United Studios of Self Defense (USSD)

[Akashiro Tamaya]

I am actualy curious about Demasco. Who is this guy and who did he get his 1st, 2nd , 3rd ...etc Dan from ???. I understand that his current rank was given to him by the Abbot of Shaolin Temple.

 

[kungfulee]

I am actualy curious about Demasco. Who is this guy and who did he get his 1st, 2nd , 3rd ...etc Dan from ???. I understand that his current rank was given to him by the Abbot of Shaolin Temple.

He received 1st- 7th from fred villari www.villarisonline.com He left villaris in 1993 and joined ussd.
He has about 8 schools on the east coast.

 

[shodan_spike]

Yeah, I used to train at United Studios in Woodbridge, CT. Steve DeMasco was a 7th dan at the time. He eventually received his 8th and 9th degrees over the next 4 or 5 years. The information I have found on these promotions have mentioned him being recognized as a 7th, 8th, 9th and ultimately 10th degree (although the 10th degree promotion was thru the Shaolin Temple...I don't know who administered the other promotions...). Steve Demasco received his 10th dan shortly before I stopped training in Kempo.

I have no idea where Charles Mattera received his promotions from. He is also a 10th degree Black Belt, just like DeMasco...and I always thought there could only be one 10th degree to a system, though I know of 3 or 4 in American Kenpo...

I haven't been able to find much info at all on Charles Mattera. I actually hadn't ever heard of him until a few years into my Kempo training...

Does anyone know anything?

 

[Danjo]

Yeah, I used to train at United Studios in Woodbridge, CT. Steve DeMasco was a 7th dan at the time. He eventually received his 8th and 9th degrees over the next 4 or 5 years. The information I have found on these promotions have mentioned him being recognized as a 7th, 8th, 9th and ultimately 10th degree (although the 10th degree promotion was thru the Shaolin Temple...I don't know who administered the other promotions...). Steve Demasco received his 10th dan shortly before I stopped training in Kempo.

I have no idea where Charles Mattera received his promotions from. He is also a 10th degree Black Belt, just like DeMasco...and I always thought there could only be one 10th degree to a system, though I know of 3 or 4 in American Kenpo...

I haven't been able to find much info at all on Charles Mattera. I actually hadn't ever heard of him until a few years into my Kempo training...

Does anyone know anything?

He went out and got it from people outside of his system like a lot of others do. It' s a lot of commercialized hype really.

 

[Kenpojujitsu3]

and I always thought there could only be one 10th degree to a system, though I know of 3 or 4 in American Kenpo...

Only 3 or 4? man I remember the days when the number of 10'ths I knew was that low. Those were the days :sits back and remembers:

I can count over 10 at this point.

 

[Flying Crane]

Only 3 or 4? man I remember the days when the number of 10'ths I knew was that low. Those were the days :sits back and remembers:

I can count over 10 at this point.

Ya can't throw a stone without hitting one...

 

[James Kovacich]

He went out and got it from people outside of his system like a lot of others do. It' s a lot of commercialized hype really.

Mostly all 10th's went that route in 1 way or another. Emperado didn't receive his 10th from his instructor. It was from the Hawaii Chinese Physical Culture Association. Who promoted Gascon to 10th? Emperado promoted Parker to 8th and then if I'm not mistaking he promoted himself to 10th.

 

[Kenpojujitsu3]

Mostly all 10th's went that route in 1 way or another. Emperado didn't receive his 10th from his instructor. It was from the Hawaii Chinese Physical Culture Association. Who promoted Gascon to 10th? Emperado promoted Parker to 8th and then if I'm not mistaking he promoted himself to 10th.

He who? Emperado or Parker?

 

[bdub2000]

Well, I am new to the USSD, have been doing it for a month and my personal experience is-

Although my instructor does seem to be concerned with money, he seems to care more about his students. He trains me exhaustively and to the point of perfection. The higher ranked students know their material very well and are very disciplined.

Although expensive, the material I have already learned is well worth it. Plus, since this organization is run like a business, treat it like one! What I mean is you should Negotiate the price, I negotiated the deal to $150 a month, no contract, just a month to month basis.

Just my 2 cents... but the USSD has been good to me, and the only way to say THEY SUCK and RUN LIKE HELL is to visit every single studio to make sure that the USSD in whole does in fact suck, cause I know there are branches of every art that aren't up to par.

 

[mr. leffew]

I have had a total of three different interactions with schools in the USSD organization. I will try and give a fair review of each of those interactions here.


