Kung Fu San Soo

[tattooedmonk]

Real " Kung Fu " or not?? Opinions??

[nospam]

...where the phuk is San Soo Joe when ya need him.

nospam
:cool:

[hskwarrior]

He's out chasin fires now!!!

[peace&love]

I was really hoping the forum subject would take off. I do not study san soo, but I find it very interesting. I participated in a class and found it to be very combat oriented with minimum forms. It seems the philosophy was to learn a series of short combinations and then develop and use the "choices" you had available from the ones that were taught over time. Basically, developing your own "mini-system" that best fit your strengths and body type, etc. A lot of time was spent on what seemed to be "fake" fighting where you pretend to take a punch, kick, etc., and drop. As a part time stuntman, I found a lot of this beneficial, but overall, it was not what I was looking for at the time in a school. As far as I know, san soo students do not participate in tournaments and keep most of their schools going on word of mouth. With that in mind, they seem to have a very big following, so that is a positive without being over commercialized. Please keep in mind, these are observations from a few classes, web site postings, and Q & A with instructors and students of the art. Also, I have read quite a bit on Gerald Okamura who studied under Jimmy H. Woo and teaches as well I believe. I am far from an expert on this art, and would enjoy to see some info and perspective from its practitioners.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Just an FYI, the SCARS system of military H2H created by Jerry Peterson is based on San Soo.

[lkfmdc]

it's kenpo

people try to argue this point to death, DESPITE not only the pics of Woo studying with Ed Parker but also the CERTIFICATES that Parker gave him!

[sanjuro_ronin]

it's kenpo

people try to argue this point to death, DESPITE not only the pics of Woo studying with Ed Parker but also the CERTIFICATES that Parker gave him!

Bull****, just because something looks like kenpo, is taught like kenpo, uses the same principles and techniques as kenpo and the creator was a kenpo guy, that doesn't mean anything.
:D

[lkfmdc]

Bull****, just because something looks like kenpo, is taught like kenpo, uses the same principles and techniques as kenpo and the creator was a kenpo guy, that doesn't mean anything.
:D

unfortunately, that is PRECISELY the argument the san soo guys make :p

[diego]

Bull****, just because something looks like kenpo, is taught like kenpo, uses the same principles and techniques as kenpo and the creator was a kenpo guy, that doesn't mean anything.
:D

without video as the Judge of this court yall defense may wanna come harder :D slams mallet.

[Kevin73]

I had never heard or read that Jimmy Woo was a student of Parker's. Ed Parker DID work with James Woo. Here is a link to him, and he does not mention Parker, but those who know their kenpo history know the story. Woo was not a student of Parker, but was brought in to help create the forms. Many students left Parker to train with Woo afterwards.

http://www.jameswingwoo.com/abhp1.html

This is a popular misconception. Jimmy Woo was already teaching in LA long before Ed Parker opened up his first school in Passadena (1956), although Woo didn't open up his first commercial school into 1962.

I am NOT a san soo student, or ever have been. I have informally studied kenpo and have read quite a bit on it's history, and never once do any of the kenpo seniors claim that San Soo was kenpo. Again, it was the other James Woo who Parker studied with.

[Kevin73]

Sorry repost

[Violent Designs]

San Soo makes my head hurt.

[lkfmdc]

someone needs to read a history book before carrying on about how Japan invaded Shanghai in 1929 :rolleyes:

[Kevin73]

someone needs to read a history book before carrying on about how Japan invaded Shanghai in 1929 :rolleyes:

Who is talking about that? Here is the history as Jimmy H Woo has claimed. There is no mention of a Japanese invasion prior to him leaving.
http://www.kungfusansoo.com/

lkfmdc: Where did you see the documents signed by Ed Parker? I can ask one of Ed Parkers long time students who also was a student of Ark Wong to see if he remembers this. Again, I have just heard the two Woo's getting confused and am truly interested to see if San Soo's history has been shown false.

[SIFU RON]

People often get James Wing Woo and Jimmy Woo confused. 2 diffent men and 2 different styles. James Wing Woo is a traditional KF Sifu and one of the first to teach non- Chinese. Jimmy Woo taught a mixture of styles.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Some San Soo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGjwQVN1rlY&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfZIj4WhYLM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-1WjsYUEhY&feature=related

[Waidan]

Hey, former San Soo student here.

American Kenpo (Parker) and San Soo are very similar, as others have stated. Which followed the other is up for debate. Folks that were there that I've spoken with over the years agree that Jimmy and Ed knew each other, but that's about where the agreement ends.

James King and John Bracy both told me that Ed learned from Jimmy, wanting to add some authenticity to his "American martial art". Bracy went so far as to say that Jimmy got sick of Ed constantly asking him for additional information and Jimmy basically told him to take a hike.

Another teacher (name long forgotten) told me that Jimmy worked as an assistant to Ed. However, I found other references that indicated that this other "James Woo" was a White Crane instructor. Shrug.

At any rate, it's a pretty decent style and fun to train. In hindsight most of the techniques were solid (good power in the hammer fists especially) though many of the takedowns and jointlocks were needlessly complicated and could get you hurt. Some schools have stripped those techniques out completely and practice a more basic, striking-oriented method. The lack of live sparring was the biggest problem in my school, and from what I've seen that is the norm in that system.

[tattooedmonk]

I was just curious about what other people thought about the style/ system. I have to agree about the overly complicated chin na / joint locking moves, they will get you hurt.