Discussion in 'Kenpo' started by Satori81, Dec 26, 2004.

  1. Almost A Ghost

    Almost A Ghost Valued Member

    HAHAHA! [ame][/ame]
  2. Gufbal1981

    Gufbal1981 waiting to train...

  3. KempoFist

    KempoFist Attention Whore

    I don't get what all of you expect from Ken/mpo vids. It's either LARPtastic flowery nonsense like that inverted leopard block...or it's mediocre kickboxing. Only two choices you really have.
  4. Almost A Ghost

    Almost A Ghost Valued Member

    There are just so many things I love about the clip, I just wanted to share :D

    My favorite part is the part where he explains moving forward into the attack. Which is ideal, but I wonder how many of those students quizzed their instructors on why 90% of the techniques they learned is "Step back and block".
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2007
  5. Gufbal1981

    Gufbal1981 waiting to train...

    I'd be willing to bet that none of the students asked that...
  6. Almost A Ghost

    Almost A Ghost Valued Member

    Hey Guf, do you remember the gi color combinations at all? i.e. at nidan you get to wear a white top black pants, 3rd is black top white pants, etc?
  7. DAnjo

    DAnjo Valued Member

    1st degree is all black

    2nd is white top black bottoms

    3rd is black top white bottoms

    4th is all red with a fright wig

    after that you get the whole Ronald McDonald Suit.
  8. KempoFist

    KempoFist Attention Whore

    Danjo, you're <bleep> gold lately buddy. hahahaha :p
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 8, 2007
  9. Nuck Chorris

    Nuck Chorris I prefer North South

    Oh man. I am in stitches.
  10. Almost A Ghost

    Almost A Ghost Valued Member

  11. Gufbal1981

    Gufbal1981 waiting to train...

    LOL! I like the Ronald McDonald suit. So close to their reality. In all seriousness, danjo is right up to 4th degree. 4th dan and up is red top, black bottoms. Mattera wears his grey bottoms and black top, while Steve DeMasco wears whatever color he wants.
  12. smelly feet

    smelly feet Valued Member

    Dont step in and strike him first step back and get your a.s.s. kicked. Then pay me another $5,000 and fly back to China and I'll show you more worthless crap for a fee.
  13. KempoGuido

    KempoGuido New Member

    Like them or not, USSD seems like they're certainly here to stay. You can say what you like about them, but the fact that they're getting so many people interested and involved in the martial arts-which is a really good thing both for the arts and people's benefit- shows that they really did come to play ball. The more people talk about them -good or bad- the bigger they're going to get. Of course there are people that are ****ed at them. Any business is going to **** people off from time to time. The people that are ****ed are just more vocal about it. I've heard people complain about 'em. If you're going to complain about anyone, USSD or otherwise, make sure you know what you're talking about. I've seen yellow belts quit at my school for one reason or another and complain. They really don't know what they're talking about; just people looking for somebody to blame for their own faults. A lot of people here bad mouth McDojo, but they've never so much as set foot inside, let alone taken lessons for a year or two. Really? Does it have to come down to "My kung fu is better than your kung fu?" My friend that trains at one USSD certainly holds his own. He started training two years after I did. Its irritating. All I'm saying is, respect them no matter what your point of view. Isn't that what the martial arts is all about anyway?
  14. Satori81

    Satori81 Never Forget...'s been at least a year since I've visited this board, and all it took was someone from USSD to bring me back. I think I might have my priorities out of line.

    Unfortunately, this seems to be the case. They've also demonstrated a sincere unwillingness to change their training methodology, their high pressure sales methods, and their unreasonable pricing/contract practices.

    McDonalds is certainly here to stay, but does that mean we should encourage people to stuff their faces with unhealthy food?
    If by "Play Ball", you mean "Undermine the serious efforts of REAL martial artists (sport AND traditional) by appealing to easily pressured and impressionable non-martial artists"...

    ...then yes, they are certainly here to "Play Ball".

    This is silly. Negative publicity is rarely good for business. Remember when "Kosmo Kramer" (Michael Richards) spewed all sorts of racial nastiness at a stand-up comedy routine? For several weeks (months, even) he was ALL anyone would talk about.

    What's he up to now a days?

    No, the more information those of us "in the know" spread about USSD, the more informed the public will become. The more informed the public becomes, the wiser their decisions will be regarding where they put their money.

    It's a simple concept.
    There's a big difference between anger generated at a school because of their QUALITY...and anger generated because of "extenuating circumstances".

    Some instructors are jerks, some charge a lot of money, etc. However, few establishments generate as much anger due to the QUALITY OF TRAINING as USSD.

    Ruth's Chris is a popular steakhouse in California. I can complain about the rudeness of their servers, the long wait time, and the limited menu...but I'd be an idiot to ridicule the quality of their steaks.

    Now, if McDonalds started selling some sort of steak abomination entree at the same price as Ruth's Chris WITHOUT rising to the quality of said steakhouse...then I'd certainly have a right to complain about the quality to cost ratio.

