Paul Taylor Ussd

Any Body Know About This Villaris Master? And Why He Followed Mattera Insted Of Staying With Grand Master Villari?

 

Master Paul Taylor actually started martial arts at 10 years old with Professor Charles Mattera. Professor Charles Mattera was his first instructor and as far as I know, his only instructor.

 

Do you know what year he started?

 

I don't know the exact year, but i do know he has been practicing for more than 30 years, I believe it has been close to 33 years, but I'm nt sure of the exact year. But I do know he is an excellent martial artist and instructor.

 

I don't know the exact date but i know he has been practicing for more than 30 years, close to 33 if I'm not mistake. But I do know he is an excellent martial artist and instructor.

 

ha didn't mean to type thay twice. What a fool.

 

That's KenpoJoe, the Human Kenpo Encyclopedia!!!

 

wow.

This may be one of the earliest self-promotions to 10th I have seen documented. I thought that trend didn't really take off until after 1991.

-D

 

I normally take accusations with a grain of salt, but anybody who studies kenpo (Kajukenbo specifically) SHOULD know who Mr. Bishop is.

I'm willing to wager he wouldn't spout nonsense publicly.

May you achieve
Satori

 

Not really a accusation, just a timeline.
Villari's teacher, Nick Cerio started training with George Pesare in 1964 (who was a purple belt in Karazempo, according to his teacher, Victor Gascon). And Villari started training with Cerio in 1967. 7 years later, Villari's a 10th degree.

 

Wow...that scares me. I have more training now (twice as much!) than Villari did when he became 10th degree...and his organizations/branches have grossed hundreds of millions of dollars.

Frightening...very frightening.

May you achieve
Satori

 

Okay, I tried this on another forum, one of which I was a moderator for several years and left on good terms but was 'deleted' after a few days. The original was longer, I cut some just for brevity as it was all written in good taste and with respect BUT based on facts. I believe I was deleted due to politics.

Timelines, black belts, purple belts, 10th degree grandmasters, whatever.......Here goes!

All history of the martial arts has descrepencies, contradictions, myths,
complete fallacies and unintentional as well as intentional inaccuracies. No one style, system or lineage is exempt. As a matter of fact, being a history major in high school and college, World History and American History is included. Anyone see the "Myths of Pearl Harbor" recently on the Discovery Channel?
Villari's Shaolin Kempo has come up. Let's take that as an example. Fred Villari trains under Nick Cerio from 1967 (I saw the application) to 1971. Despite what some say he leaves Cerio in '71 as a nidan. He was tested and promoted. He did not make his one year probation and is listed as a shodan in the Cerio records. I think we can all agree he left with all the knowledge and ability of a Nick Cerio 2nd degree black belt (which is more than what many other reputable icons were of rank and training when they left their instructors to start their own thing) Okay, Villari states he trained in the West Indies under masters Chu and Soo receiving 3rd, 4th and 5th dans. I know many question this and I have questions also but I keep them to myself and after this post all will understand why. Master John Fritz, a very highly respected and talented Shaolin Kempo man states he saw Villari's signed master's certificate but that's neither here nor there and is not my point. In an interview in Black Belt magazine in 1975 Villari has the 'gonads' (more than what can be said for others who did the same thing) to announce his self promotion to 10th dan and why. He had opened schools in New England and a few in Canada and as CEO and headmaster of his own chain of kempo schools teaching his perspective of the art taught to him by Cerio, he takes the 10th. Let's compare this to our forefathers and seniors.
William Chow studies under James Mitose from 1942-1946 and leaves. 1967-1971 and 1942-1946, all adds up to four years of training under the kenpo instructor who gave each martial artist their foundation. True? Unless you wish to believe Chow had prior training in 'dreams' under his father and grandfather. Chow then jumps to 5th in a wink and 10th and then claims a 15th. Hello? This is in no disrespect to Chow who I feel was one of the greatest street fighters of all time. We're just taking an honest look back.
Adriano D. Emperado, Chow's first black belt starts training in kenpo under Chow in 1946 at 20 years old but according to Kajukenbo's accepted history, was a 'young master of his art' in 1947 since it is stated 5 martial arts 'masters', 'young' masters in their own arts (Villari at 30 is ridiculed by some, well, they had to be early 20's), so goes the story met behind locked doors until 1949. However, Emperado's first black belt, Marino Tiwanak states (check the C.H.A.3 website) that he didn't hear the term Kajukenbo until 1956 when he opened his first school. If one digs more they will discover Tiwanak trained with guys like Woodrow Mc Candless (Mitose black belt) and others back in that early era and there is no mention of Peter Walter Choo, Frank Ordonez, Joe Holck and Clarence Chang. We'll get to that in more detail later.
Take the timeline of Peter Choo and Tang Soo Do being implemented in those early years. Japanese occupy Korea, teach Shotokan and leave in 1945. Tang Soo Do begins at it's earliest inception 1946 blending Korea's ancient art of Tae Kyon (sp.?) and Shotokan. Yet, by 1947 Choo is a MASTER of Tang Soo Do? Clarence Chang's training in Sil lum pai doesn't add up at all if you wish to check that out. None were MASTERS of their arts during the inception as reported. Emperado quickly jumps to 5th dan. What's the time line now? Don't know, just know that Emperado started under Chow in 1946. Also Marino Tiwanak stated that in 1947 he began training with Adriano and Joe Emperado after he had retired from boxing. He said later on others joined the class. They were Bob Gohea, Walter Lee, Vernon Chong, Ben Lau, Herbert Kanahele and Dan Taba. he also stated there was an eigth member but could not recall his first name but did remember his last name was Hanohano. This 1947+ training took place before the Palama Gym and they went by the name Kenpo Karate. Later when they moved to Kalihi and started training at the Palama Gym. This is when they were joined by Woodrow McCandless who would later merge his class with the Emperado group. Also stated as part of Kajukenbo history and published in martial arts magazine articles is that Tiwanak joined Emperado's classes after the later soundly defeated the young boxer after a dispute playing cards. I found this to be another myth. Do I think Kajukenbo is a great art? ABSOLUTELY! Do I feel it is combined with all the above arts mentioned, YES, eventually it included all the above. Do I take my hat off to Sijo Emperado for all his accomplishments? Most certainly! I hope I'm making some headway here,lol.

