backgrounds

whats everyones background, so i get a feel for who some of you are.
i already personally know jeremy lynch, tim tackett, bob bremer, jim sewell, dennis blue, louis berard. but for the rest of you. im not sure who you are and what your backgrounds are.

me, ive been in martial arts most of my life, im 31. ive been in various disciplines including: kenpo, kendo, aikido, kobodo,ishinryu, law enforcment aikido, kobodo (weapons), kiokoshinki(cant remember how to spell that one - its a japanese syle of street karate) and now jkd, ive been in jkd for about 2 1/2 years. working towards wanting to be an instructor.

[brentlance]

In 1984, when I was 9, I took my first lessons in Tae Kwon Do. I later met a guy named Charles Loudermilk who became my first teacher as far as I am concerned as he began to introduce me to Jeet Kune Do. Charles introduced me to his Instructor Vic Payne. I began taking lessons with Vic at his home in Brasstown, NC (right down the road from me).

Well, it just so happened that Vic put on this little martial arts camp, called the Great Smoky Mountain Martial Arts Camp. There were these guys from other places around the country, who were instructors and peers of Vic Payne that taught at this camp. Some of them were: Tim Tackett, Danny Inosanto, Bert Poe, Larry Hartsell, Francis Fong, Chai Sirisute, Paul Dethours (spelling???), Cliff Lenderman, Cliff Stewart, Joe Lewis, Fred Deggerberg, and some others. I went to the camp during its last 4 years. I cut my teeth there.

That is where I met Tim Tackett of course and I was a little pre teenager following him around trying to sit next to him during the lunch time and breakfast time breaks. Asking probably some goofy questions about a lop sao or something. Tim was the most friendly to me and also Bert Poe and Chai Sirisute. Bert scared me sometimes as he would sneak up and grab me by the back of my neck and say "Don't move."

I began fighting in the ring in a toughman type contest that Vic Payne put on, in 1990. In 1990 and 1991, I finished 1st or 2nd place in almost every event I fought in. I also did some amateur boxing and kickboxing, and even a little professional boxing. At best count, I have had around 74 Ring fights total. I know I lost 13 times in all. Making my "unsanctioned" ring record somewhere around 61-13.


I became one of Vic Payne's instructors in 1993 at the age of 19. I began to teach a small group with Charles Loudermilk. I continued to teach and eventually was reunited with Tim Tackett, under whom I am also a JKD instructor. I continue to learn from Tim Tackett, Bob Bremer, and all of his students and peers that are part of the WNG.

[frankiefuller]

I'm really mainly just a Ph.D. student in political science but I like martial arts too and stuff on East Asia. Been studying martial arts 19 years and have collected too many belts: 4th degree black belt Ho Shin Do (certified as a Head Instructor), 2nd degree black belt Choi Kwang Do (also Assistant Instructor), 1st degree black belt WTF Tae Kwon Do, blue belt Shintoyoshinkai Jiu-Jitsu, green belt Okinawan Shuri-Ryu Karate, yellow belt Kajukenpo. Been studying JKD lately with Brent in between all the dojo time. Sometimes too much mechanical weird stuff from the dojo looks too arcane for real combat, so I'm trying to allow JKD to free me out of the dojobox. Had plenty of sparring before, but mostly TKD and karate guys. Biggest challenges of JKD: the traditional arts like to block and sometimes turn their bodies sideways when fighting, so this can be a problem when facing a JKD guy, who likes to prey on these weaknesses. Trying to remember to avoid the horse-stance in most situations, and also remembering that practicing my katas will NOT help me fight JKD guys, but they are quite pretty. However, I'm trying to avoid too much ballroom dancing (I'm not kidding, some of the actual jiu-jitsu moves I practice in the dojo with a partner look exactly the same as ballroom dancing moves) and trying to get into more realistic fighting aspects that will enhance my training.

[lssanjose]

1990 - 93, I did wushu kung fu under Dirk Johnson who also supposedly was doing jun fan / kali at the time. Because of this, I found myself working on some stop kicks, some muay thai concepts, and swinging kali sticks every now and then.

After that, I took a long hiatus from training but still keeping abreast of martial arts via books. The main books that carried influence were Bruce Lee books.

1996 -, began my deeper involvement in JKD. This all started with the TAo of JKD and then came the Nucleus. It was through the nucleus that I was able to get a better grasp of Bruce's writings.

2001, I did a quarter's worth of Aikido, which had interesting tenets, but it still wasn't what I wanted. I wanted JKD.

2003, I began my JKD journey finally under Shawn King and the journey continues to this day with my training in Chinatown and Walnut.

