# Paul Vunak and Filipino Martial Arts

- Link: https://brianejohns.com/2008/04/04/blog-paul-vunak-and-filipino-martial-arts/
- Published: 2008-04-04T13:58:00-04:00
- Author: Brian Johns

## In the April 2008 edition of Black Belt magazine, there is an article on Paul Vunak and the topic of “_Defanging the Snake_.”

This interview with Vunak was done in an interview format and one section piqued
my interest:

> “Black Belt: Why should martial artists in the 21st century incorporate stick 
> fighting into their training?
> Paul Vunak: To answer that properly, I have to go back to Bruce Lee and Dan Inosanto
> in the 1960s. Bruce was obviously an amazing person, an amazing martial artist,
> and an amazing athlete. For many years, he was the only person at that level Dan
> had ever seen. After meeting Bruce, Dan was introduced to some Filipino masters
> by Ed Parker. He noticed that these masters had the same attributes as Bruce: 
> similar speed, similar sensitivity, similar body mechanics. Dan had been probably
> in 20 martial arts before, he’d never seen anyone move like Bruce and these guys
> were in their 60s. Those masters were able to move that way because of the weapons.
> When you move with weapons in your hand, it expedites the development of your 
> natural attributes. Whether you’re talking about speed, power, coordination, timing,
> spatial relationships or footwork, you can quadruple it by working with weapons.
> BB: How does weapons training increase your speed ?
> PV: When you swing a stick, the tip of it moves about 150 miles per hour. No punch
> moves that fast. So when you’re used to seeing a stick swing that fast, punches
> seem like they are coming at you in slow motion. There are so many different angles
> and so many different weapons that when you make the transition to empty hand,
> it’s really easy.

## The funny thing is Master Chuck Gauss said almost exactly the same thing several weeks ago in terms of making the transition from stick work to empty hand work.

I wholeheartedly agree with Master Chuck and Paul Vunak. FMAs can develop your natural
attributes and recognition of the angles of attacks like no other martial art.

I can testify to the incredible attributes of Professor Remy Presas. At the age 
of 63, his attributes were uncanny due to training since the age of 5. No wonder
why his speed, timing, spatial relationships, and the other natural attributes were
superb. I can see the same in others who have practiced Filipino Martial arts for
substantial periods of time. If you can handle sticks in practice well, the transition
to empty-handed self-defense can be easy.

## To that end, I tend to emphasize more stickwork than empty handwork in class….in order to develop and increase the natural attributes of those attending class. In other words, “drills to build skills.”

 * [What Are Filipino Martial Arts?](https://brianejohns.com/2016/09/07/blog-what-are-filipino-martial-arts/)
 * [Youth Vs Experience](https://brianejohns.com/2024/03/21/youth-vs-experience/)
 * [The Stick](https://brianejohns.com/2015/07/13/blog-the-stick/)
 * [Go With The Flow!](https://brianejohns.com/2015/04/13/blog-go-with-the-flow/)
 * [COVID-19 Transition](https://brianejohns.com/2020/11/12/blog-covid-19-transition/)

### Share this post:

 * [  X ](https://brianejohns.com/2008/04/04/blog-paul-vunak-and-filipino-martial-arts/?share=twitter)
 * [  Facebook ](https://brianejohns.com/2008/04/04/blog-paul-vunak-and-filipino-martial-arts/?share=facebook)
 * [  LinkedIn ](https://brianejohns.com/2008/04/04/blog-paul-vunak-and-filipino-martial-arts/?share=linkedin)
 * [  Threads ](https://brianejohns.com/2008/04/04/blog-paul-vunak-and-filipino-martial-arts/?share=threads)
 * [  WhatsApp ](https://brianejohns.com/2008/04/04/blog-paul-vunak-and-filipino-martial-arts/?share=jetpack-whatsapp)
 * [  Email ](https://brianejohns.com/2008/04/04/blog-paul-vunak-and-filipino-martial-arts/?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Paul%20Vunak%20and%20Filipino%20Martial%20Arts&body=https%3A%2F%2Fbrianejohns.com%2F2008%2F04%2F04%2Fblog-paul-vunak-and-filipino-martial-arts%2F&share=email)
 * [  Print ](https://brianejohns.com/2008/04/04/blog-paul-vunak-and-filipino-martial-arts/#print?share=print)

### Like this:

Like Loading…

### _Related_