A Revisit to USSD

[Pacificshore]

The really good news is that the El Cajon Dojo is Grandmaster's house and Satori will get a chance to eat Grandmaster Kuoha's cooking!
James

Satori....whatever you do, don't miss out on Grandmaster's cooking, or you'll regret it forever

 

[Jonathan Randall]

Satori is a heck of a nice guy and we are fortunate to have him join us. He brings knowledge from several different arts and I plan to learn from him as well...

The really good news is that the El Cajon Dojo is Grandmaster's house and Satori will get a chance to eat Grandmaster Kuoha's cooking!

Welcome Satori, may you find enlightenment!

James

That is cool!

Satori, you are in luck. Not many of us get the opportunity to study so closely with living legends.

 

[kungfulee]

How come mattera won't put villari as his instructor? www.ussd.com

 

[Satori]

Satori is a heck of a nice guy and we are fortunate to have him join us. He brings knowledge from several different arts and I plan to learn from him as well...

The really good news is that the El Cajon Dojo is Grandmaster's house and Satori will get a chance to eat Grandmaster Kuoha's cooking!

Welcome Satori, may you find enlightenment!

James

I'm actually fortunate in that Dian Hsuhe has been remarkably patient and open with me, though I'm sure the pain will start once I have a bit more experience there

Satori....whatever you do, don't miss out on Grandmaster's cooking, or you'll regret it forever

I remember the first time Grandmaster brought out banana bread. I think it was my second class, and I didn't want to be rude, so I hesitated...just long enough for the other students to thoroughly engulf the entire loaf in under six seconds.

Since then, I'm usually one of the first lined up at the loaf...and I brought my special Christmas loaf to work to eat during lunches. He certainly is a good cook.

Satori, you are in luck. Not many of us get the opportunity to study so closely with living legends.

I know! When I first contacted them through email, I was given a very brief welcome to visit "the school". I drove through the windy roads to get there...and was a bit shocked to see that the "school" was in fact a house!

I expected to train at a branch school...or maybe even at a YMCA that had an evening class....so you can imagine my surprise when the man himself, the guy I'd read so much about and had waited for a while to meet...actually came out and chatted with me!

Needless to say, I was a bit shocked and useless for my first week or so. I've only been at the school for six or seven weeks...but I'm already used to having him around at training. Grandmaster Kuoha is extremely approachable and friendly, and he really creates a warm training environment.

How come mattera won't put villari as his instructor?

Bad blood? An eagerness to not be associated with him? Some type of legal clause that prevents the lineage from publicly being traced to him? Your guess is as good as mine.

 

[kungfulee]

satori, did you ever ask your instructor about villari?

 

[patroldawg27]

Nice post on the USSD you visited. I started at one when I was younger...well it was a Villari's then a USSD then out of business. Our school now is housed in Demasco's old BB training center in CT. He used to live not too far from me. As for the whole Villari/USSD topic in general....well, so as not to get banned and the whole my mother says if you don't have anything nice to say....I'll leave it alone.

 

[Tiger@heart]

Satori, check out the Oceanside dojo in North San Diego county. He's awesome - 4th degree, been training since he was a kid, really friendly, not all about the company...
Here's his site:
www.oceansidekarate.com

 

[Tiger@heart]

I don't believe DeMasco left the company.

 

[Tiger@heart]

This is SO SAD. Oceanside or Encinitas would be my top recommendations in San Diego county. All the other dojos have the academy newbies who probably got their black belts in a year.

 

[skinnyninja]

Satori, check out the Oceanside dojo in North San Diego county. He's awesome - 4th degree, been training since he was a kid, really friendly, not all about the company...
Here's his site:
www.oceansidekarate.com

I would stay away from any of these mcdojo's.Especially ussd.

Theres real kung fu out there you just have to look.

 

[TCBA_JOE]

I got to meet Damasco a couple of times. His HQ dojo or w/e is in my hometown. A little arrogant for my tastes.

As for him leaving USSD, I don't think so. the lastest issue of Black Belt has him as being the east coast director for USSD.

My brother's Kempo sensai was once a USSD instructor, but left over McDojo like issues.

 

[Hand Sword]

Satori,

I'm sorry that you had to experience that. But, I'm glad for the happy ending!

 

[dianhsuhe]

I have not seen Satori in awhile but I hope he stays with Kara-Ho Kempo.

Nick- WHere u at?

 

[Mariachi Joe]

I have read many of the horror stories about USSD and as a current student at USSD thought I'd throw in my two cents. I have been at USSD for a year now and am a blue belt. I wont deny that a lot of the McDojo's qualities are there, I recently went to a USSD tournament where my old sparring partner who joined USSD's instructors academy a few months ago and is probably a brown belt ( as a jr instructor he has to wear a red belt and is not allowed to reveal his rank until he gets his black belt ) walk all over the other jr instructors, some of whom were 1st dans. Now don't me wrong he is a good figther with a military background, I learned a lot sparring with him and from the advice he gave me, and I miss sparring with the guy, but it was a bit disappointment to see that I could give the guy more of a challenge than the other jr instructors. I also think USSD charges a lot more than they need.
That having been said though, my instructor pushes me during every class and I have never left a belt test without my gi caked in sweat and breathing heavy. My instructor expects a lot out of me and even held me back from a belt test because he felt my attitude wasn't right at the time. I like my instructor and am learning a lot from him and he is the reason I've stayed with USSD as long as I have. Bottom line is there are a lot of crappy instructors at USSD, but there are also some really good ones, and the style itself is pretty good since it is essentially the same as what Fred Villari teaches which is very similar to what Nick Cerio taught.