As far as this senior was a purple belt or that senior was a brown belt and so forth, well, it is common knowledge that the vast majority of our Kenpo/Kempo/Kajukenbo seniors were not black belts when they introduced their arts to the mainland. Many were purple belts and some were brown belts like Ed Parker. I am well aware of an interview Gm. Victor 'Sonny' Gascon had given recently that many have heard where he stated his student, Gm. S. George Pesare, was a purple belt when he first brought his art to New England. Gm. Gascon had Cc'd me an e-mail years before this interview in which he also referenced this issue. There was no malice or negativity but pride and praise towards Mr. Pesare's achievements. Mr. Gascon also stated that Mr. Pesare called him and asked for permission to open up a school and teach Karazenpo Go Shinjutsu following proper protocol. Mr. Gascon gave his blessing. Getting back to Villari, Gm. Gascon said once that he would like to meet Fred Villari someday to shake his hand for carrying on the system to so many students for so many years.

Enough said. My point is let's all stop bashing everyone else, the Mitose Temple story of the Kosho ryu people, the Villari's, the Parkers, the Tracy's, the Cerios, the Pesare's, etc. and why? Simple.........as I stated in the begining: NONE OF US ARE EXEMPT, NO LINEAGE, NO SYSTEM OR STYLE. How can anyone throw stones when they live in a glass house? One has to make sure one's slate is clean and always make sure you know what's going on in your own back yard before you look into someone elses. Let's stop the hypocrisy. None of this makes any of the above martial arts any less effective or practical in any way, shape or form. Remember, this was not posted to start a flame war, insult anyone or debate anyone's background and history. More simply stated, if I may quote Gm. Lou Angel: "You mind your store and I'll mind mine". Good advice from a martial arts icon I think. Respectfully submitted and I mean that, Joe Shuras

 

Hi Professor Shuras, it's good to hear from you again since you left Martial Talk. Where do you spend your time on the internet these days? Or have you wised up and don't pay any attention to it anymore LOL I wish I could spend as much time in the dojo as I spend on the computer.

I agree with you, it seems what's important is not what rank was somebody when they started on their own, what's important is what have they done to continue to grow since then.

