Villari's masters Program

[Gentle Fist]

$7,000 is a lot for Florida!!! Hell, it is a lot for almost any state outside of Cali or NYC.


I guess if you live in Miami or Sarasota that could be normal, since the price of living in those areas is outrageous these days.

 

[marlon]

in all fairness the price was never given..only several thousand dollars. When i started it was a Villari org and the black belt program was 1000.00 for four years or black belt which ever came fist. I actually bought out a bb program from someone who was quitting...when i was green at a lower rate and they honoured the time left on it. BTW it took me about 6 years to shodan
Respectfully,
Marlon

 

[Rob Broad]

Sounds like a rip off to me. I would look for a new school.

 

[Monadnock]

You know.....

New Hampshire (and other states I assume) has laws to protect the consumer from this type of stuff. All Martial Arts schools are to register with the state, submitting documentation of all contracts, pricing, etc. for review.

Reason being, and I've seen this in Massachusetts, schools suck you in for a lot of loot, covering 6 months or training, and then they close their doors, taking your hard earned greenbacks with them.

This is how money corrupted the arts. I would avoid ANY school that uses contracts like that. (Unless your visit is in the spirit of those in the "older" days)

 

[hongkongfooey]

You have been promoted to higher ranks, but your teacher didn't teach you the material? Forget the master's program. You need to find a school that actually teaches something to their students, without raping them for more money, just to learn the master's secrets. McDojo dude, run away fast.

 

[Senjojutsu]

Ziason,

Somewhere in a packing crate in my house I may still have my “Lifetime” membership (free tuition forever) card from Freddie’s I bought for about $750. back in 1981. (It was half price sale too!).

I wonder if they would still honor this card if I walked into a franchised studio today?
BTW I made out on that deal because I continued to train until I was past the break-even point.

Do they still market FV vitamins? LOL

Okay there is nothing wrong with a dojo business model where the instructors offer private lessons or a black belt club - as long as it does not discriminate from the “economy” students learning the material and advancing. Your monthly tuition, diligent training and rank progression should be the passport to obtain any style’s knowledge – maybe over a longer time period – but still made available to you.

Obviously this is not the case you are presenting - reading the detail.

IMO coming up with several thousand dollars for a long-term prepaid period tuition enrollment almost always is a scam. If for no other reason for the inherent drop-out rate existing at every dojo. That FYI is not a disconnect with what I did back in 1981, because I had been training at that franchise location for about eighteen months and knew the instructor very well. In fact I was one of his original students when he opened up shop. And I had a high degree of confidence to reach that break-even point. As an aside - if I had paid full price I would have LOST on the deal because outside life events changed my training opportunities.

Use this as a learning experience in your Martial Arts journey as you find your next dojo.

Good Luck.

 

[Tames D]

Ziason,

Somewhere in a packing crate in my house I may still have my “Lifetime” membership (free tuition forever) card from Freddie’s I bought for about $750. back in 1981. (It was half price sale too!).

I wonder if they would still honor this card if I walked into a franchised studio today?
BTW I made out on that deal because I continued to train until I was past the break-even point.

Do they still market FV vitamins? LOL

Okay there is nothing wrong with a dojo business model where the instructors offer private lessons or a black belt club - as long as it does not discriminate from the “economy” students learning the material and advancing. Your monthly tuition, diligent training and rank progression should be the passport to obtain any style’s knowledge – maybe over a longer time period – but still made available to you.

Obviously this is not the case you are presenting - reading the detail.

IMO coming up with several thousand dollars for a long-term prepaid period tuition enrollment almost always is a scam. If for no other reason for the inherent drop-out rate existing at every dojo. That FYI is not a disconnect with what I did back in 1981, because I had been training at that franchise location for about eighteen months and knew the instructor very well. In fact I was one of his original students when he opened up shop. And I had a high degree of confidence to reach that break-even point. As an aside - if I had paid full price I would have LOST on the deal because outside life events changed my training opportunities.

Use this as a learning experience in your Martial Arts journey as you find your next dojo.

Good Luck.