 

[dianhsuhe]

Joe- Glad you are benefitting from the training...My experience with USSD left me embarassed to admit training with them---My instructor was great, and it was worlds better than the TKD studio where I had previously trained, but in the end I realized that USSD is a McDojo designed to create cash-flow, and their lineage (which I personally care about) is VERY SHAKEY the way it was presented in the manual at that time-

Thankfully I am now in a REAL Kempo system.

 

[exile]

Joe- Glad you are benefitting from the training...My experience with USSD left me embarassed to admit training with them---My instructor was great, and it was worlds better than the TKD studio where I had previously trained...

dianhsuhe---just out of curiosity, what were the problems with your TKD school that you were alluding to?

 

[shaolin ninja 4]

I have read many of the horror stories about USSD and as a current student at USSD thought I'd throw in my two cents. I have been at USSD for a year now and am a blue belt. I wont deny that a lot of the McDojo's qualities are there, I recently went to a USSD tournament where my old sparring partner who joined USSD's instructors academy a few months ago and is probably a brown belt ( as a jr instructor he has to wear a red belt and is not allowed to reveal his rank until he gets his black belt ) walk all over the other jr instructors, some of whom were 1st dans. Now don't me wrong he is a good figther with a military background, I learned a lot sparring with him and from the advice he gave me, and I miss sparring with the guy, but it was a bit disappointment to see that I could give the guy more of a challenge than the other jr instructors. I also think USSD charges a lot more than they need.
That having been said though, my instructor pushes me during every class and I have never left a belt test without my gi caked in sweat and breathing heavy. My instructor expects a lot out of me and even held me back from a belt test because he felt my attitude wasn't right at the time. I like my instructor and am learning a lot from him and he is the reason I've stayed with USSD as long as I have. Bottom line is there are a lot of crappy instructors at USSD, but there are also some really good ones, and the style itself is pretty good since it is essentially the same as what Fred Villari teaches which is very similar to what Nick Cerio taught.

Joe I am glad your happy with your training with ussd. I too have the rumors of damasco leaving ussd but I dont believe it.
I thought the prices themselfs were to high to and when I ran a school for ussd my competition had a a lot more students and nicer cars than I did.

Joe tell your friend he'll never be able to own a ussd school 100% and he should go with someone else. ussd schools cost $140,000 and you get only 40% of the profits.

 

[Mariachi Joe]

USSD charges alot, but my instructor is willing to work around my schedule, so that if I can't make a class he lets me make it up at another time so I always get what I paid for. I'll let my buddy know what you said about owning a studio with USSD, I'll admit I have no idea how they run their business. One thing I did notice is that shortly after he became a sensei we would still spar but I think he was discourged from doing so because we don't spar anymore.

 

[Mariachi Joe]

The rumors I heard where that Prof. Mattera was leaving to spend time at the Shaolin temple and was going to leave Demasco to run USSD as Grandmaster. Just a rumor I heard.

 

[shaolin ninja 4]

USSD charges alot, but my instructor is willing to work around my schedule, so that if I can't make a class he lets me make it up at another time so I always get what I paid for. I'll let my buddy know what you said about owning a studio with USSD, I'll admit I have no idea how they run their business. One thing I did notice is that shortly after he became a sensei we would still spar but I think he was discourged from doing so because we don't spar anymore.

Their business is not run vary well in my opinion. All the money goes to the top with none to the instructors. Plus you cant own the dojo 100%.

Your friend might want to check out www.shaolinkempo.com It's run by
Shihan Tom Ingargiola 9th dan. He's from fred villari's shaolin kempo. wwwvillaristudios.com And runs his own shaolin kempo schools. He'l let you own the dojo 100%.
USSD are very good sales man so tell him to watch out for any tricks.

He will notice most instructors there dont have nice cars and are over worked. You have to be there at 11:30 tell 9to9:30 and you get paid 300 a week no taxes taken out. So you have to pay more at the end of the year. Try raising a family or having life on that kinda pay.
So your really only making 200 a week. And working 50+ hours a week.
Most instructors quit after afew years because they cant make any money.

You have to buy $750 worth of black belt manuals a month from ussd regardless if you sign up 15 people or not.

I dont know how good villaris is? But I hear their dojos cost $40,000 to $50,000 and you get to set your own prices and hours and keep all the money.
That was one of my biggest problems with ussd is I'd have to pitch 10 people to get someone sign up for 185 a month. And I'd never see any of that money myself.
I hope this helps.