I hope you are staying warm up there,

David C.
Geary's Shaolin Kempo, Omaha

 

I always prefer to get my information from the sources instead of the internet.
Most of the information I have put out in the martial arts media has always come from the source, not 2nd or 3rd hand.
The information I have about Marino Tiwanak came from him, not a website put up after his death. And like most of my research over the last 20 years, I have much of it in written correspondance from the source.
Contrary to the rumor that has been put forth for years Tiwanak was not Adriano Emperado's "first" black belt, he was one of Emperado's "early" black belts. Joe Emperado was Adriano's first black belt. To those who insist that he (Tiwanak) was not ranked in "Kajukenbo", it's simple to prove, show us his certificate. And explain to us why his system (CHA-3 Kenpo) teaches Kajukenbo techniques, instead of Kara-ho or Kosho Ryu techniques?
The association of the 5 founders between 1947-49 is something that took place before any students like Joe Emperado, Woodrow McCandless, Marino Tiwanak, or Sid Asuncion came on the scene. But it was known about by people like William Chow, James Mitose, Henry Okizaki, Sig Kufferath, Wally Jay, Ed Parker, Sam Luke, David Nuuhiwa, and Thomas Young. These guys all travelled in the same circles.
And the service records of the 5 founders is also well documented. Adriano Emperado, the oldest, served in WWII in the 1st Filipino Regiment, and the other 4 founders served in the Korean War. So yes, the other 4 founders were gone during the early years when Kajukenbo was first taught at the "Halawa Housing" unit, and later at the Palama Settlement Gym.
In the yearly days were the terms "Kajukenbo" and "Kenpo Karate" used together and interchangebly? Sure. And some schools today still use the term "Kajukenbo Kenpo Karate".

 

Hi David, hope all is well with you and yours. I'm not on the net that much anymore, here and there and you're right, I have 'wised up' to all the b.s., especially to all the hypocrisy. Everyone has the right to their own opinion but what gets to me is when they go after someone or organization when all the time they, themselves, or their organization did the same damn thing.

I remember when Fred Villari at the begining when he advertised: Karate-Kung Fu-Jui Jitsu. It was in his adds on the the studio signs. His most vehement critcis of the time, one big name martial artist who's name I'll keep to myself wrote in Black Belt magazine about Mr. Villari: "He teaches karate but advertises Kung Fu." Well, hello? Low and behold we find out that Villari's lineage was Cerio to Pesare to Gascon to Leoning and Emperado. In other words, a subsystem of 'Kajukenbo'-Karate, Judo-Jui Jitsu, Kenpo and Kung Fu! I look back and it makes you laugh now. Yeah, I'm trying to stay warm down here but I just went out for coffee this morning and I'll tell ya, it's freezing here in Massachusetts. Take care, David.

John, thank you for your response. Again, I am just stating my opinion and please don't take anything to heart. I'm just getting a little tired of people putting down other people's instructors and history when their people have done the same thing or even carried it to further extremes. As far as Tiwanak goes, it doesn't really matter who Sijo's first black belt was or wasn't, who cares? that's not my point, my whole point being there is absolutely no supportive evidence to show that the five founders actually met behind locked doors from 1947-1949, they were not masters of their respective styles at that time as your articles and the 'accepted' history states. Tang Soo Do was in it's infancy then being founded in 1946. Some swear to the fact that 'George' Clarence Chang never even worked out with the other founders, never mind contributed Sil Lum Pai. You mentioned in an above post on a Villari time line being 30 years old and head of his system, giving a negative impression but, for sake of argument, we'll say the five founders were 'masters' of their styles in '47-49' which would put them in their early 20's!!!! Not to mention, Emperado just began training under Chow in 1946, how could this be? Master of Kenpo in just ONE YEAR! Your Villari posts mention jumps to high black belt ranks but Mitose, Chow, Emperado and many of the early pioneers, respectfully, did the same exact thing with less knowledge or curriculum of their time. Now, because they came before us should not suggest that they were any more superior or above martial artists that came after, for we are all just human beings striving for the same thing. Great martial artists will be produced now and in the future, my point here is that those of the past should not be given a free pass on this. In other words, they can jump rank, create their own styles at a young age, make themselves founders and grandmasters but then the mold is broken and no one else after them can do the same thing because if they do, they will not be legit! Nonsense!

In all due respect, John, you have to expect others to dig into Kajukenbo when you are negative toward their lineage and history. Yes, you can say you're just statng a fact, well, so am I and that type of reasoning gets neither of us anywhere. If you wish to get technical, you have stated in the past Mitose was never a 'black belt', well then, since he promoted Thomas Young and Young signed Chow's certificate and Chow signed Emperado's, well, you know where I'm going with this, lol, none of us are black belts! See what I mean? At one time I got into this when researching the Mitose history but as I did more and more research and matured I realized we're all in the same boat, more or less. Let it go.

All these Hawaiian derived Kenpo/Kempo/Kajukenbo/Karazenpo related arts are all great stuff with the same core or nucleus. We are all branches of the same tree, the same root. The only difference being on where the emphasis lies and how people wish to teach their art. Respect them all, live and let live or, again, to quote Lou Angel, "you mind your store and I'll mind mine". With respect, Joe Shuras