1) In fall of 2001, I spent a week in Provo, Utah. The USSD school was a block away from the hotel I was staying at. I was a 1st degree brown at the time, prepping for my black belt test. I walked into the school, and talked with the instructor there (who was a 1st Dan). He let me work out with them for the whole week I was there without charging me. He could not have been more polite or inviting.

2) In the spring of 2004 I was in Palo Alto, CA for a job interview. I stopped by the USSD school there to see what there program was like. The instructor there was a 3rd Dan. He didn't seem to care very much about my previous training, and seemed to have a negative attitude towards anyone who wasn't from his direct lineage. He spent most of them time I was talking with him trying to push me to take the USSD China trip.

3) In the fall of 2004 I moved to the Northern Virginia area. The only Shaolin Kempo school within a 3-hour drive was a USSD school. I stopped by to talk with the instructor there. The instructor was a 2nd Dan (same as me), and had been in the system for less total time. He wanted me to sign a 1 year contract and pay him $250/month for lessons. This was basically twice what I had been charged at my last school where my instructor had considerably more experience in the system than I had. The school appeared to be well run, and despite their very high prices, had a ton of students. In the end I decided to teach some on my own and get together with Villari masters when I could go down to Florida or up to Connecticut.

In summary... Like any other chain of schools out there, USSD has both good and bad schools, both good and bad instructors. If you're curious about the USSD school in your area, go check it out for yourself

This is a reply to your # 2 comment on the palo alto, ca location. the head instructor there was my red belt (asst instructor) until i placed him in that school. he has never had a good attitude and lacks life skills as well as martial arts skills. iwas in the past a district manager for ussd in the mid 90's and help build the northern california chain of schools. the original emperado/cerio to villari system is good if you learn it from the few who really know it. but they are rare. once you apply the american kenpo concepts and principles to motion and anatomical theory it makes the commerical schools really stand out on their lack of knowledge, skill ,understanding, application and execution of their art. business has always been at odds with consistant quality and depth of an art.1st and 2nd generation ed parker students were/are exceptional martial artists but have never made much money in the business. on the other side the ussd's, robinson's tkd, kovars ( these are local school chains in sacramento ca) have exceled in business but lack only teach motion primary with little depth and knowledge about what they are doing and why they are doing it and it shows in the schools.
it is had to find a school that has all three key elements for true success. martial arts knowledge, depth and highly skilled, successful business practices and great instruction (delivery of the product). in my opinion the art you choose also make a major difference since you can choose one of now 4 choices, sport - traditional - mixed - self defense
since you are going to invest time and money you might as well choose the art that is going to make the most impact in your life and that is self defense.
just some thoughts, thank you, mr. leffew

 

[Danjo]

Not everyone that falls off of a five story building dies, but I don't think that it's irresponsible of me to say that "you don't want to jump off of one because you'll die if you do." I think you play the odds. Look, if you don't mind paying $150.00 per month and are satisfied with what you're getting there, then great.

 

[AmericanKenpoChris]

bdub2000,

Hi, what have you specifically learned this past month?

I am affiliated with no one and only represent myself, but I thought I was paying too much for lessons when I was charged $70 per month.

It's great that you are having fun. Definately check out the Kenpo techniques called Five Swords, Lone Kimono, Grip of Death, Crossing Talons, etc. I think the Orange belt curriculum of Kenpo with an "n" will blow your mind. For the heck of it, pick up Larry Tatum's Orange belt dvds volume one and two, and you be the judge. Once again I am not affiliated with Tatum, but am honestly trying to be helpful.

Chris

 

[Jonathan Randall]

This is a reply to your # 2 comment on the palo alto, ca location. the head instructor there was my red belt (asst instructor) until i placed him in that school. he has never had a good attitude and lacks life skills as well as martial arts skills. iwas in the past a district manager for ussd in the mid 90's and help build the northern california chain of schools. the original emperado/cerio to villari system is good if you learn it from the few who really know it. but they are rare. once you apply the american kenpo concepts and principles to motion and anatomical theory it makes the commerical schools really stand out on their lack of knowledge, skill ,understanding, application and execution of their art. business has always been at odds with consistant quality and depth of an art.1st and 2nd generation ed parker students were/are exceptional martial artists but have never made much money in the business. on the other side the ussd's, robinson's tkd, kovars ( these are local school chains in sacramento ca) have exceled in business but lack only teach motion primary with little depth and knowledge about what they are doing and why they are doing it and it shows in the schools.
it is had to find a school that has all three key elements for true success. martial arts knowledge, depth and highly skilled, successful business practices and great instruction (delivery of the product). in my opinion the art you choose also make a major difference since you can choose one of now 4 choices, sport - traditional - mixed - self defense
since you are going to invest time and money you might as well choose the art that is going to make the most impact in your life and that is self defense.
just some thoughts, thank you, mr. leffew

