Villari's Self Defense Centers

[formerkarateka]

Was mattera a partner with villari or just a top instructor?

Do you know when they started calling it shaolin kempo?

Do you know what happened to rudy horn?

Here's some history, from what I can remember, and I dug up my old rank certificates, which may help establish when some "events" occurred.

First, I misstated when I started in martial arts. I might have said 1977, but it was actually earlier - 1975.

I found some of my old certificates of rank, which provide some answers that my memory does not. They give a better clue as to when the name changed from USSD to Villari's and the style went from being called Kenpo to Shaolin Kempo.

I received my 2nd degree brown rank in November 1979. That certificate says United Studios of Self Defense - Kenpo Karate. I earned 1st degree brown in April 1980. THAT certificate says USSD, but now SHAOLIN KEMPO. So the style name change occurred in early 1980

I made 1st degree black belt in December 1980. The certificate still reads United Studios. But, my certificate for 2nd degree black is from Fred Villari's. Not real specific, but the change in name apparently occurred in 1981 or 1982.

From the time I started, Villari was the guy running the system. I don't know when I first heard Mattera's name, but if he (or anyone else) was a partner, it wasn't visible to anyone. In the beginning, we would start classes bowing to pictures of "the masters". There was one of Villari, and one of William Chow. Eventually, Chow's picture was gone. If Mattera was partner, it was not obvious. I find it interesting to read stuff about Villari and Cerio being partners. I'd never heard of Cerio until I started reading these forums recently.

I've not heard the name Rudy Horn. That doesn't mean much, as I was not a dojo owner. I was mainly just a student. But I was around for quite a few years, and remember a few names of the "big names" in the organization. Some of the folks who were prominent in the organization when I was there are on my rank certificates.

Most of my early certificates have a signature (a reproduction on the pre-black belt ones) by Villari as "President", and are hand-signed by Art Singer, as "Director". A couple are signed by Gerald Swanson, as "Director".

I may have heard his name before this, but Mattera first appears on my rank certificates when I got to black. Both black belt certificates are signed by Villari as "Grandmaster 10th Degree Black Belt" and "Chairman of the Promotion Board". My 1st degree certificate is signed by Lawrence Mangone - 5th degree, as "Director". It is also signed by Charles Mattera - 6th degree, as "Senior Instructor". Also signed by a 3rd degree "Witness", though I can't quite make out the name.

My 2nd degree black certificate is signed again by Villari, Fred Bagley - 6th Dan as "Director", and again by Mattera - 6th Dan as "Senior Instructor". It is also witnessed by John Fritz - 5th Dan.

About the only other thing I can say about Mattera back then is we all heard he drove a Maserati.

Hope this "history" is of some interest...

[KempoTiger]

You had never heard of Cerio till you started posting here???

Amazing. Cerio was Villari's Sensei, until Villari left him to start his own system.

[tigerclaw2]

Rudy horn was villaris or partner when he left cerios in 71. they were both 2nd dans and larry was a green belt. I was just wondering if knew what happened to him?

You can look up some of this at https://www.kempokan.com

I was just curious if mattara was villaris partner because alot of his instructors on theses forums clam so, and I dont know if its true?

[formerkarateka]

You had never heard of Cerio till you started posting here???

Amazing. Cerio was Villari's Sensei, until Villari left him to start his own system.

I don't recall hearing the name. The only other person given some credit was, as I said, William Chow. It is possible the name was mentioned and I just don't remember. It's been 30 years since I started. Also, as I mentioned, I was in the Villari system for about eight years, but I didn't have a "franchise". So, I was more a customer than a member of the "corporation". I was not really an "insider".

Of course, 20-30 years ago, we didn't have Internet resources like this to research our system. All we knew was what they told us.

In some ways, I guess it wouldn't surprise me if those people who start their own systems downplay the fact that they split from another. I imagine the Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, etc. don't spend a lot of time telling their folks that they have the same roots as the Catholics and Episcopalians.

[KempoTiger]

In some ways, I guess it wouldn't surprise me if those people who start their own systems downplay the fact that they split from another. I imagine the Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, etc. don't spend a lot of time telling their folks that they have the same roots as the Catholics and Episcopalians.

bingo

[formerkarateka]

I was just curious if mattara was villaris partner because alot of his instructors on theses forums clam so, and I dont know if its true?

As someone who was not part of the business end of Villari's, I don't really know how they are organized, or what business arrangement Villari had with Mattera. It could have been a partnership-type organization, like accounting and law firms. In the latter, there are different levels of partners. So, maybe he got a cut of the overall busines, without necessarily being an equal partner. But, that is only speculation. Nobody ever went into detail about who owned what. The guy who ran our school never said anything about his arrangements with Villari organization. Was there a cost to buy a franchise? Did he pay a percentage back to the Villari organization? I don't know.

[octopic]

You had never heard of Cerio till you started posting here???

Amazing. Cerio was Villari's Sensei, until Villari left him to start his own system.

That's one interpretation of history... The nature of that relationship changes drastically depending on who is telling the story. I was not there, so I can not speak to what is the actual story, but people that I have a lot of respect for have told me that they were training partners, and that Cerio insisted on giving Villari rank, and that the direction of learning wasn't quite as the above post would imply. As I said, I was not there, so I can not be positive as to the actual story, I just wanted to let you know that there is more than one story out there.

[SenseiKeith]

Ryuujinblade,

How much are you paying at villaris? USSD is 175 a month for a year contract. Does your instructor know about the split from mattera?

What are you getting for the $175? If it's only group classes, that is rediculous. If you're getting weekly privates, it's still high.

USSD schools tend to charge more because of their overhead (they have to pay the national org for their license).

I used to work for USSD (eastcoast) they had not national org license fee that I can recall. In addition to this the fee's were as follows:

Advanced Training Program (ATP)

$125/month. This included unlimited group classes and one private lesson a day. (school was open at the time 6 days a week) (kids and adults)

Black Belt Club

$75 kids/ $90adults per month. This included unlimited group classes and one private lesson a week.

Group Classes

Unlimited classes

Kids $55

Adults $60

Testing Fees where as followed

Adults:

Yellow to blue with a stripe $30

Green and Green Stripe $60

1st Brown to 3rd Degree Brown $80

1st Degree Black Belt $250

Kids:

white belt to 3rd Degree Brown $30

Junior Black belt $125

Black Belt $250

These where the prices of the USSD in Clinton CT at the time (1995 from what I can recall)

As a side note Grand master Steven Demasco left Grand Master Fred Villari's when he was 7th Degree Black Belt. He worked with Grand Master Charles Mattera and Mattera made him the East Coast Priesident of USSD. A lot of instructors/students of Villari's left with Demasco to the new founded USSD schools. This is from what I have heard from my instructor at the time.

Respectfully Yours,

Keith

[kungfufist3]

The west coast fee's are way higher than the east coast.

[ninjamac]

If you train in the west coast you will pay about 175 to 250 a month.