I come from a fighting family. When we weren't fighting each other, we were fighting in all of america battlefield for the past hundred years or so. My family has a proud tradition of serving in the military and law enforement fields. I have uncles who are fifth degree and above in tradional Karate, Aikido, JiuJitsu ect. My Dad is a seventh degree Kenpo Jujitsu master with over 60 years of training, my mother is sixth degree in Kodinkan Jukido. To say we lean towards the Japanese fighting arts would be an understatement. Myself, I am a third degree in what else Jiujitsu of course. My dad started training me very little as little games you play with kids and that led to formal training at seven in judo for a couple of years, which led to Kempo for six years , which led to HakkoRyu Jiujitsu which I have spent the last 19 years training in.

[Valpolicella]

I am learning Fang Shen Do. I'm mid way along in the scheme of things. I also just enjoy reading about JKD. I like other MA's but am sticking to just one because I think the one I'm learning is complete and practicle. But I love to hear whah others have to say.

I have bounced in a club and have seen enough to say that when it comes down to it you will use what you train, but most people really just throw down and punch each other in the heat of the moment.

I started my training because I was afraid to fight and I did'nt like the scared feeling I got in a confrontation. Now because of my Fang Shen Do training I feel confident. I can truly say even though I am not a Black sash I got what I was looking for and more.

I think if you really want to learn how to fight you need to spar, end of story. Otherwise you really build up a false confidence. I remember learning chung choie and taun sao and thinking that I could win any fight now. Well, one round of sparring reeally showed me the truth!

I think I learned all I needed to know about fighting in the first 6 months. It seems after that the real martial ARTS come into play. That way you've covered all your bases and you learn ALL about how the human body works as a weapon.
Does anybody know what I mean by that?

[R Mullinax]

Rick Mullinax, I started training in the martial arts in 1964, in TKD. I met Bruce Lee in Charlotte, North Carolina when he was traveling around for the Green Hornet Show. I had the chance to talk to Bruce for about 1 hour. Then in Wilmington, North Carolina around 1970, 1971 I was at a movie set for a screen test, and guess who was there Bruce Lee. We talked about 30 min. Bruce said he did not understand why these movie people uses actors that cannot do Martial Arts, and they should use someone that knows how to fight, and do it right. I asked him if he would show me a few of his moves, he did and it was something I had never seen before. Bruce was quick like a cat. Bruce acted like he had a lot on his mind. I was called for my screen test. We said good-by. The movie set is now Fincannon & Associates. We all know that Brandon Lee was killed on a movie set in Wilmington, NC. When I got back to the Charlotte, NC area I found that Mr. Larry Hartsell had moved back to Charlotte. I located Mr. Hartsell and started studying. I bulit the equipment we used to train with to pay for my lessons. I am a member of Larry Hartsells Instructors Association, Mr Gary Dill Association, and the International Krav Maga Federation. I have been teaching JKD for around 30 years. I have been in Who`s Who in Amercian Martial Arts.In 1975 and 1976 I took first place in the Southeastern full contact champships. I have been on the front cover of To-Day Mag. There is a lot more, but I guess this is enough Information. My web site is http://www.jeetkunedoacademy.com

[Arron Grammond]

Its a long read...lol

If you’re looking for a pedigree of belts and official certifications you’re not going to find it on me. Most of my training is un-official and off the record.

In the late1970s my father told me it was time to learn to defend myself. He had brought home 2 pairs of red leather boxing gloves and started to teach me the basics of fighting. My Grandfather was a golden gloves boxer in his day and had passed on to his sons what he had to teach them. My father was also a navy man and brought home a love for the orient and all things Asian including his experiences in Viet Nam, Japan, etc. This would set a tone and put me on a path of self discovery through “Arts Martial.”

My father enrolled me in a Wrestling class at one point in the late 70s as well. It was all good, considering I was skinny as a whip and the bulk of my strength came from farm work instead of lifting weights. The wrestling classes ended one day when I was matched up against another kid who was 4-times my size and mass. I tried grappling with him a few rounds and was getting my face smashed into the mat. It occurred to me that the direct method wasn’t going to work, so I side stepped when he charged into me. Hooked his arm with mine and flipped him. I was pleased with myself until the coach started screaming that I was not wrestling and I couldn’t do that. Nothing in the rules he had given us had indicated that my solution to the size problem was wrong? So I decided that I needed to find a more real Art.

My mother enrolled me in a Karate class at the Lynden, WA YMCA, in the early 80s. I had discovered the class while I was taking swimming lessons. After a short period training with them I discovered that the Karate guys didn’t like it when you grabbed a hold of them and put them to the ground. The Sensei decided to pair me up with some of the “black belts” to better teach me that Karate was superior to what I was doing “wrong,” even though it was working against my opponents.

