United Studios of Self Defense (USSD)

[Thunderbolt]

Even if you learn from the very best, top-notch, highly respected, "non-mcdojo" school for $ or from a backyard dojo for free, you still cannot guarantee that you will be saved in a conflict situation and never get a 100,000 dollar medical bill.

- Ceicei

what is the point of learning MA if it is the case.? Perhaps, i should establish my *emergency fund* early

 

[MJS]

what is the point of learning MA if it is the case.? Perhaps, i should establish my *emergency fund* early

The Martial Arts does not turn us into Supermen and ensure that we will survive every conflict that we may find ourselves in. If there was one art out there that did do that, then there would only be 1 Martial Art school and everyone would be there. Does it give you an advantage over someone? Yes, but again, it does not make you invincible.

Mike

 

[jinco]

Yup. You are right. Insulting someone doesn't pursuade them. And, I wasn't trying to be diplomatic. Clearly, the guy read all the previous posts with real life horror stories and big bold-lettered warnings. Instead of asking why people didn't like USSD, he jumped to its' defense.

How dare I! LOL.

Here's the thing -- there's a set way of thinking regarding USSD on boards like these, and anyone who dares disagree with it is a heretic. So I presented my personal experiences -- unlike the hearsay that passes for wisdom from most folks -- and I get thrown a pity party for being such a gullible sap.

OK, fine. I could care less about impressing a bunch of cyber-warriors. But really, save your concern. I'm 43, I've owned my own business for close to 20 years, I'm skeptical as hell and I know when I'm getting taken for a ride -- and when I'm getting what I pay for. And, based on the amount, the quality and depth of instuction I receive at USSD, I consider my money (a good deal less than $225 a month, by the way) to be a solid value. Sorry if that doesn't fit with the world you've created, but what can I tell you.....

Feel free to have the last word you so clearly crave. I'm off to train.

 

[Ceicei]

Not all "chains" are identical in treatment and service to another (and this applies to other industries as well). I've learned this a long time ago. True, a franchise is more likely to be consistent, but even then, there are differences. I've learned that places/services do vary because of who runs the particular place and the quality of their staff.

To say that his school sucks just because another in a different place does is using a very big brush to stereotype. It is people who makes it good or bad.

- Ceicei

 

[Old Fat Kenpoka]

How dare I! LOL.

Here's the thing -- there's a set way of thinking regarding USSD on boards like these, and anyone who dares disagree with it is a heretic. So I presented my personal experiences -- unlike the hearsay that passes for wisdom from most folks -- and I get thrown a pity party for being such a gullible sap.

OK, fine. I could care less about impressing a bunch of cyber-warriors. But really, save your concern. I'm 43, I've owned my own business for close to 20 years, I'm skeptical as hell and I know when I'm getting taken for a ride -- and when I'm getting what I pay for. And, based on the amount, the quality and depth of instuction I receive at USSD, I consider my money (a good deal less than $225 a month, by the way) to be a solid value. Sorry if that doesn't fit with the world you've created, but what can I tell you.....

Feel free to have the last word you so clearly crave. I'm off to train.

Well, I am glad you like your hamburgers. Go taste some steak and then come back and tell us all how satisfying your hamburgers are.

 

[kungfulee]

Well, I am glad you like your hamburgers. Go taste some steak and then come back and tell us all how satisfying your hamburgers are.

To true!
I would never train their again.

 

[PG_ShaolinKempoKarate23]

hmmm,
I go to USSD and believe me it's CRAP!!!:jedi1:

Here's a list of kenpo schools that are better:

any American Kenpo schools(other than Bobby Lawerence Karate Centers)
any Tracy Kenpo schools
any Kajukenbo schools
any other Shaolin Kempo schools
Kenpo4Kids(believe it)

Now here's a list of schools that are worse:

.......ummm

yeah, you get the idea:supcool:

 

[Flying Crane]

I once had a franchise owner in the San Francisco area try to recruit me to teach in one of his schools. I went and met with him and some of his people for an hour or two. What I saw was enough to make me politely decline his offer. A year or two later, his schools started closing down.

 

[Danjo]

I like Shaolin Kempo as far as it goes. It offers more versatility than the Shotokan I took did. It seemed to be a blend of Karazenpo and Shotokan karate. I could care less about the lineage of something as long as it works. However, the USSD does not teach it the way it should be taught and from what I understand, most of the current Villari schools don't either these days. Nothing is drilled to perfection and if the training gets too hard, the instructors make people stop. If they don't, then they get reprimanded by their higher-ups. Money if far more important to them than quality. The reason that I'm not so down on Villari's schools is that the instructors that came from Villari seemed to be markedly more skilled than those who had merely trained in the USSD even though the art itself was identical. But now, Mattera and Demasco have a column in Black Belt every month, so maybe they're the real deal after all

 

[dianhsuhe]

Having trained in that style I am of the opinion that it is a watered down commercial style of Kempo designed for marketing rather than self-defense training. I AM into the history, lineage and hard-core training though which may be different for each individual...

