Villari Schools?

[kenburke]

Anyone ever take part in running a Villari school?

I earned a black belt from the organization.

[Waspe]

Please tell me about these schools. So far It seems odd. Shaolin Kempo Karate, Shaolin = China, Karate = Japan. THe mix of Kung fu and Karate seems kindof weird. I am mostly interested about the Sparring (if any), and kickboxing (if any). I wish there was a place around me that specialized In kickboxing or Muay Thai, but there isn't so I take what I can get.

[IPON]

Anyone ever take part in running a Villari school?

I earned a black belt from the organization.

So this was all distance learning?? How long did it take to earn the BB? Do you feel you learned anything useful

[Tiger Claw]

I checked out one of these schools when I was visting my old home state. I have no idea if the kenpo is good at that place. I told my causin to go there when he gets old enough. It looked good from what I saw and would go to one if there was one here. Kenpo by itself is mixed with chinese and japanese. They spar and seem to be a good school. All kenpo has kung fu in it. Kenpo is more street than ring so don't think that is the right path for a kickboxer. The right path would be pure kickboxing or muaythai boxing.

[kenburke]

The Villari Schools

The Villari schools I have gone to place emphasis on practical self defense.

Students are taught various self-defense combinations.

The curicculum first starts with hard, karate style techniques, then progresses to softer kempo ones and finally the flowing kung-fu motions.

While it is not oriented towards tournament play, it does sponsor a closed tournament for the various Villari students. Some have entered open tournaments and given a good account of themselves.

Personally, though, I am indifferent to tournaments. Practical self-defense is my thing!

[kenburke]

I had nothing to offer but blood, sweat, and tears!

So this was all distance learning?? How long did it take to earn the BB? Do you feel you learned anything useful

It took me four and one half years to earn the black belt. I started in June 1999, I got the black belt in December of 2003. I learned several useful techniques, ranging from simple punches and kicks to elaborate restraint and felling manuvers.

I have heard of the distance learning program you speak of, and while it does have it points I personally feel nothing can replace hand on training ina martial arts school with a genuine instructor.

Speaking of distance learning, the first time I heard of someone doing it the legitimate way was during the seventies or eighties. A black belt wanted a promotion, but his masters were in Korea. The solution? He had himself filmed doing all his techniques, and sent the film to Korea.

He got the promotion!

[kenburke]

I checked out one of these schools when I was visting my old home state. I have no idea if the kenpo is good at that place. I told my causin to go there when he gets old enough. It looked good from what I saw and would go to one if there was one here. Kenpo by itself is mixed with chinese and japanese. They spar and seem to be a good school. All kenpo has kung fu in it. Kenpo is more street than ring so don't think that is the right path for a kickboxer. The right path would be pure kickboxing or muaythai boxing.

If you want to be a kickboxer, naturally you should study kickboxing.

Personally, I think its a bit too rugged for my liking.

I mean, kicking palm trees with your shins to get them tough.

Ouch!

[Tiger Claw]

I'm not the one after kickboxing. I would do nhb but I have hemophilia a .

[Dark Knight]

I owned one back in the 80's.

The system is like any system. You get back what you put into it. Put on some gloves and start sparring hard. Try the takedowns and figure out how it works.

I like it, I also hold Black Belts in other styles (Ju-Jitsu, Goju, TKD, TSD) I have trainied with hundreds of people in tons of styles. And it comes down to the person.

The forms have been around for a long time, they are generic and you find them in other styles. The combinations were developed first under Nick Cerio then Villari added the above Black Belt ones later. He also developed the above Black belt forms. I am not sure of their origions or why he made them.

All the schools that teach the same style are from him or one of the breakoffs (USSD...) You will meet people who say their Master learned with villari under Chow. but villari started under Cerio. The system is def Villari. I was with them when Mattera and Seve Demasco were still with him. Last time I saw Steve he was a 4th degree.

I left and went on my own. You will learn a lot as a school owner.

[Dark Knight]

BTW, George Dillman has the pinions on tape, he teaches the techniques in the forms, you might want to buy it from him to get a bigger picture of the uses of the forms. Thats something I didnt like with Villaris Kempo, he didnt use the forms as well as they could be.