# SKK Shodan returning after 10 year layoff



## 08Neely (Jul 3, 2007)

Grettings all, first post on the board.
My brief bio - I'm 37 years old and 12 years removed from my Black Belt test in 1995. I studied with a highly regarded studio in the Villaris system in the suburban Boston area.
I moved to Arizona in 1997 and discontinued my studies as I was getting close to my 2nd Dan.
Long story short here I am 10 years later looking to get back into it.

The closest thing I have found is these USSD studios.
Close to the same system with some minor changes.
The instructor is passable (2nd Dan), I have already taken 2 classes and even 10 years gone I still remember quite a bit. 

While I might train with them month to month for a short while I do see several things that do concern me.

1 - all the nice threads I see on USSD on the web...not so good.
2 - This Instuctor, while he is decent all he keeps saying is contract contact contact....I mean what the heck? 
3- The "Black Belts" while I have met 1 or 2 that are semi-decent practicioners that are worth the belt I have met quite a few that I wouldn't give a green belt to.
4 - These "Red Belts" or whatever they are...I always thought a Blackbelt took 5-6 years to get. At least that was what it took me to get mine going 3 times a week (my instructor was pretty tough). 
5 - $250 dollars a month for unlimited groups and one 30 min Private (or semi private if you ask me). If you sign on the dotted line for 24 months it drops to $185.
If you quit before the term is up you are liable for the amount of the discount for the remaining term of the contact. Ouch
No programs without privates....that is a crock!

So I will likely try this studio for a month - no way I will go under contact though, too much for watered down karate that ignores it's roots.
So would anyone know of a real Villaris studio here in Arizona?
I have heard through the grapevine that they are looking to open one here, or at least a SKK School that teaches the core of the Cerio/Villari system aside from these USSD crackers?

What is the going rate for schools these days? Back in my day it was 45 a month plus test fees at 30 a pop.(group classes only)
I can't see making a car payment every month so if that is the going rate I may have to rethink my comeback....

Thanks.


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## Hawke (Jul 3, 2007)

Greetings!

Welcome to MT.  Ever consider taking a look at the other MA around your area?  Maybe visit a few and take some free classes.  With your experience you have an eye of what to look for.  Your current place does not sound too good from your description.  I currently pay $125 a month for Kenpo (EPAK) the cost just went up after 6 years.  I learn FMA for free on weekends at a park.  I do know some people that pay a lot for their training.  Dan Inosanto's school in Marina Del Rey offers different prices depending on which curriculum you want.  

Hope things work out for you.

Peace.


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## Rabu (Jul 3, 2007)

Welcome in!

Best of luck continuing your studies.  I hope you find what you are looking for.

As a sort of continuation of the previous post about costs...I dont know that any system or teacher would be worth that much cash unless they were some kind of olympic class performer or world famous practitioner.  Even then, I havent heard of anyone charging that much.  But I havent worried about costs of classes in a long long time....

I am sure the Villari's website can be a resource for you, as well as some people on this board.  There is an active Kempo area just a few lines below this section for your question to be reasked.

Best regards,

Rob


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## MJS (Jul 3, 2007)

Welcome to Martial Talk! 

Mike


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## 08Neely (Jul 3, 2007)

Thanks for the replies  

Just as an update, I have traded a couple of emails with my old instructor back in Masachusetts.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only is my old studio still there but she is still teaching classes there as well, albiet as a 6th dan instead of a 3rd. Too bad it is 3000+ miles away or I would be right back there.

And to respond to Hawke, yes I have in fact considered starting from scratch elsewhere, I have always had a desire to look into Kendo or possibly Akido.
But all the same I did put quite a bit of sweat and work to attain the level I was at in SKK and still really enjoy the system. 
It would be nice to at least review and get my old techniques and forms back even if I were to move on.

I will always remember an analogy that one of the Masters gave to us at the end of our Blackbelt test, he compared getting your first Dan to first learining the alphabet, and now that you have the basis to the language it will be a lot easier to teach you how to read and write.
Maybe a bit simplistic but I felt there was a lot of truth in that statement, especially after making the jump to Blackbelt classes.

Thanks again for the responses.


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## 14 Kempo (Jul 3, 2007)

Welcome to MartialTalk and back to the arts ... enjoy!


