Fred VillariVillari Martial Arts Centers
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Charles Mattera Bagely/Bryant/Nohelty Cal Carozzi Robert Lamattina Jim BrassardUnited Studios ---- Masters SelfUnited Shaolin Tokyo Joe's Studios of Self-Defense | Defense CentersKempo Karate of Self Defense
(West Coast) |
| Z-Ultimate |
| Self-Defense Fred Bagely
Steve Demasco Studios Masters of Karate
United Studios
of Self Defense
(East Coast)
|
|
Ken Warner
Ben Thomas
Kempokan
This very limited and incomplete tree shows some of the major offshoots
of Grandmaster Fred Villari's Shaolin Kempo Karate.
Charles Mattera was a Shaolin Kempo 7th dan before he left.
He has since received an 8th dan ranking in American Kenpo from the Late
Cerio Kenpo Grandmaster Nick Cerio, and is currently lists himself as a
10th dan GrandMaster in Shaolin Kempo.
The United Studios of Self Defense are mostly located on the
American West Coast.
Steve Demasco was a Shaolin Kempo 7th dan before leaving the
Villari organization.
He has since joined the United Studios of Self Defense, he
picked up another three dan ranks and runs their schools on the east
coast. This brings the USSD GrandMaster count up to two. After all
of his Connecticut schools shut down or decided not to do business with
Mr. DeMasco anymore, he is limited to about 4 schools on Long Island.
Fred Bagely was a Shaolin Kempo 8th dan before breaking off
with a dozen or so New England Villari
Self Defense Centers to form Masters Self Defense
Centers with Masters James Bryant & Robert Nohelty. Master
Bagely has since left that organization and founded the Masters of
Karate schools. Masters Bryant & Nohelty have expanded the Masters Self Defense Centers
curriculum to include weapons training. Both Masters Bryant &
Nohelty have also received instructor certification in Nick Cerio's
International Martial Arts Association. Masters Self Defense Centers
is limited to 4 schools at last count. The others have either closed or
gone independent.
Cal Carozzi was a Shaolin Kempo 7th dan under Fred Villari before he founded the United Shaolin Kempo Karate schools. Master Carozzi's dojos are mostly in New Hampshire. He has added his years of experience to his knowledge of Shaolin Kempo and now a 10th dan GrandMaster, teaching his own style of Shaolin Kempo, San Chai Na Kempo.
Robert Lamattina was a Shaolin Kempo 6th dan before founding Tokyo
Joe's Studios of Self Defense. He started with one school in Nashua NH,
and has expanded slowly over the last few years to 6 schools, spread
over 3 states - in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine.
Ben Thomas & Ken Warner were part of the East Coast United
Studios organization before breaking away from Steve DeMasco and
starting their own system. Ben Thomas now has his
own Kempokan school.Ben Thomas and I share the same original Kempo
instructor, Master Al Gallo.
Jim Brassard was a
Villari fifth degree before breaking off. Since then he received a
10th dan from the USA Martial Arts Alliance.
Z-Ultimate Self-Defense Studios is a major break off from Charles Mattera's USSD. There have been law suites filed.
New England is dotted with independent schools that also teach Shaolin
Kempo Karate. Most are descended from the organizations listed above.
Note that United Studios of Self-Defense is the original name Grandmaster Villari used for his studios. Mr. Mattera picked up the name after Mr. Villari changed the name of his organization.
Out of these, note that only Charles Mattera's organization is only one that has had any sort of significant growth.
Given all these break-offs, Mr. Villari's VSDC organization is still larger than, other than Mr. Mattera's USSD, than any two or three combined.
There was a major break off from the USSD in 2011 or 2012. About half he schools left to form their own organization called Z-Ultimate Self-Defense Studios.