# San Soo



## L Canyon (Jul 22, 2004)

I rarely see this style taught with "other" kung fu styles (at least on the websites of studios).

 How different is this from other southern forms of kung fu? Does it traditionally have animal forms? Chi kung? weapons? forms?

 A sifu at a local school once told me that san soo isn't really kung fu at all - and I am not sure what he meant by that.

 Trying to gain some knowledge -


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## 7starmantis (Jul 22, 2004)

I dont know, I'm not extremely familiar with it, but everything I've ever seen or heard about any san soo schools was pretty hokey and seemed to be more about making lots of money than teaching anything worthwhile. It always seemed to be some generic kickboxing with a few throws put in.

I can't speak for all of the schools, but the ones I've seen.

7sm


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## cyrus369 (Jul 22, 2004)

well im not sure how it is diffrent from other southern styles, but no san soo doest have animal forms, or chi gung. yes there are weapons and forms, but most of the forms have been americanized by jimmy woo(the guy that brought the art over from china). he changed how he tought the art in the 60's because people were getting hurt, didt want to learn the long forms, or do the traditional exercises. im not sure where the sifu got his info or came to that conclusion, but like some other arts there is some arguments about the history of the art. one seems a bit more fantasy about fighting monks perfecting the way the system was taught and another is san soo is basically a branch off of choy li fut. try the east hills kung fu site maybe they can answer some of your questions:

http://easthillskungfu.com/


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## cyrus369 (Jul 22, 2004)

7starmantis said:
			
		

> I dont know, I'm not extremely familiar with it, but everything I've ever seen or heard about any san soo schools was pretty hokey and seemed to be more about making lots of money than teaching anything worthwhile. It always seemed to be some generic kickboxing with a few throws put in.
> 
> I can't speak for all of the schools, but the ones I've seen.
> 
> 7sm


i have heard of schools that put the name san soo up just because it sounds cool, but at my school we are only charged 60 bucks a month while all the other karate, tae kwon do schools are chargin 100+. my instructor also works full time at wall mart and doest really make any money off the school so i dont think he is in it for the money. in the year i have been there i have learned alot more than a few throws and generic boxing. we learn everything from nerve strikes to throws, leverages, sweeps, etc...


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## Jack Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

I am a student of Kung Fu San Soo. My school is in Michigan, near Detroit. My instructors are Howard Scrivens and Master Chuck Cory, who was a student of Jimmy Woo. A few months ago I received my black belt from Chuck, and I am looking forward to receiving my first degree black.

You can find out more information about my school at www.sansoomichigan.com. If you'd like information about San Soo or Jimmy Woo or Master Cory, you can find it here:
www.kungfusansoo.com 

San Soo is generally not used in competition because we are trained to turn an opponent's attack against them and disable them as quickly and efficiently as possible, often as brutally as possible. There are no rules for a fight on the street, and so in our training we use any weapon available, including eye gouges, clawing, biting, any old nasty thing you can think of.

The most important aspect of San Soo, however, is that it can be described as a scientific approach to martial arts. We are trained to use physics and anatomy to disable an opponent, not mysticism.

Sorry for such a long reply. I hope I have answered some questions, as well as raised some more. I have a passion for my art, and I would be happy to discuss it in much more depth.

Jack www.sansoomichigan.com www.burpingfrog.com


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## WLMantisKid (Jul 22, 2004)

I'm sorry, but the "we dont use it in competition because it's too deadly" argument is pretty hokey.


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## tmanifold (Jul 22, 2004)

Do you mean San Soo or San Shou? The first is the jimmy woo kung fu style and the second is chinese kickboxing.


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## L Canyon (Jul 23, 2004)

I meant San Soo.

 Thanks for the replies everyone -


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## Tony (Jul 23, 2004)

Seems like a very interesting and effective system what I saw from the Michigan site.


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## InvisibleFist (Aug 22, 2004)

San Soo, is supposed to be Choi Li Fut (Cai Li Fo)  with all the B.S. taken out of it. 

 I visited a San Soo school, and was really, really unimpressed.  The students had terrible form, NO stance at all, and were all really out of shape.  Even the black belts were huffing and puffing, showing no martial spirit.  

 There is also a terribly macho vibe permeating their marketing. "We don't spar because our techniques are too deadly."  They have books called "Sudden Violence--Unleashing the inner predator."  I'm not making this up.

 It seems to me that they don't spar, they don't pay attention to their forms, they DO do a hell of a lot of applications, which is probably useful, but they neglect basic athleticism.  I think you'd be better off with real Choy li Fut.


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## cyrus369 (Aug 22, 2004)

InvisibleFist said:
			
		

> San Soo, is supposed to be Choi Li Fut (Cai Li Fo)  with all the B.S. taken out of it.
> 
> I visited a San Soo school, and was really, really unimpressed.  The students had terrible form, NO stance at all, and were all really out of shape.  Even the black belts were huffing and puffing, showing no martial spirit.
> 
> ...


so by visiting this 1 school you summed up the entire system and all the other san soo schools in 2 sentences?


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## SenseiBear (Aug 31, 2004)

I too have trained in San Soo - it is not my primary style, but I have found it strong and consistant.  Its story about where it came from, how it found its way here, etc, does sound hokey...  I doubt most of it is true.  However, I don't care if Jimmy Woo made it all up himself (I don't think he did), if it works, it works.  And in my experience, San Soo does.

It does not use animal styles, as many other Kung Fu systems do (as my primary system does).  It is very self-defense oriented - the forms (at the school I train at they are called "dance forms") are designed to be training tools...  Not necessarily even remembered...  but rather as tools to teach you to move through stances and string techniques together.  The initial Ah Soo lessons go a bit overboard, but seem to be designed to teach physics, body mechanics, and principles of defense.

The "Vicious, brutal, devastating combat system" PR thing is over done too - and sounds cheesy...  On the other hand, real self defense often is "vicious, brutal, devastating"...  when defending your life, its not necessarily a good idea to dance around and trade blows.


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