I admit there were some VERY skilled individuals in that system but I feel it may not have been due to the style but in SPITE of the style.

My instructor got involved in Kara-Ho Kempo and we never looked back, this was in the early 90's so I cannot comment on anything recent in the USSD org.

So the USSD opened my eyes after taking TKD for a couple years but Kara-Ho Kempo did the same thing after leaving USSD- No comparison!

This is just my .02 cents, and is based on my training and experience in that system- FYI**

James

 

[Danjo]

Having trained in that style I am of the opinion that it is a watered down commercial style of Kempo designed for marketing rather than self-defense training. I AM into the history, lineage and hard-core training though which may be different for each individual...

I admit there were some VERY skilled individuals in that system but I feel it may not have been due to the style but in SPITE of the style.

My instructor got involved in Kara-Ho Kempo and we never looked back, this was in the early 90's so I cannot comment on anything recent in the USSD org.

So the USSD opened my eyes after taking TKD for a couple years but Kara-Ho Kempo did the same thing after leaving USSD- No comparison!

This is just my .02 cents, and is based on my training and experience in that system- FYI**

James

I'm sure that's true. I was comparing Shotokan to SKK, not Kara Ho (of which I have only a passing knowledge based on Kuoha's books). I wasn't bashing Shotokan either as there are many fine karateka from that style that I wouldn't want to mess with, just that there is more variety of technique etc. in SKK. Of course, knowing a few techniques very well beats knowing a lot of them poorly (as the saying goes).

 

[kungfulee]

PG-SK23 LOL thats so true.

Hey did you guys hear of damasco leaving USSD?I read it on another forum.

 

[mantis]

Anyone Here ever heard of United Studios before? If so please Relate your good or bad experiences with this organization. I have both which I will relate in later post. I just want to hear if others have had similar issues with this Villari's spin off. Please reply soon!

signed,

Al

i went to like 2 studios
shouldnt be enough to judge the entire organization tho
the 2 studios i went to did not impress me at all
everybody in class was doing his own thing and the teacher was outside talking to some random people!
i think this depends on the teacher, so if you find a good one go for it

 

[kungfulee]

Danjo,
I thought charles mattera changed the forms after he left VILLARIS?

 

[Danjo]

Danjo,
I thought charles mattera changed the forms after he left VILLARIS?

Nope. Just some slight modifications. You'd see the same level of differences between individual studios though. The system was virtually the same up to the Shodan level.

 

[kungfulee]

Anybody here know where charles mattera received his 9th degree? I can't find it on any web site even their web site www.ussd.com

 

[kungfulee]

Jinco...Welcome to the forum! Enjoy your stay! :ultracool

Second...Lets keep in mind that we should be discussing the topic of the thread..USSD. While we are all going to have our thoughts about this org. lets not start to take personal shots at one another. We need to keep in mind that there are many arts, schools, etc. out there, some good, some bad. Ultimately, its up to the person training in X art or at X school, to determine if thats what suits them. If we are not a part of that org. and we don't think that they are anything but a McDojo, we really don't have anything to worry about then, because we're not a part of it!

I started training at a Villari school. While it is not the same org., it did originate from the same place. At the time I really didn't know much about any art and that happened to be the first school I joined. My instructor ended up breaking away from that org. and went to EPAK. IMHO, that was a good move, especially once I saw the wider assortment of things it offered. To this day, I look at it like this...if it wasnt for that first school, I probably would never have had the chance to get exposed to the many other arts out there.

Mike

Do you still train there?

 

[kungfulee]

How dare I! LOL.

Here's the thing -- there's a set way of thinking regarding USSD on boards like these, and anyone who dares disagree with it is a heretic. So I presented my personal experiences -- unlike the hearsay that passes for wisdom from most folks -- and I get thrown a pity party for being such a gullible sap.

OK, fine. I could care less about impressing a bunch of cyber-warriors. But really, save your concern. I'm 43, I've owned my own business for close to 20 years, I'm skeptical as hell and I know when I'm getting taken for a ride -- and when I'm getting what I pay for. And, based on the amount, the quality and depth of instuction I receive at USSD, I consider my money (a good deal less than $225 a month, by the way) to be a solid value. Sorry if that doesn't fit with the world you've created, but what can I tell you.....

Feel free to have the last word you so clearly crave. I'm off to train.

Hey jinco,
Does your instructor know why mattera wont put villari as his former instructor in the manuals?

 

[James Kovacich]

So how does Jeff Speakman fit into this? This guy in Australia joined Speakmans group? I've spoken to Jeff and he really comes off as a respectful guy.

 

[kungfulee]

Does anybody know where mattera got his 9th?