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## Kacey (Jul 3, 2007)

First, welcome, and happy posting!  :wavey:

Second, I don't have any local advice about schools, but you might try these 2 threads (Choosing a School and Resources for Beginners) as a place to get some information that may help you decide what to do next.

Good luck, and let us know how your journey goes!


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## ArmorOfGod (Jul 3, 2007)

Welcome to the group and good luck.

AoG


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## Insley Stiles (Jul 4, 2007)

Greetings and welcome,

I like the alphabet analogy, how true.

Regards,
Ins


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## MeatWad2 (Jul 5, 2007)

Welcome to MT!  There are some Shaolin Arts schools in Arizona...they are breakoff schools.  What is your location in AZ?


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## JBrainard (Jul 5, 2007)

Ave.


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## bluemtn (Jul 5, 2007)

Welcome and happy posting!  I hope your training works out for you, and you do have other options for schools if it doesn't.


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## Brian R. VanCise (Jul 5, 2007)

Welcome to MartialTalk!


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## mjd (Jul 6, 2007)

Welcome and good luck in your search, there a lots of other style that are very simalar.


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## 08Neely (Jul 6, 2007)

As an update i went to an advanced class last night at a Shaolin Kempo School run by a gentleman that got his first BB from Villari's quite some time ago. He moved on to study several other styles and is quite a talented Martial artist in my opinion.

Last night we tore several combinations apart and took them to places I had never considered.
I rather enjoyed that instead of practicing them as taught and not questioning things. I have always felt that the combinations (or DM's for you USSD folk) had the potential for many variations and applications apart from how they were taught.

Not to sound strange but I also liked getting hit again, they encourage controlled contact to the body with higher ranks while working technique.
I guess I like to know that I can still take a few punches and kicks even though I haven't trained in years.

Add in Arnis Stick, Shinkendo Sword, some BJJ, all of which are taught seperately from Kempo by other instructors after Kempo on different nights. Very open minded and willing to work with other folks says a lot.

Now for the part that is even more difficult and dangerous than training, getting my wife to buy in to me being gone for a couple of hours 2 nights a week.
(We have a 2 year old and my wife works from home - we do not use daycare. So generally that is the only time she gets a break)

Thanks again for all of the replies


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## Tswolfman (Jul 6, 2007)

Welcome


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## kidswarrior (Jul 7, 2007)

Welcome to MT, and best of luck in finding the right spot for you.


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## fnorfurfoot (Jul 8, 2007)

Welcome to the site.


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## AZpower (Jul 8, 2007)

Hiya- I am in a similar situation as yourself. I live in north phx/scttsdale area. Ther is a ussd school near me but they used a high pressure technique on me on the first phone call. . some free uniform plus a cheap first month. then they go tocontract the cheapest way 2 months for 225 per mo, if you did a 1 yr it was 185 per. It seemed like a new school but my read on it is that they have rapid expansion so they porbably promote some senoir student to instructor level and get them a school kinda fast, A phx acquantance (sp?) of mine warned me offa them. I've seen some other places charge as low as 70. most seem to be about 140-160 per. I am searching around my area as well to find a place that fits my budget, available hours and location. Which schools did you try and which ones did you like? I'm not familar with villari but there is a kenpo school I am considering thatI may go take a lesson or two at. Which "shaolin kempo karate" school did you go to (which you referred to in your last post?) Whats the name and location?


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## 08Neely (Jul 8, 2007)

Here is the studio that I will be attending.
There are 2 locations both in the North Mesa area.

http://www.arizonashaolin.com/

I did not do a whole bunch of searching of other styles and I may well have just got lucky.

As far as comparing notes I am not going to bash any schools I checked into on a messageboard as they may be great schools for others - they were just not for me.
Feel free to PM me if you want further elaboration on the studios that I did visit.


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## IcemanSK (Jul 9, 2007)

Welcome to MT & welcome back to the Arts!


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## terryl965 (Jul 9, 2007)

Welcome and happy posting


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## MeatWad2 (Jul 9, 2007)

08Neely said:


> Here is the studio that I will be attending.
> There are 2 locations both in the North Mesa area.
> 
> http://www.arizonashaolin.com/
> ...


 
Nice choice of school!  enjoy!


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