United Studios Provides a Discipline For Life

United Studios Martial Arts Academy in Rocky Point has been on the North Shore for more than 20 years with the 200 Wilson Street location behind Fun For All in Port Jefferson Station and the new Rocky Point location at 648 Rt. 25A, which moved from its former Wading River location.

"The martial arts are really an art form," said owner Enzo Aliotta. "When you take a brush to paper, you create a work of art, but the martial arts makes a powerful work of art out of yourself."

Enzo became interested in the martial arts as a kid, influenced by Bruce Lee movies such as Enter the Dragon, as well as the encouragement of his older brother Giuseppi. He learned the discipline under Kyoshi Rich Spatola, whom he bows to as a mentor.

The studio offers Kempo, Jiu Jitsu, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, kickboxing, Judo and Mixed Martial Arts fitness.

United Studios offers a trial program ($19.99) that includes a karate uniform, a tour of the school, a private one on one lesson and a group lesson.

"If the individual wants to continue from that point, then I discuss a program and training schedule," Aliotta said.

The studio is open from 9 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. and has ten staff members. The staff is poised as role models; it is an important part of the ethos at the studio and they must always be in excellent physical condition.

"None of my staff is out of shape, I insist they train at least twice a week," Aliotta said.

The cliental is sixty percent children. Enzo, a father of three, said, "We always start with respect, it's not about fighting. It is about respect for yourself and respect for other people."

Children are guided to self discipline through positive attributes such as proper attitude, good behavior and good character. This gives a self confidence children can bring to all areas of their lives, and can especially be effective in situations such as bullying.

“I tell the kids to tell a bully, ‘I don’t want to fight you, but if I have to I will,’” he said. “If a bully knows you are going to fight, they usually back off.”

He related how he uses templates of animals to instill training initiatives.

"The martial arts have been around 1500 years," he said. "The monks who developed it [in Asia] chose five animals their discipline should emulate: the dragon, for respect, leopard for discipline, snake for control, tiger as a leader and crane for honesty."

He added, "I ask a kid, 'Which animal do you want to be?' He'll say, 'Tiger.' So I'll tell him what he has to do to be a tiger...besides the martial arts, things like cleaning your room and doing his homework. Then he gains a tiger patch, as a reminder of what he achieved and has to keep doing.

"There is no better place to bring a kid to learn discipline than a martial arts facility."

The studio is holding an open house on Sept. 24th.