I'm in Sacramento and am familiar with the instructors mentioned. I think of Kovar's as the extremely successful "commercial" school and Bob Lile's EPAK school the hardcore, less commercial counterpart. Robinson's TKD has its less commercial counterpart in Andy Ahpo's Tang Soo Do school. However; there's room for both. Young children, in particular, who do MA as a short term hobby would probably fit in better at either Kovar's or Robinson's than at Mr. Liles or Andy Ahpo's less commercial and stricter schools. All four are legitimate schools; each targets and is appropriate for a slightly different audience. BTW, I believe that Mr. Robinson and Mr. Ahpo are friends and Mr. Kovar and Mr. Liles are as well.

Same with the poster satisfied with USSD - perhaps this is what's best for him at this time? I know my time in the ATA helped me better appreciate the training I got during my one year (only one year due to personal matters at the time) at Mr. Ahpo's school.

 

[John Bishop]

the original emperado/cerio to villari system is good if you learn it from the few who really know it. but they are rare.

This is a common misnomer amons't some of the Cerio Kenpo and Shaolin Kempo people.
Truth of the matter is, that George Pesare, Nick Cerio, and Fred Villari never took a day of Kajukenbo (Emperado) instruction. And there are no Kajukenbo techniques or katas in the Shaolin Kempo system.

 

[Jonathan Randall]

This is a common misnomer amons't some of the Cerio Kenpo and Shaolin Kempo people.
Truth of the matter is, that George Pesare, Nick Cerio, and Fred Villari never took a day of Kajukenbo (Emperado) instruction. And there are no Kajukenbo techniques or katas in the Shaolin Kempo system.

Thanks for the clarification as I, personally, was misinformed on this matter as well.

 

[James Kovacich]

the original emperado/cerio to villari system is good if you learn it from the few who really know it. but they are rare.mr. leffew

Is there an Emperado connection?

 

[DavidCC]

This is a common misnomer amons't some of the Cerio Kenpo and Shaolin Kempo people.
Truth of the matter is, that George Pesare, Nick Cerio, and Fred Villari never took a day of Kajukenbo (Emperado) instruction. And there are no Kajukenbo techniques or katas in the Shaolin Kempo system.

I've always heard that Karazenpo was an off-shoot of Kajukenbo. Did Mr. Gascon and friends throw away every technique when they started Karazenpo, starting from "scratch"???

 

[James Kovacich]

If there was a Kaju connection then Sonny Gascon appears to not mention it on his site. It really looks like he didn't even have a black belt went he took his Sijo title. http://www.karazenpogoshinjutsu.com/history.html

 

[John Bishop]

I've always heard that Karazenpo was an off-shoot of Kajukenbo. Did Mr. Gascon and friends throw away every technique when they started Karazenpo, starting from "scratch"???

Every style comes from somewhere. Judo comes from jujitsu, shotokan comes from shorei ryu and shorin ryu. But shotokan practitioners don't consider themselves a shorin ryu offshoot, or subsystem. And Judoka don't consider themselves to be jujitsu practitioners, or a offshoot/subsystem of jujitsu.
Sonny Gascon trained in Kajukenbo before going his own way and developing Karazenpo. I've never seen the Karazenpo ciriculum, so I can't say if it has some Kajukenbo techniques left in it or not.
George Pesare trained a few months with Gascon, up to purple belt (so says Gascon). So he obviously didn't get the whole Karazenpo system. He did later get a black belt in tae kwon do, so I guess you could call his system "tae kwon kempo".
Pesare's student, Nick Cerio also trained with Bill Chun and William Chow and received a black belt from them. He put more changes into "Nick Cerio's Kenpo", including Japanese katas.
Fred Villari, also says that he made more style changes before naming his system, Shaolin Kempo. I have seen the cirriculum for Shaolin Kempo, and can say that there are no Kajukenbo techniques (punch counters, club counters, knife counters, grab arts, alphabets, multiple attacker defenses) or katas in Shaolin Kempo Karate.

 

[James Kovacich]

So does anyone know if Sonny Gascon was a black belt before he created his own system?