About Us
We, Masters Lue and Dora Montalvo started training in Kung Fu San Soo with 1st. Generation Masters Sharon Wikel and Larry E. Wikel in 1991 and 1992 respectfully. When we received our Black Belts from Master Wikel he formally made us his Assistant Instructors, where we would assist him during regular classes and occasionally take over classes whenever he had other business matters to attend to. We attended Master Larry E. Wikel's Instructors Classes where we learned how to teach the Art of Kung Fu San Soo and also attended his Black Belt Advance classes until his semi-retirement. We received our Masters Certification from Master Wikel in 2003 and 2004 respectfully.
Having to travel extensively around the country during our youth and having to start over at every new city, you have to quickly learn to deal with and adapt to both physical and verbal confrontations with different people and situations. Having this real life perspective gives you a better insight into a side of society most people may never encounter. This in turn allows us to teach our students a more intensive style of Self-defense based on real experience and not assumptions. With both of us having similar backgrounds we have a practical and logical approach to teaching which provides an environment and atmosphere that expedites the student's comprehension of this art so they can act instinctively and to enhance the person's own natural fighting ability. We train our students to have an Offensive Mind Set rather than a Defensive One and to use common sense before self-defense.
We teach men and women regardless of age and children starting from 7 years old on up. All techniques in a lesson are designed to enhance each individual's capabilities with Master Dora working especially close with our women students adding her perspective as a woman San Soo fighter. Occasionally Master Dora will gather all the women students and all white belts together and teach them special techniques designed to help enhance their awareness and learn how to read, avoid and prepare for certain situations.
Every martial art made is based on how the human body moves, so it is of utmost importance to learn human structure, anatomy and physiology. Students will learn the strengths and weakness of the human anatomy and learn how to exploit them. Our students will learn all aspects of this art from striking, leverages and locks for joint control, throws and pressure point manipulation to ground work techniques. They will learn and understand the principles and concepts behind each technique and how they complement each other and can flow from one technique to the other without hesitation. As the student advances in rank they learn to blend with the opponent's force, intent, and motivation to find the part of the opponent's mind that wants to be defeated. At the highest level, the defender defeats the opponent before the attacker knows it has begun.
Most people that learn this Art will develop certain preferences to certain techniques, from standup striking, to throws, leverages and grappling. Many who go on to instruct will use what they have learned as their core for teaching and instill their own personality and life experience into teaching this art. Add to this each individuals own physical abilities and you will see why there are so many different interpretations and a preference for only certain techniques.
We as teachers will not limit the capabilities of our students by teaching only certain techniques of this Art, they will learn all aspects of this Art as we were taught it. To do otherwise is to diminish the power behind the art of Kung Fu San Soo and creating a situation where;
“You will fail the Art, Not the Art fail You”, L. M.
What Is Self-Defense?
The legal and moral definition of self-defense expressly limits the degree of force to the least which can be used to avert, stop, or escape from an intended assault.
One way of defining self-defense is to explain what it is not. Personal self-defense is not warfare; it is not vengeance; it is not an art; it is not a sporting event; it is not a movie or television fight scene. Self-defense is preparation to minimize the possibility of assault. It is training to learn and use appropriate and effective physical actions if there is no practical available alternative. Self-defense instruction is the beginning of a process of learning how to avoid becoming a victim.
Many victims of assault are victims not because they lack the capacity to win fights but because they have been given absolutely no preparation to cope with this special kind of emergency. The old-fashioned view that self-defense instruction is training to reach a high level of fighting skill has the effect of eliminating those individuals who have the greatest need. It is precisely those people who are unable or unwilling to become fierce fighting machines who benefit from practical self-defense instruction.
At their most basic level, the martial arts are nothing more than ways to prevent someone from harming or killing you. At their highest aspiration, the martial arts are paths to self-knowledge and the expression of beauty. The martial artist must be both scientist and artist. He must learn the traditions, theories, principles, laws and techniques upon which martial artistry is based. He must then practice them with passion and discipline so as to properly learn and understand what he is doing. Only then can he master himself and the martial arts.
