Agreed 100%, and that is what I would like everyone to keep in mind, nothing written here is a reflection on Sifu Paul Vunak. Am I ****ed at what Chris Kent wrote? Absolutely. The guy has made it his business to trash not only an article that I have spent months getting published here in the UK, but the whole art that I teach as my living, the art that I love, the art that feeds my family. Secondly, why has he gone after Paul? I have only ever heard Sifu Paul say great things about Chris, only to be publicly stabbed in the back. So yeah, I am just as ****ed as the next PFS guy, and I’ve been up all night on phone calls from the US with some very ****ed off people from PFS, many of them ****ed off at me for what I wrote, thinking that I am siding with Chris Kent, and that is just not true. My loyalty is with Sifu Paul and PFS, and as a professional PFS Instructor I’m just as disappointed as anyone that Chris Kent and the people he works with are trying to discredit my living. Sure, I’m ****ed off. My point was a purely personal one, I don’t think it is healthy for any organisation to publicly endorse violence, but that’s just me and the kind of person I am, I’m not being disrespectful or disloyal to PFS. As a final and crucial note, my comment “we went through all of this 20 years ago” was directed purely at the politics we all had to endure in the early 90’s, the dark times for JKD. It wasn’t any form of comment on PFS or on Sifu Paul, it was taken completely out of context by a number of people and I just wanted to be clear on that. I’ve said my piece, regardless of what happens from this point on I just wanted to echo holyheadjch’s point, none of this should be taken as a reflection on Sifu Paul Vunak. I'm done. MW
Somewhere Bruce Lee is bil gee-ing himself in the eye-balls. It would have been a facepalm but that wouldn't have been "street" enough.
Well, that was an interesting waste of 15 minutes. I'd love to see something like this happen in karate. Someone would say something, and the other people would just go 'meh', split off, and carry on regardless. Have I missed something about martial arts? Because at the moment it just seems like a bunch of overgrown kids instructing each other to meet behind the bike sheds for HONOUR.
Does Chris Kent read posts on MAP? 'Cause if not, this is one of the most impotent exercises I've ever seen. Why is the MAP JKD forum being turned into a venue for attacks on a particular individual over what is apparently a personal matter between two instructors? Is this how grown-ups really solve their problems, guys? Seriously, let me help you build a bridge so you can get the hell over it. This can't possibly be the big deal you're making it out to be. And if it is, a JKD forum (not a JKDC forum, not an OJKD forum, not a PFS forum, not a SBG forum, but a forum open to all flavors of JKD) isn't the place to be airing some personal beef. Especially when some guys are threatening physical violence that will never actually manifest. It's easy to talk big when you don't have to back it up. You guys want to discuss the principles of JKD, your technical issues, and what have you, this is the perfect place. If you want to whine about how Uncle Paul is ****ed and Uncle Chris, I'm sure there's a "Twilight" forum with the appropriate level of estrogen for that discussion.
If you look at how things are being posting latterly then most PFS guys are responding appropriately - or more accurately in line with what *I* would deem to be a better manner. That is to say peed off but articulating as opposed to threatening. And believe me Michael, this absolutely reflects Vu's position - I know Mr. Kent is receiving all postings and is also getting a lot of attantion on his own pages. The reason there is so much activity on MAP is because when the original article was posted no Pro-PFS posts were authorised or allowed. This was why it was taken to another venue beyond such censorship. Now the dust has settled I am satisifed that the displeasure PFS feels is apparent. Also there is no chance this can trun into a "Lebell vs Seagal" rumour mill. Like I said, everything is out there for good or bad and in the years to come there is a record of what transpired. JKD needs to allow it's various branches to co-exist without conflict - philosophically is SHOULD. The problem is that for too long the various camps have sniped and bitched rather than meet face to face, and so when our particular branch responds in an emotive, fortright (if over-zealous) manner it seems we are calling for mob rule Really we are not (well I know I certainly am not). Mr. Kent made the article personal towards PFS - not anyone else. That is why the reaction has been all PFS. Am I happy with how things turned out? Hard to say - I did not envision a corporate gong-sau, and to be fair most of the "bitchslapping" talk was anger and emotion. I certainly do not envision this ever happening. My final word on this - because I think my postion is clear now - is for Mr. Chris Kent himself. Chris, if soeone had targetted Bruce in this way, how do you think he would have handled it?
To Chris Kent Chris when you said that this article would **** off a lot of people you were certainly right. There is a big world out there with a lot of honest and hard working people that don’t need your opinions spiritually or financially. I know you have your opinions. Everybody has their opinions, but you have to think before you speak. Do you still have that much ego left after 30-40 years in the Martial Arts world that you think you are the center of the universe? I find that sad. You have now started something that you might regret. Daniel Andersson Contemporary JKD
I have no dog in this fight , but surely you can can see the contradiction in your argument ? You accuse Mr Kent of thinking he is the centre of the universe , yet because he has questioned Mr Vunaks take on JKD he's now getting threats of being bitch slapped on his doorstep at 5 am !! At his point you're all doing a lot more for MR Kents argument than MR Vunaks.
There is a big difference between responding to a difference of opinion and responding to a personally directed attack I still do not advocate "bitchslapping"though
For christs sake , he's just saying that he doesn't agree with the direction that Vunack is taking , debate it like adults , not 10 year olds.
If I were thinking of taking up a martial art and I read this thread, I would stay well away from PFS. I'm sure the many people who google "PFS" over the coming years and find this thread will think the same thing (this thread's already on the front page if you google "PFS martial arts"). It seems to me that by ruining your association's reputation like this, you have done a great disservice to your teachers. Perhaps you should go round to each other's houses and beat each other up -I gather that's what you do to people who dishonour the reputation of your school?
It's all getting a bit pathetic. How come so many new MAP members all being JKD guys? Looks like a case of telephone calls going around to me. It cannot be coincidence. I wonder also how many of these guys have contacted Chris Kent directly and with the consent or Mr Vunak.
I was bored this afternoon , so i had a mooch about , a couple of people have posted on his facebook page , but interestingly , there's only one negative comment attached to the original blog that Hannibal linked and an awful lot in agreement.
The reason we all arrived here is because ALL - and I do mean ALL - PFS comments were blocked/not approved Things kinda spilled over from there
As far as I am aware he is not PFS. If you look at the date he posted it was May 28th - I know for a 100% undisputable fact that PFS as a whole and Vu in particular had no idea Kent had written that article before Friday 5 August So yes, I can categorically state ALL PFS posts have been blocked since then
Just seems odd to me that they would allow a pretty aggressive post like that , but then block any subsequent negative response. Unless you're implying that a site apparently run by Bruce lees daughter doesn't agree with Vunack either ? That kind of implies who might be right or wrong.
