without a doubt the best knife defense I've seen.

[Chris Correia]

Ah, the old hook in eye technique!

I kept thinking, "What the heck is this?" So tacky it's amazing. I can almost say I really wish I hadn't watched the whole thing. But I guess the finale is worth it. Then again, no it's not. LOL

[BobbyD]

OMG!!! And I used took forward to the next Cynthia Rothrock flick! Yes I admit it

I go to the Inosanto Academy once in awhile. I am able to drop in and train as i please. If you go in on a Monday night Erik Paulson teaches (the 1st American Shooto champion). The new place doesn't have stuff like Bruce Lee's heavy bag and spring loaded dummy. It still has alot of great stuff pix posters artifacts ect.

Sifu/Guro Dan teaches pretty fast so it's good to have a patient or expeirenced partner.

[lordscrub]

Originally Posted by BobbyD

Ahhh...There is peace in the universe.

When I mean circles: Tim Larkin, Paul Vunak(that guy in video) Tony Blauer all teach similar material, network with same groups and compare notes.

Tony Blauer has taught at my own gym. He was very cerebral and you will find his approach appealing. Paul Vunak; I have training partners who are instructors in his system.

Ironically while looking back through some of my emails I came across one of the newletters from Tim Larkin and it was ironic because we were just talking about it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"At a recent demonstration I did for a group at Harvard University
I hammered this home by using some video clips of a martial
artist showing a knife-fighting demo.

He made some claims about the knife and how a good cut will shut
a man down and send him into shock. He then demonstrated his
assertion on a hanging piece of meat.

It all looked very impressive and I could tell the class was
mesmerized.

Then I showed them grisly photos of prisoners in a fight who were
cut numerous times, right down to the bone. These prisoners not
only survived the attacks -- they killed their 'attackers'.

This totally went against the knife-fighting expert's claims.

I then showed two other video clips, back to back, of prisoners
"shanking" (using an improvised stabbing tool) another prisoner
until they killed the victim. Again this looked nothing like the
nice back-and-forth technique the "knife-fighter" showed in his
impressive demo.

When I was finished there was dead silence. I had made my point
and the rest of the time we had 100% complete focus.

I wasn't able to show this recent class the videos and it showed.

Some people didn't 'get it' until the last day when we do "Grabs,
Punches, Holds and Chokes".

That's when they see how much simpler it is to use violence
rather than try a "give-and-take" approach.

I'll make sure to always include the video upfront in future
seminars.

The old adage of a picture being worth a thousand words is very
true!

Tim Larkin
Master Close-Combat Instructor

[BobbyD]

Originally Posted by BobbyD

The video of Paul V. is VERY old. What it should teach is the difficulty of defending the knife and some concepts that are possible NOT probable.

One truism is there are things that are possible and things that are probable. What is the road to increasing probability? Put your self in a similar situation under similar conditions repeatedly over a long period of time.

Like I said the video is VERY old. By todays standards should teach some concepts.

If you were to look at the history and progression of teaching from Paul V, Tim L., Tony Blauer, The Dog Bros.,The Gracie Bros., What they all worked and taught 20 years ago does not hold much water today. Were they wrong? In my view No. From what they all had to work with and what was their current exp. was it was at the time valid.

Again my point is to 'Put yourself in similar situations under similar conditions, REPEATEDLY over a long period of time.'

[BobbyD]

Oh yeah. and of course he has permision from that instructor to use that video too.

[lordscrub]

whoops sorry I should have put my reason for putting it huh... sorry I thought it was understood but I just posted it because you implied that they may have had similar views because they moved in the same circles, I was just showing that it was completly the opposite. When it comes to which approach is more effective I try to thread very lightly there though at times I slip up... because that only leads to conflict and to a place way.. beyond the scope of this forum, Note! everything I posted was his views on the topic and I was'nt trying to use it as a counter argument for what you said about Mr. Vunak's approach.

Also I totally agree with you, most instructors through time an exp do change their views and approaches ( well the good ones anyway) I believe that ideas should be challenged continuously. I don't know anything about Mr. Vunak's approach through the years, so I can't say wether or not he still teaches those same concepts, but if you do I'd like you to shed some light on the subject.

And I guess he got the permission to use the clip from the same place that Kuri and the person who put it on youtube got it from.

[kuri]

Originally Posted by BobbyD

OMG!!! And I used took forward to the next Cynthia Rothrock flick! Yes I admit it

I go to the Inosanto Academy once in awhile. I am able to drop in and train as i please. If you go in on a Monday night Erik Paulson teaches (the 1st American Shooto champion). The new place doesn't have stuff like Bruce Lee's heavy bag and spring loaded dummy. It still has alot of great stuff pix posters artifacts ect.

Sifu/Guro Dan teaches pretty fast so it's good to have a patient or expeirenced partner.

Rothrock was the kung-fu hottie back in the day

I'm not very experienced in Filipino arts so they'd have to be very patient! But still I will pay a visit. I usually don't like to unless I know that it would be practical to begin training there. Right now it isn't... but perhaps soon.

As for knife defense I'll still take long term training and above all a fast pair of feet.