It would be interesting to see if they would still honor your lifetime membership.

 

[John Bishop]

It would be interesting to see if they would still honor your lifetime membership.

Sounds like the'd have to prove you died, to get out of the contract:rules:

 

[Mariachi Joe]

I was always under the idea that Fred Villari was a student of Nick Cerio who broke away when he was a 2nd dan, but on his website it says that he and Nick Cerio collaborated and trained together under William Chow. Does anyone know if there is any truth to that or is Villari's website making things up.

 

[DavidCC]

I've asked around about any corroboration of that, the best I could find was some speculation by those who were in a position to make a good guess that Villari may have accompanied prof. Cerio on a trip to Hawaii when he met Chow, but I don't think anyone is saying that Villari went and trained with Chow on his own.

if anyone knows differently, please share

 

[almost a ghost]

I love black belt clubs, because all they do is show the hypocracy of a schools time table to become a black belt and shows that rank is indeed for sale.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I love black belt clubs, because all they do is show the hypocracy of a schools time table to become a black belt and shows that rank is indeed for sale.

What amazes me, although it really shouldn’t, is how these schools tend to be REALLY BIG! I just can’t believe how vastly, hugely, mindbogglingly big they are by comparison to other schools.

 

[Tames D]

I love black belt clubs, because all they do is show the hypocracy of a schools time table to become a black belt and shows that rank is indeed for sale.

Agreed.

 

[shaolin ninja 4]

I've asked around about any corroboration of that, the best I could find was some speculation by those who were in a position to make a good guess that Villari may have accompanied prof. Cerio on a trip to Hawaii when he met Chow, but I don't think anyone is saying that Villari went and trained with Chow on his own.

if anyone knows differently, please share

He may have taken a group class with the Prof.

 

[dianhsuhe]

To the best of my knowledge Villari did not train with Professor Chow at all.

 

[Mariachi Joe]

That's what I thought, but his website says differently.

 

[KempoFlow]

Yeah, Villari's really sounds like their integrity is better than the USSD alright.:lfao:

I don't think you can judge all of Villari's schools as a group. If you do that is really no different than stereotyping an entire race or sex. They are owned by individuals with different approaches and styles of teaching.

I am a student at a Villari's school as are my children. The school I am at would never do something like that. The master really cares about all of her students and makes sure that she gives us all the attention that we need and deserve. Also there are no financial contracts, fees are all month by month.

However, there are always bad seeds that can ruin a reputation for a whole group.

I love black belt clubs, because all they do is show the hypocracy of a schools time table to become a black belt and shows that rank is indeed for sale.

Again not all schools treat it that way. Our school does have a BBC, however all it does is get the student unlimited classes and lower testing/private fees. I think by paying the extra fee that is fair.

 

[shaolin ninja 4]

Again not all schools treat it that way. Our school does have a BBC, however all it does is get the student unlimited classes and lower testing/private fees. I think by paying the extra fee that is fair.


Thats better than most schools that charge 200 more month for A SPEACAL CLASS.

 

[KempoFlow]

Thats better than most schools that charge 200 more month for A SPEACAL CLASS.

That's pretty steep, I don't even pay 200 for three of us to attend two classes each a week.

 

[Danjo]

I don't think you can judge all of Villari's schools as a group. If you do that is really no different than stereotyping an entire race or sex. They are owned by individuals with different approaches and styles of teaching.

I am a student at a Villari's school as are my children. The school I am at would never do something like that. The master really cares about all of her students and makes sure that she gives us all the attention that we need and deserve. Also there are no financial contracts, fees are all month by month.

However, there are always bad seeds that can ruin a reputation for a whole group.

.

I'm glad that you've found a place to train that you enjoy. Ther are two kinds of experience in the martial arts however. One is the kind that you describe, i.e., "I like it." Which, ultimately, might be all that is important.

The other kind is, "I've been to several places to train and here's how this type stack up compared to the others." Which is more where I'm coming from.

As John Bishop said in the sticky, there are always exceptions within organizations, and if you've found one, then I'm happy for you.