When the first bout started it felt like what my father had taught me years before. The head went down the shoulders up hands in front of me, the opponent tucked one hand back to his side and shot out a forward punch. I weaved to the side stepped forward and up with an uppercut. Full contact occurred, head went back, then shoulders as he tipped back. I followed him to the floor, grabbed a hold of his leg flipped him on his stomach and proceeded into a leg lock. The instructor started screaming that I wasn’t doing it right, that you were supposed to stop when the opponent was down and return to position. This was the last day of Karate for me as I left to find a more real Art.

A childhood buddy and I would practice fighting all the time for many years growing up. Looking back its impressive we didn’t kill each other in the process. We practiced with our friends who were learning a variety of other styles and gleaned what we could from their experiences and backgrounds. We heard of Bruce Lee and started trying to learn abou him. While other kids were playing with G.I. Joes we would build Nun-chucks, Swords, Bo Staffs, Spears, anything we could to train with.

In the mid 80s I met some old Vets that lived on the Washington State peninsula, They would come and visit thier families durring parts of the year. They fascinated me at the time. While stuck in war mode and living in the woods they kept up with training. They had learned and honed methods to kill a man that no Americanized version of martial arts I had experience to that point had taught. From them I learned of places people trained at public parks and private classes in garages and back yards. I learned about Kung Fu styles, Tai Chi, Tae Quan Do, Kempo, Judo, Jujitsu, Akido, Kick boxing, etc.

A door into the real and surreal world on martial arts had opened. I was introduced to a brotherhood of people who lived and studied martial arts outside the commercial venues. Various people of various styles would get together and train off each other feeding on different methods. I lost touch with them in time and was left to my own devices again.

My old childhood buddy introduced me to a new school that had opened in Bellingham, WA. teaching Kajukenbo. Sijo Anderson had opened a school and named it Double Action Training Academy (D.A.T.A.). A composite street fighting style that pulled from a group of styles combined together by masters of their arts into a no nonsense function over form style. Datu Kelly Warden would join us from time to time and we learned Arnis, Knives and Bo Staff as a part of the D.A.T.A. method.

Sijo Anderson also trained local police and SWAT as a part of his dojo. All the DATA students were required to learn to shoot GLOCK and MOSSBERB shotguns in tactical application. We took the same tests as the police were required to do for their jobs. This was also when I learned of bodyguard and executive protection work.

After a few years growing and then relocating the school to Ferndale WA things started to change. A finance company was added, contracts, special uniforms apart from the black BDUs and Polo shirts we had been wearing. Then belts with special testing fees and times were added. Next the life size Power Rangers in the window. Most of the older students started to drop out and drift away.

My Buddy ended up renting a room from a Wing Chung instructor, Sifu Portrey who had been training at the D.A.T.A. with us and he opened a private Dojo at his homestead near Glacier, WA and trained there for a time. We also trained with people out of Canada and were exposed to Silat, Brazilian Jujutsu, Kung Fu, and other styles.

I moved to Redmond, WA for work and ended up Meeting a guy named “Dan” who was a Tae Quan Do 4th dan Black belt instructor from Alaska. We started training at the Redmond city park and a small following started to gather. A guy who studied Hopkido joined us and another guy who was traditional Kendo. We all enjoyed the interaction for a few years.

There were rumors of some group called “The Brotherhood?” who were doing JKD in Seattle and Bellingham but I never was able to locate or get introduced to them.

I ended up moving to Arizona at this point and lost contact with everyone. Fast forward and I end up with a house and needing a Room Mate. Scott Stern moved in and I discovered he was into Martial arts, an ex-Seal, a Private Eye and was competing in California at MMA fights.

We trained off an on as time allowed and his Background was Kendo, Judo, Jujitsu he had started learing in Boarding school overseas. I was reintroduced to Private investigation, Security and Executive protection work again. After a period of pestering from Scott I got licensed and started working whit him when he needed help.

He introduced me to a friend of his named Bernie who was an ex-spook (ex right) and was one of his instructors. Bernie also has a colorful background as a POW and various other “projects.” I trained with Bernie a bit too.

During one of my annual internet checks I found a hit for JKD in Arizona. Located a valid e-mail address and contacted Vince Perez-Mazola. I joined his classes shortly there after and have been training with him ever since.

Just the other day Vince issued certificates to the class so now I hold a
Level 3 Advance Assistant Instructor certificate or something like that? I’ve never put much stock in a certificate but I’m honored he gave me one. He has mentioned wanting to take me to the Inosanto Acadamy and introduce me to people there. Sure why not, I look forward to what I can learn as always. :wink:

Life and well as Martial arts is about the journey not a destination, I view my past and see it as a rare opportunity to be exposed to a lot of martial arts and gaining a wide perspective of them and how they can and cannot work together. It has impacted my life in ways I still keep discovering and can only hope I’m able to pass it along to my son as he grows up.