PFS FAQ

"I have disbanded all the organized schools of Jeet Kune Do because it is very easy for the students to mistake the agenda as the truth and to take the program as the way."
        - Si Jo (Bruce) Lee Jun Fan, 1972


I can't speak for anyone else, but as a PFS student of many years, I'll be happy share my views. I'll try to address your questions/observations one by one:

Exactly what is PFS?

Officially 'Progressive Fighting Systems', or 'PFS', is an organization founded by Sifu Paul Vunak to "perpetuate the Concepts of Jeet Kune Do and the Filipino Martial Arts."

Vu' once explained that he had two main reasons for starting PFS: first, it allowed him to pursue his Art, without compromise, while avoiding what was already becoming a political struggle within the Jeet Kune Do Community; and secondly, he felt that the best way for him to repay his mentor, Guro Dan Inosanto, was to create Instructors and expose the public to Jeet Kune Do Concepts, honestly and openly, without the restrictions of political correctness.

I believe it's that honesty, openess and freedom of expression that attracts many of us to JKD, PFS and Paul Vunak, in particular. There is no single PFS 'style' of Jeet Kune Do Concepts. We use whatever works. To risk sounding like a parrot, "Use no way as way - have no limitation as limitation."

JKD is simply JKD. PFS JKD is JKD practiced by a PFS Student.

Is every portion of my present style of fighting PFS JKD? Er, No...and Yes! Sifu Vunak taught me how to learn, to explore, discover, and critique without ego limitations or bias. Did I learn everything I practice in a PFS or another JKD Concepts class? No. But once you open yourself up to learning without prejudice, then learning becomes simply learning. The philosophy I'm learning through PFS and JKD somehow permeates every concious moment of my life. I'm always trying to find the easiest, most efficient way of doing things. Be it exchanging jabs with a sparring partner or communicating with a loved one. (Okay, so I'm still learning!)

I'm not sure if that answers the question but... We all seem to agree that rather than just throw away all of our previous training, JKD helps us appreciate the positive benefits of our prior journey. It was through JKD Concepts that I learned to recognize all the positive attributes I had developed via Kendo: timing, spacial relationship, line-familiarization, explosiveness, etc. and apply them in 'real' life.

If someone is a fighter who has trained under PFS instructors, can we make any assumptions about the manner in which he fights and trains?

One of the great virtues of Jeet Kune Do Concepts is its versatility. The ability to flow from range to range, art to art, high to low, left to right, etc., can make any fighter unpredictable. I've sparred with some of the same training partners for almost fifteen years. They remain challenging and unpredictable because they're always experimenting with different training methods, and exploring better and more efficient ways of problem-solving.

Other folks, say Larry Hartsell, also teach JKDC, and fight in ways that are similar to Paul's method in certain aspects, but different in others.

Right - and they share the same Instructor, Guro Dan Inosanto. The same can be said about my students. If the ultimate goal of JKD is to develop your own personal expression of fighting style, then theoretically no two JKD practitioners should ever be alike. What about those of us who've trained with both instructors? There are times I've learned a technique from Sifu Hartsell and applied it off an entry I've learned from Sifu Vunak. Because Vu' encourages us to seek knowledge from many sources, all PFS Instructors express JKD slightly differently. That's part of the joy of training together - someone always has something new and different to share with the others.

JKDC strives to enable each student to develop his own personal fighting style consistent with the theories and practices of Bruce Lee, but without first going through the formal JFJKD curriculum.

Not necessarily true. Many JKDC practitioners do choose to train in the formal Jun Fan curriculum. There's a percentage of Jun Fan material in each JKDC practitioner's aresenal. How much varies from practitioner to practitioner.

A PFS man works off a formula of infliction of pain, followed by application of pressure, concluded with application of incapacitating pain.

Well, ideally, my initial application of pressure inflicts incapacitating pain immediately! The only formula that I apply to surviving a street fight is "by any means necessary". Even if that meant turning and running away - then that would become part of my formula.

Major elements include interceptions and destructions for the initial pain, with the SB a frequently practiced method for applying pressure.

If that's what works - I'll use it - but "there's more than one way to skin a cat"!

I believe PFS fighters desire to be proficient in all ranges of combat, so they involve some study of weapons arts and grappling, most commonly FMA and BJJ/sambo/shootfighting. PFS does not, however, practice complex traditional trapping exercises, and few detailed FMA striking systems.

I guess it depends on one's definition. We teach training methods such as chi sao, pak sao cycle, lop sao cycle, push hands, 'hubud', most with weapons as well as empty hand. Some would consider these drills both complex and traditional. For example, we recently invited Philip "Sled Dog" Gelinas to be our Guest Instructor at our annual Spring Training Camp. He shared his knowledge of the Pekita Tersia system with us. Many of us train with Guro Dan regularly as well as other notable FMA Instructors. FMA is an integral part of my JKDC. As Paul Vunak taught me, the training methods of Filipino weaponry can be directly applied to empty hand work with very satisfying results.

The primary focus of PFS is self preservation in "street" situations. Once an individual has developed the tools to ensure a good chance of self preservation, he can expand his tool chest in a neverending strive towards self perfection. But the bottom line is, if something will not work reliably and effectively on the street, it is not a major part of a PFS fighter's repertoire. Research... Absorb... Reject... Add...

No argument here.

I suggest PFS fighters enjoy relatively high intensity practices, with a substantial emphasis on sparring and relatively high contact.

Yes, but that also manifests itself in ways other than just a physical level. A training session can indeed be intense - physically, mentally, emotionally and even sometimes spiritually. As far as contact goes, we just try to be as realistic as possible while at the same time recognizing that we would like our training partners to stay intact.

Again, any other system of JKDC may exhibit some or all of these factors. But I believe it would be accurate to say that just about all of these elements are shared by just about all PFS instructors/schools/fighters.

I can only speak for myself. I'd be interested to hear other PFS Instructors' points of view.

PFS is much more than an individual, even the creator/founder of the system.

True, PFS is much more than an individual, even as JKDC is bigger than Bruce Lee himself. (Remember: PFS is an organization. JKDC is the system.)

Isn't that an incredible compliment, to acknowledge that someone has created something that is bigger than himself, and that that creation will last long after he is gone?

Just as JKDC has continued to blossom long after Si Jo Bruce's passing, through Guro Dan to Paul, and through Paul to me, the knowledge that Paul Vunak has shared with me will be passed on through my students to generations to come.

If PFS is nothing more or less than Paul, what happens if he gets hit by a truck tomorrow. Does PFS cease to exist with his corporeal being? Of course not.

Right - PFS is a group of individuals who enjoy training together in Jeet Kune Do Concepts. Our JKDC lineage happened to come through Vu'. The close friendships I've made among other JKDC practitioners through PFS will not suddenly disintegrate should Paul Vunak mysteriously vanish or if PFS ceased to exist as an organization. Like Jeet Kune Do, PFS is "...just a name. Please don't fuss over it.".

Just my 2 cents.

Peace,
Makoto


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