Villari's Self Defense Centers

[ninjamac]

Kinda the same at ussd.

[Ryuujinblade]

Hey guys (first post here, hope to stick around ^^)

Anywho, I just wanted to state my opinion on the subject. I have been taking kempo at the Villari's center in Walpole Massachusetts for close to 13 years now, and although I am only a 1st degree brown belt, my rank should be a 4th degree black (i took several years off due to other activities being Archery, school, and girlfriends) and for 3 years of that time, I have been an Instructor. While my sensei (one Steve Hannah) seems to have an excellent teaching basis, the dojo itself is commercialising. Contracts and structurs detract from the overall impact of the school. And at one point we actually got a complaint for having a child do pushups. The testing system is the 3 month rule, and even though you may suck at what you were tought to do (anything from 1 pinion to 5 kata) as long as you paid your fees, you can advance.

What im trying to say is that although the school may be a McDojo, at least give the instructors a chance and request private lessons.......its all in what you get out of it.

[KempoTiger]

My school is somewhat related to Villari's for my Master used to train with Villari for a bit until he decided to train with Cerio himself.

We teach primarily Cerio's Kempo, but to the best of my knowlege the material is nearly identical at the Villari schools. If that's the case then I'd just mimic what everyone said above and find a good instructor and go with it, because the system is great as long as the Sensei knows what he's talking about....

I would also recommend switching over to one of my schools Dojo's but hey....

[tigerclaw2]

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?

[octopic]

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).

[tigerclaw2]

yeah you get one private a week. If you want to quit theres some high back fee's you have to pay. Buy the way I heard mattara owns the billing company too.

[octopic]

Buy the way I heard mattara owns the billing company too.

I hadn't heard that. If that's true, that makes it a pretty sweet deal for him. Those companies take several points off the top, and then he gets money from the school for the license as well.

Edited August 10, 2005 by octopic

[tigerclaw2]

I hear he allso owns bushido martial arts supply company which he makes all ussd schools buy from their. Plus you have to buy the videos for each rank from their.

[octopic]

I hear he allso owns bushido martial arts supply company which he makes all ussd schools buy from their. Plus you have to buy the videos for each rank from their.

I did a little research and it does appear that Mattera owns Bushido (the contact name for the company is listed as being "MATTERA, CH").

I guess if you really want to make a lot of money in the MA business, then if helps if your schools have to pay you in several different ways.

[tigerclaw2]

yeah you have to buy all martial arts supplys from bushido gi's belts , patchs, shirts ext.. I am pretty sure mattera isnt hurting for money considering he drives a lamborghini. I heard a lot matteras schools pay the instructors 1099s is this true? I thought all schools have set hours?