Questions for Mike Brewer about Vunak

[Bullseye]

Hi Mike,

I have been reading your posts about your training (and your training with Paul Vunak), and I'd like to ask you a few questions. If you don't mind.

Regarding environmental training, is that something that you did with Paul Vunak, or did you add this to your training later?

Same with training while drunk, or impaired. Did Paul Vunak do this or encourage you to do it?

I think that training like this is excellent, and can only be a positive thing. Training while drunk, tired, or emotionally wrought, or distracted, teaches us to be functional in any state. And surely that's what it's all about.

Regarding the stories about Paul Vunak's streetfighting ie:looking for fights in bars, getting dropped off in bad areas and then having to fight his way back, ect. Are the stories true? Or is there an element of "chinese whispers" in there somewhere where things have been exaggerated?

I don't intend any offence with these questions about Vunak's background, nor do I want to gossip. The fact is, I have been inspired by what you have written about Vunak, and would like to know more.

Thanks.

[Mike Brewer]

The environmental training was something that evolved from training with Vunak, for sure. We didn't do that in classes, per se, but a few of the rowdier types would often get together and work on ideas like those with one another. As for getting into fights as a method of training, it's not something I can recommend in good conscience these days. It was, in all honesty, a pretty horrible way to treat other people, and one of the few regrets I have in my life. However, it wasn't so much a matter of getting dropped off in a drug-den or gang neighborhood or anything. More often than not, it was just a matter of going to a pool hall and shooting someone a look. Occasionally, me and some other guys from the area would head to someplace like Venice or Tijuana and more or less "invite" trouble. When trouble abounds, it's not long before it accepts an invitation. I also stopped more than once to deal with road rage incidents in a "hands-on" manner. It was pretty astonishing how often some jerk would actually pull over and fight a complete stranger over a traffic snafu. Sometimes, they didn't fight back, and I'd more or less just instigate or walk away swearing at someone too scared to get out of the car. Like I said, it's not a period I'm particularly happy remembering, and if I ever acted like that again, I'd fully expect to be shot. These days, I'm far more involved with trying to be a good person, and far less concerned with being a streetfighter.

Training drunk was not something I did in those days. I never had a drink at all until a few years after I left LA. I had dealt with some pretty unpleasant alcohol-related family issues at that time, and it just wasn't a road I wanted to go down. I did however train sick and injured almost constantly. During the time I lived with Paul, I was generally training on the order of ten to fourteen hours a day. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I'd more often than not train for a few hours with Paul, work on one of his private sessions for five or six hours, and then do my own lessons at night. Tuesdays and Thursdays, I added to that by attending classes at the Inosanto Academy for four additional hours. That kind of training schedule sounds like a dream come true, but it gets damned difficult after a few months - let alone a few years. I lived there, so it's not like I could skip training. There were literally times when I'd have to crawl on my belly out of the bed and ooze my way over the walls of the bathtub to wake myself up in a freezing cold shower before going out to the garage and attempting to keep up with the fresh, motivated martial artists who'd come from all over the world to train with Vunak. It gave me plenty of ideas. What it did was teach me just how effective Paul's training was. I was worthless most of the time because I was just so beat up and tired. And still, somehow, I managed to keep up or outperform many of the people that came out to train. When I moved away and healed (and slept) for the first time in a couple of years, I was amazed at how much better I got. Paul's ideas and training worked when I was at my very worst, and it worked against pretty high-caliber people. I knew I couldn't very well put paying students through that kind of schedule (I wouldn't want to spend that much time with most of them), so the idea for all the environmental and scenario type training took its place.

As for Paul getting in fights, I'm certain there's some folklore behind the reality. I can say, however, that I saw him practice what he preached. He did get in fights, on the basketball court, at the pool halls, and even in the middle of the street. I won't give details, because I'm just not going to presume to know what he'd want shared with the entire world. What I will say is that the man is totally genuine when it comes to martial arts and fighting. He did not get his scars in the gym, and he does not pretend to be the prettiest, most technical, or most well-read martial artist around. He is a fighter, and an instructor with truly sublime ability. He's earned that, and probably much of the folklore that's evolved along with it.

Hope that provides some answers.

[Michael Wright]

Mike. Write a book. Please.

[Bullseye]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for your reply. It's fascinating stuff. I agree with Michael Wright, you really should write a book about your training and fighting experiences.

[Mike Brewer]

Where to find the time? I'm a new Dad with a full time job. I'm sure there's a book in me for someday, but it's hard to fathom it being anytime terribly soon. I appreciate the thought, though. I do. Maybe I'll take the advice of some others here and compile one from things already written on the boards here.

Anyone want to solicit publishers?

[treelizard]

Originally Posted by Mike Brewer

Anyone want to solicit publishers?

How much of a cut do we get?

[Mike Brewer]

Depends on the publisher, and the cut I get.

I'd definitely cut you in, though. I'm far too lazy to tackle a project like this on my own, and I realize that if it were ever going to get done, I'd have to pay someone to help. It's just that it keeps coming up...

[Bullseye]

Hi Mike,

I think the idea of expanding a book from your posts on here would be a great idea. Your posts contain a lot of sound info on martial arts teachin/training combined with a lot of anecdotal material as well.

Plus, you know how to write in an entertaining, engaging way. When you have time you should go for it.

[Michael Wright]

I'll help in any way I can Mike, and my cut is a training session and a few beers, the former before the latter

[treelizard]

I have a lot of editing and proofreading experience, including one midnight marathon book proofreading project under my belt!

Anyway, your best bet is to get a book proposal together and THEN look for publishing companies.

[Mike Brewer]

Starting to sound like work...

[g-bells]

but it would be a great addition to the MA world with all the BS going on with JKD, sure would be nice to have a book from one with so much personal experience

just my 2 cents though

[treelizard]

Originally Posted by Mike Brewer

Starting to sound like work...

Get one of your groupies to do it for you!

http://www.shepardagency.com/writing_proposals.html

[Tant01]

Originally Posted by Mike Brewer

The environmental training was something that evolved from training with Vunak, for sure. We didn't do that in classes, per se, but a few of the rowdier types would often get together and work on ideas like those with one another. As for getting into fights as a method of training, it's not something I can recommend in good conscience these days. It was, in all honesty, a pretty horrible way to treat other people, and one of the few regrets I have in my life. .....

Like I said, it's not a period I'm particularly happy remembering, and if I ever acted like that again, I'd fully expect to be shot. These days, I'm far more involved with trying to be a good person, and far less concerned with being a streetfighter.

Training drunk was not something I did in those days. .....
...
...
Hope that provides some answers.

It seems interesting that there would be so MANY parallels in the experiences... the resulting wisdom and kindness and patience...(goodness?)

While I can not claim the lineage, the training and recreational research are similar. How about PRETENDING to be drunk?

Talk about dirty tricks, eh?

[g-bells]

Mr Brewer,
so whens the book coming out?