Villari's Self Defense Centers

[BBuilder]

My father trained at a Villari studio in West Palm for several years (i don't know if it is even open anymore) and was a First degree black belt and would have soon become a second degree if he wouldn't have dropped it. I know very little about Karate and Kempo and do not train but I am going to start soon and will probably go with this style. From what he has told me his instructor was very good but he wasn't able to train him once he got more advanced so would have had to take private lessons. This is when he stopped.

[Withers M.A.A.]

Your fathers instructor couldn't train him anymore cause he was too advanced? That doesn't make sense. Then he said he would have to take private lessons. Maybe I misunderstood that but sounds pretty fishy to me.

[BBuilder]

I'm not totally clear on it but what I understood was he got to a level where the class instructor was not much more advanced than him and he would have had to pay for seperate lessons with someone else. If it sounds "fishy" it is because you misunderstand me, not because I'm BSing you which I have no reason to do obviously.

[BBuilder]

Oh and since you are already here and I see you are active in Kempo and TKD which style do you prefer?

[Pacificshore]

I understood it to mean that BBuilder's father reached an advanced level that just about equaled the instructor, therefore the instructor had no more to offer. Kinda like the 1st degree BB taking a student up to Brown belt, and can't show him/her anything past his/her 1st degree BB knowledge. Sometimes that happens in franchise type dojos. Just my thoughts

[Red J]

Withers, I'm still training there. The private arrangement that BBuilder spoke of doesn't apply to my school where we have access to many different instructors. I have been taught by two different 1st degrees, a third, two fourths, a sixth, and finally a seventh. I have been happy with the instruction and small class size. Also month to month is the norm and I have never been asked to sign a contract.

[Withers M.A.A.]

BBuilder I don't really have a preference to which style I like better. I prefer the kicking techniques obviously from TKD but basically everything else I prefer Kenpo. My style of Kenpo varies a bit from the Kempo at FRed Villaris. My style is Japanese in origin as yours is Chinese. Similiar yet very different.

 

I don't understand where people rate an instructor by rank. Being trained by a 1st degree or 9th degree sometimes doesn't make any difference. My last instructor actually was only a 1st degree. I was actually a higher rank than he was. Granted it was in a different style but still doesn't really matter. I'm only a 2nd degree BB but have been training for 17 years. I've been offered to test many times but feel there is no need. I'm a blackbelt and to me that is all that matters. The belt I wear does not dictate the knowledge I have.

 

As for bashing Fred Villaris i'm not here to say the schools are bad. Believe me I trained there for many years when I first started out. I just outgrew the schools and felt they were holding me back. I was training in TKD at the same time and wasn't allowed to practice any of my TKD kicks at the school because I was told they were "blackbelt" kicks. Funny how I was a white belt in TKD at the time and was learning "blackbelt" kicks. I leared a bit with Fred Villaris but moved on and don't have any regrets with training there or leaving.

 

Pete

[Red J]

I agree with the rank of the instructor and rating. I just gave those out just to give an indication of the levels of experience that have been available to me. I would also add that many of my instructors have had other MA experience as well and they all bring a slightly different perspective to the table.

 

I have had no regrets with the experience. In fact it has been the inspiration that I needed to get back into MA and into shape.

[Withers M.A.A.]

Another side note to make is that you should never judge a style or school by what others remark about it weather good or bad. It is important to make your own decisions. And remember what makes a good school or chain is the instructor at that particular location. Just because there is a handful of schools in a chain where the instructors are just average shouldn't dictate the entire chain.

[LDG]

Hi,

 

New to forum.

 

My firsthand with FVis as follows.

 

I first went there about 17 years ago. A girl there (now my wife) had a good teacher who left before my arrival. Prior to that she had a psycho who trashed the studio because his girlfriend broke up with him. Then, when I went, we had a husband wife who suffice to say, were total jerks. I feel they were the main reason both of us left.

 

So Yes, I agree, a lot of it has to do with the instuctor. Also, they were heavy handed on getting you to sign a contract and charging for belt tests. I dissagree with these practices very much.

 

Now, with our children enrolled in a Kempo school , my wife and I have started our training again. A lot of instrutors got there start at FVs. Hey , I met my wife there, but thats about the only good I personally saw come out of it. Oh, we did see people advance in a time frame and circumstances that were questionable to us.

 

Thats my experiance.

 

My personal feeling now is, I can't belive FV sells a DVD/tape series to go from white to black belt in your home with no instructors! What does that tell you about him now? Diplomas through the mail? Thanks, but no-thanks.