“For a person to be involved in a fight requires no great talent or ability. A person who is a trained fighter must consider what is to be gained or lost in such an involvement. The trained fighter is a person who, once he or she moves, does so decisively to eliminate the problem quickly and to always expect the unexpected in every situation and be prepared for it.”
Philosophy of Kung Fu San Soo
The original philosophy of Kung Fu San Soo set down by American founder Chan Siu Dek (Jimmy H. Woo) was to either win a confrontation at any cost, even at the expense of death if necessary, or avoid fighting altogether. He simply didn't want any of his fighters to cripple themselves psychologically or technically by training for limitations of any kind at all. He admonished his students, if a fight was unavoidable, not to test the opponent with a limited response, not to give even a millisecond of advantage. He'd say, "If a man attacks you, how do you know that man isn't trying to kill you?"
Our philosophy is to avoid confrontations if at all possible, but never turn their back to a possible confrontation, to end a verbal or physical confrontation as quickly as possible. One, because a verbal confrontation can quickly escalate into a physical confrontation, and two, a physical confrontation can end badly for the student who limits his response to the confrontation.
Not to prolong a fight once engaged, an attacker is never given a chance to regroup, once an advantage has been gained exploit it fully, quickly and decisively.
Always conduct themselves in a polite, unassuming manner, and not be arrogant or disrespectfully toward others. Influence those around them in a positive manner and to recognize and correct their own personal shortcomings before critiquing others.
The most basic motivation behind all things in nature is the Law of Survival and it is important to the practice of Kung Fu San Soo. When a person realizes that someday they just might have to fight for the lives of their loved ones or their own life, the practice of Kung Fu San Soo takes on new meaning. They learn to overcome their weaknesses and to perfect their strengths. In a fight, they understand very well the Law of Survival and use it to give them the incentive they need to prevail. They do not fight with the purpose of winning a trophy or of obtaining some material reward; instead, they fight for the greatest thing they possess - life.
There are four aspects of the Martial Arts, which the Kung Fu San Soo Martial Artist must aim to develop: "Eye, Mind, Body and Spirit". These four aspects must be developed equally for a person to become properly balanced both as a Martial Artist and Kung Fu San Soo practitioner and therefore as a person.
The first aspect, Eyes, is the development of quick reflexes by learning to see and recognizing certain actions and movements by an opponent. And also building and enhancing their peripheral vision.
The second aspect, Mind, is developed through mental training. Meditation teaches the student to focus his mind and to coordinate his thinking with his movement. It also aids him in his abilities to relax and to concentrate. Mental training also calls for active learning in the way of listening, reading and thinking. Students are not to restrict themselves to learning just about the Martial Arts, but must learn about the history, philosophy, and any other subjects that might have a bearing on Kung Fu San Soo.
The third aspect, Body, is developed through the physical exercises involved in Kung Fu San Soo training. Rigorous physical conditioning exercises lead to increased strength, endurance, flexibility and equilibrium. In addition, repetition of Kung Fu San Soo basic and advanced techniques leads to improved physical ability and fluidity of movement.
Following the philosophy and ideals of the Martial Arts in general develops the forth aspect, Spirit. Practice of the Martial Arts is a pursuit of personal improvement. It is not enough to have a strong mind and body the true Martial Artist should also strive to be strong in spirit. He should have a goal in life and a firm foundation of beliefs to guide him.
The true Martial Artist is humble but confident, willing to give way to others but unwilling to accept injustice.
By developing all four aspects a Kung Fu San Soo practitioner can become a total person and eventually a master of themselves. Without equal development of all four aspects, a Kung Fu San Soo practitioner will never achieve balance in his life and will never be a true artist.
Be grateful for each other, for it is through others that we are provided with an opportunity to grow. Give thanks every day, for being more realized than yesterday. There is no boundary to learning, for today's learning is a stepping stone for tomorrow's advancement. The practice of Kung Fu is a personal expression of self, only you can know yourself. Said another way, the purpose of studying Kung Fu is to learn to know you. If you uncover this one truth, you will have achieved the single most important life lesson that there is, and you can carry it with you anywhere that you choose to go, whether it is the business world, family life, community leadership. Knowing yourself, and knowing where you wish to go, will help you achieve success in any facet of your life.