    USSD is McDonalds.
    I'm a four year veteran of USSD, with a rank of Brown 3rd Degree. I trained under four different instructors in three different establishments. I trained as a teenager and as an adult. I competed in their "Closed Point Tag" tournaments, spent tons of money on private lessons, and outfitted my uniform with all sorts of nifty patches.

    It is my experienced opinion that there are many skilled and well-intentioned USSD instructors out there. Unfortunately, the system of Shaolin Chu'an Fa Kempo Karate (what a ridiculous name..."Little Tree Fist Way Fist Method Empty Fist"??) is confined to an establishment that does not encourage experimentation, growth, evolution, or the furtherance of martial arts as a whole.

    This, my friend, is NOT a good thing.

    Better is subjective, but ultimately it comes down to "Am I paying too much for too little and supporting an establishment with unscrupulous business practices that are detrimental to the furtherance of martial arts?"

    Then yes, it does come down to that.
    I have a friend who once ripped out a burglar's eyeballs through his anus, then screamed "KALI MA!" as he squished the ocular organs within his quivering, chi-enhanced fists of fury.

    I also have a friend who drank his own urine for a year and developed the ability to shoot balls of lightning from his earlobes.

    Do I have proof of any of this? No, just take my word on it.


    Silliness aside, I also have several friends that train with me who are regular bouncers at several known nightclubs/bars here in Orange County. I've been to the clubs while they were working, and I've seen the ease with which they handle potentially violent situations using skills learned at my training facility.

    I've seen my 5'3" training partner drop a 6'2" heavy-set drunkard with a well-timed low roundhouse kick (granted, he wasn't a bouncer. Clubs tend to frown on bouncers kicking people). I've seen another average height/weight training partner restrain and control much larger drunkards without injuring them through using positional dominance and no-gi grappling learned at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

    So...what have we established here?

    We both have friends that can fight. Good for us.

    No, respecting something you are diametrically opposed to is called SPINELESSNESS.

    Martial arts (of all types) are about developing fighting ability (of some sort), discipline, fitness, and reinforcing that series of interlocking bones located in our backs that allow us to stand tall, voice our opinions regardless of reproach, and stand up for what we believe in.

    Does this mean I have to adopt the glazed eyes and foaming mouth of a rabid fanatic? Of course not. It DOES, however, hold me accountable for what I say and how I voice my experience to those who may be taken advantage of by unscrupulous establishments...of which USSD is one.

    That, my friend, is what I've learned from 16 years of martial arts.

    Train hard.
  15. KempoGuido

    KempoGuido New Member

    I appreciate your input. That's why I'm researching them in the first place. I've heard good and bad. Kinda sounds like they're running a business though. An interesting note: They're the only school in the BBB? Bottom line, I'm gonna form my own opinion. After all, I'm really only getting one half of the story. Sounds like you might need some ice for those fractured feelings.
  16. El Medico

    El Medico Valued Member

    From the website- " On June 6, 2000 Headmaster and founder of United Studios of Self Defense,
    Charles Mattera and his student Master Steve DeMasco were promoted to
    Grandmaster by Great Master Shi Yongxin, the Abbot of the Shaolin Temple. "

    Can anyone in the world give a rational explanation of how Shaolin can legitimately confer "Grandmaster" status on individuals from a Kenpo line?(Or anything other than possibly modern Wu Shu?)

    Two grandmasters in one system?Directly at odds w/the traditional meaning of grandmaster as applied w/in Chinese systems.Oh wait, USSD isn't a Chinese system.Which bring us back to my first question.

    The answer to which is hucksterism.On both sides.
  17. dianhsuhe

    dianhsuhe Co-Founder: Glow-Do


    U.S.S.D. is barely Kenpo anyways...LOL

    Feel free to form your own opinion but please consider the MANY martial artists who have spent years of blood sweat and tears in a real system after leaving USSD (myself included).

    I was at the same level as Satori when I left USSD (Brown) and the purple belts in my current system beat me senseless...LOL Maybe I just suck-

    Nick-San, we are opening a new Dojo in La Mesa so if you are ever down here please let me know and you can come by and Jujitsu me.

  18. FightingMonk2k3

    FightingMonk2k3 Valued Member

    from what I could see of the USSD training methods: it looks good, but testing is a waste of time. i mean, why should I spend 15hours of my day at a test for a 2nd or 1st degree brown (in my case, i would have been testing for a 1st degree brown when i had left Villari's version of Shaolin-Kempo) when i could spend that same day with family and/or friends
  19. Gufbal1981

    Gufbal1981 waiting to train...

    Just so that way we're clear order to be listed in the BBB, you pay an amount and you're in. They are also listed in the other BBB (bad business bureau). On the flipside, Villari isn't mentioned on either one. It all depends on the instructor and the school. You are going to find great instructors and horrible instructors in any school. Just because someone is listed in the BBB doesn't mean it's true...they could have the world's worst instructor there...this goes for any school though.
  20. Gufbal1981

    Gufbal1981 waiting to train...

    I'd like to point out that USSD had a big break up last weekend. There is Z-Ultimate Self Defense Studios and USSD. However, about 80% of USSD turned into Z-Ultimate. Mattera is now getting his Karma for what he did to Mr. Villari...

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