Does anybody recognize this form/style?

[LFJ]

the shaolin connection is through discipleship of the two heads from yongxin. as for the martial arts, no apparent connection that i see. (probably as light as you'll hear it)

[MasterKiller]

So then what is the USSD system of Shaolin Kempo?

Made up forms by Mattera.

[xcakid]

Made up forms by Mattera.

Not quite. He got em from Fred Villari. A lot of the 2nd and up black belt forms are from various kung fu styles that were brought in by students that came from other styles. 1 degree black still does Hansuki, Circle of the Tiger and Kata form like the Villari system. They have added various northern and souther forms from that point on though.

Mattera did modify a few of the forms vs the Villari forms, mainly varying the hand strikes or adding a block/strike here and there. Villari got his forms from Nick Cerios. Pinan forms are straight Karate though. You will see the 1st Pinan form that USSD does is the same as you would see in some Karate styles and TaeKwonDo. I do believe there are a few made up forms there though. Stature of the Crane and the 2 man fist sets are the ones I have never seen in other systems. Not sure if Cerios made them up or if it was Villari.

I actually like the way Mattera took more of the Kung Fu route with their forms. A lot of the Shaolin Kempo lineages, be it Ralph Castro or Villari have adopted the harder more American Kenpo forms. Although Castro does have CMA weapons in their system.

The weapons forms for USSD also were brought in by various students. The only standard form when I was with them was a broadsword form, bo kata form and a sai form. All other seem to vary depending on the school. I have a broardsword and staff form that is from Shaolin Long Fist, a double edge sword form and fan form that came from Choy Li Fut. And lastly a spear form that I later found out is taught at all of the Eagle Claw school under Leung Shums lineage. Of course this was back in early 90's when USSD is in its infancy.

As far as the Shaolin connection, NIL, Nada, Zip. Aside from the rumored large donation Mattera made to get himself somehow a ranking certificate from the Shaolin Temple. The whole lineage of Mattera's system leads back to Villari, then Cerios, and up from there to K S Chow. Mattera did drop off Villaris name in the lineage chart after he took the schools in the west coast from Villari. He then cozied up with Cerios and used that direct lineage instead.

[MasterKiller]

Where did his "White Spider" forms come from?

[xcakid]

Where did his "White Spider" forms come from?

Got no clue. Must've been added after I left. A lot of Mattera's black belt forms have changed. I notice from the You Tube videos, they now have drunken forms. I have never seen them before.

[B-Rad]

Thanks RD

[sk girl]

Hey xcakid,

Mattera made up the weapon forms.

No one ever saw matteras certificate for 8th or 10th dan.

[xcakid]

Hey xcakid,

Mattera made up the weapon forms.

No one ever saw matteras certificate for 8th or 10th dan.

That's cause Nick Cerios was not alive to sign em.

[Sal Canzonieri]

on the same page as the Rou Quan vid there are also vids of USSD practitioners doing Tiger and Budda fist? Sal what are your thoughts on USSD and the Shaolin connection? And I am not intending to bash just want some clarity on the subject for my own mind. Thank you.

That its a bunch of crud.

That "buddha fist" was laughable modern junk. That form was nothing like the movements from the real version.

[SenseiShellie]

That its a bunch of crud.

That "buddha fist" was laughable modern junk. That form was nothing like the movements from the real version.

The "buddha fist" form is a form that Tak Wah Eng made up for a seminar, before they burned him. It's still nothing like what he teaches.

[xcakid]

Tiger form and a Dragon form is also Tak Wah Eng.

[ninja matt]

Hey did you go to the seminar ?