 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
 |
SAN SOO as taught by Grandmaster Jimmy H. Woo, had its origins in
the very basics of Chinese feudal life two thousands years ago. For
many hundreds of years, China was divided and sub-divided into various
warring factions, and each produced many types of fighting styles.
Chinese systematized warfare predates the arrival of the Buddhist
monk Bodhidharma, thought to be the founder of Shaolin Ch’uan, by
several hundred years c. 200 B.C.
Exactly how and when these fighting tactics were begun in the Kwan-Yin
(goddess of mercy) monastery in the village of Pon Hong, Guangdong
Province of Southern China is still unclear, but is in the process of being
researched. The main reason the martial arts were perfected by this
group of monks was to protect themselves from bandits and outlaws as
the monks returned with supplies and donations from the nearby
villages.
the very basics of Chinese feudal life two thousands years ago. For
many hundreds of years, China was divided and sub-divided into various
warring factions, and each produced many types of fighting styles.
Chinese systematized warfare predates the arrival of the Buddhist
monk Bodhidharma, thought to be the founder of Shaolin Ch’uan, by
several hundred years c. 200 B.C.
Exactly how and when these fighting tactics were begun in the Kwan-Yin
(goddess of mercy) monastery in the village of Pon Hong, Guangdong
Province of Southern China is still unclear, but is in the process of being
researched. The main reason the martial arts were perfected by this
group of monks was to protect themselves from bandits and outlaws as
the monks returned with supplies and donations from the nearby
villages.
In 1935, at the age of 21, Chin Siu Dek left mainland China under the passport name Jimmy H. Woo and
sailed for the United States. During the early years in this country, Jimmy lived in Chinatown, Los Angeles.
Chin Siu Hung was 73 years old when the Japanese invaded mainland China and took over his beloved
province. In 1942 he was forced, against his will, to answer a challenge to fight to the death the regimental
karate champion of the Japanese army. This was to be a public display of the power of the Japanese
conquerors in front of the poor villagers of the surrounding area. Under the threat of death to his people if
he did not comply, Hung fought and defeated the Japanese champion. In fact he killed the karate warrior in
less than 20 seconds. He and most of his students were immediately killed by machine gun fire. This
basically ended SAN SOO in mainland China.
It was extremely fortunate that Jimmy had left mainland China when he did, for the Japanese would have
awarded him with the same fate as his Great Uncle and the other SAN SOO practitioners rather than allow a
possible resistance corps to remain.
Jimmy carried the art to America and kept it alive while many of the other early Chinese fighting systems
were destroyed by the Japanese. Mao Tse Tung later eradicated many of the martial arts styles, training
books and monasteries when the communist Chinese took over power from the Japanese at the end of
W.W.II.
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
