Paul Vunak · Team Vunak · Navy SEALs

History of Rapid Assault Tactics (RAT)

The most practical and battle-tested close-quarter combat system ever developed — created for Navy SEALs, proven in real-world situations.
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01
Origins
Bruce Lee's Streamlined Jeet Kune Do
Paul Vunak · Jeet Kune Do · KALI
Built for the SEALs,
Proven in the Real World
Paul Vunak · Team Vunak

Rapid Assault Tactics (RAT) is a streamlined and highly efficient martial arts system developed by Paul Vunak — a prominent martial artist trained in Jeet Kune Do — to meet the specific needs of Navy SEALs. The RAT system was created in response to the SEALs' limited time for martial arts training, necessitating a method that focused only on the most practical and functional techniques that could be learned quickly and applied effectively in real combat situations.

Over time, other military and government agencies also adopted RAT due to its effectiveness. Unlike traditional martial arts systems which often involve elaborate techniques requiring years to master, RAT focuses on simplicity and efficiency. It is not meant for competitive fighting or sport — it is designed to help individuals survive dangerous encounters by neutralizing threats in the fastest, most decisive manner possible.

The philosophy is simple: under adrenaline, you don't rise to the occasion — you fall back on what you've trained. So RAT trains a small number of high-percentage tools until they're instinctive.

JKD · Bruce Lee's Lineage Kali · Filipino Roots SEAL · Battle-Tested
02
Why It Works
The Range Nobody Trains For
Kicking · Punching · Trapping · Grappling
Where the Fight Is Won
Bruce Lee · Dan Inosanto · Paul Vunak

Every martial art fights within four ranges. Decades ago, Bruce Lee and Dan Inosanto noticed something almost everyone missed: nearly every fighter is competent at kicking, punching, and grappling. Almost no one knows how to fight in trapping range.

01
Kicking
Long range — legs out front.
02
Punching
Hands trading blows — the most dangerous zone, especially against someone bigger.
03
Trapping — RAT Lives Here
Headbutts, knees, elbows. The range almost no one trains — and where your most destructive tools live.
04
Grappling
Clinch and ground.

That gap is the whole strategy. RAT's first job is to get past kicking and punching range — the zone where you're trading blows and most vulnerable — and into trapping range, where your opponent is lost and your tools are devastating. Get there and the fight shifts entirely in your favor.

"You shouldn't exchange blows on the street. You overwhelm and dominate him from the onset."
03
The System
Key Concepts of the RAT
Entry · Pressure · Termination
Three Phases. One Goal.
Paul Vunak · Team Vunak
RAT System — The Three Phases
● Entry
Interception
Destruction
● Pressure
Straight Blast
Centerline
● Termination
Headbutt
Knees
Elbows
Game Plan
In self-defense, possessing individual skills isn't enough — you need a premeditated strategy. RAT stresses the importance of having a game plan, similar to how athletes rely on pre-developed plays. This ensures that when adrenaline spikes in a real confrontation, the defender can instinctively execute the necessary techniques rather than react in a confused or delayed manner.
Entry
The first phase of RAT is entry — getting past an opponent's kicking and punching range to enter the trapping range. This range allows the defender to use more destructive tools like elbows, knees, and headbutts. Entry is accomplished either through interception or destruction.
Interception: Inflicting immediate pain with techniques like a finger jab to the eyes or a kick to the groin, disrupting the opponent before their attack is fully launched.
Destruction: Drawing from the Filipino art of Kali, this tactic involves targeting and attacking the attacking limb — treating the limb as a vulnerable target rather than a mere weapon.
Pressure
After gaining entry, RAT relies on applying intense forward pressure using the straight blast. This technique, inspired by Bruce Lee's adaptation of Wing Chun, involves a series of straight punches delivered along the opponent's centerline. The goal is to force the opponent to backpedal, rendering them off-balance and completely vulnerable.
Termination
The final phase of RAT is termination — the use of the body's most destructive tools: elbows, knees, and headbutts. These techniques are employed to finish the fight as quickly as possible once the opponent has been overwhelmed and destabilized by the straight blast.
04
Your Options
Ways to Train R.A.T.
Online · Retreat · Private With Paul
Three Paths In
Paul Vunak · Team Vunak

Three paths, depending on how hands-on you want to get. Most people start online, then step up to the retreat or train privately with Paul. Every path makes you a RAT Qualified candidate — complete the program, get validated by a certified instructor, and you earn RAT Qualified status, one of the programs required on the path to Apprentice Instructor.

Online · Train Anywhere
Online Training
Train the full RAT framework virtually, on your own schedule. Work through the self-paced video program as many times as you need, then sharpen it live in private group live streams with the virtual instructors — real-time instruction and feedback without leaving home. Complete it, train with the group, and you can be evaluated online to earn your RAT Qualified status — no travel required.
Evaluated & qualified online · The lowest-friction way to start
Retreat · San Diego
The 4-Day R.A.T. Retreat
"Master the Anatomy of a Street Fight." Four days in San Diego with Paul Vunak and the full instructor crew — two seminar days plus two semi-private IPTP days for concentrated, close-attention work. Online prep training included so you arrive ready.
Limited seats · Wait list open · Travel & lodging not included
Premium · Train With The Source
Private 1-On-1 With Paul Vunak
The highest level of instruction available — private, one-on-one training directly with Paul Vunak. Your technique watched, corrected, and pressure-tested by the man who created the system. This is the fast track: it earns RAT Qualified and can open the door to the Apprentice Instructor rank — awarded at Paul's discretion for those progressing well.
San Diego · Scheduled directly with the team
05
A Credential, Not Just a Course
Become RAT Qualified
Train · Validate · Qualify
You're Not Just Learning to Defend Yourself
Paul Vunak · Team Vunak

RAT only works if the details are right. Range, timing, and the order of the phases are what separate a system that functions under stress from one that falls apart. Training under a certified instructor in Paul Vunak's lineage means you're learning the material the way it was built — not a watered-down copy.

Train through any of the three paths and you become a RAT Qualified candidate. Upon completing the program and being validated by a certified instructor, you earn RAT Qualified status — recognized qualification in the organization, and one of the qualifying programs toward becoming an Apprentice Instructor. Training privately with Paul is the fast track: it can earn you both RAT Qualified and, for those progressing well, the Apprentice rank itself. You're not just learning to defend yourself — you're building toward a credential.

Ready When You Are
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