What Is Kung Fu San Soo?
The Ancient Chinese Art of Self-Defense
KUNG FU SAN SOO is strictly a fighting system not meant to be used for sport or competition, which makes it perfect for personal defense or the protection of loved Ones. It is comprised of Five Families using concepts and qualities uniquely individual to each family. When combined together they compliment each other to create an effective system of self defense. The powerful dynamics created through the proper use of motion, and foundation along with the specific contributions from each family, transform all the individual concepts into an extremely practical and versatile martial art. Therefore, the art of Kung Fu San Soo is never just one or two of these families isolated, but all five working together. They cannot be separated without compromising the integrity of the entire system.
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Tsoi Ga: this family emphasizes the art of striking; consisting of punching, open hand, elbows, kicks, knees and so on.
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Li Ga: this family concentrates on the proper use of leverage. This concept is applied in many ways; one principle is the removal and manipulation of your opponent's balance as well as replacement of his center of balance with your own. Another is utilizing your line of strength against your opponent's line of weakness. Throws, joint lock holds, and take downs can be accomplished on a larger opponent by a smaller person when applying these principles.
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Hoi Ga: this family is concerned with the accuracy and methods used in delivering effective attacks to vulnerable locations of the human anatomy. Pressure points, nerve points, muscle and internal organs are targets considered. The idea is to disable the opponent quickly and with the least amount of strength and effort used as possible. It requires much less energy to inflict pain and injury to someone if this is properly used.
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Fut Ga: this family is the philosophical base of Kung Fu San Soo. It is the relationship of the mind in unity with the body. This can be strengthened by training with an offensive, deliberate and assertive attitude. This will build your confidence and enable you to end a conflict on a verbal level before it becomes physical. With consistent training, you will begin to prove to yourself, through performance, that what you have practiced will work on the day you need to defend yourself.
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Hung Ga: the last family of San Soo emphasizes dynamic power through proper use of body motion. Hung-Ga is the utilizing of body rotation, shifting of weight and generating power through the proper use of your center and foundation. Physical conditioning is part of this training. Exercise forms are an excellent way of training in body dynamics. Forms increase flexibility, circulation and overall physical fitness. Also dynamic tension can be done in forms or individual exercises. This strengthens the muscle tissue associated with the motions used in Kung Fu San Soo.
As each family is explored you will see how they overlap each other and how they work together to form the devastating style known as San Soo. An example of how the families work together could start with Hoi-Ga (vital points). In order to attack with Hoi-Ga you need Tsoi-Ga (punching and kicking skills) which in turn requires Li-Ga (balance and leverage). Hung-Ga provides the proper movement skills while Fut-Ga (the mind) coordinates or orchestrates the entire action. No matter which family you begin with, if you employ one, another will come into play.
Martial Arts Comparison
Since most people and many martial arts practitioners have never seen or heard of Kung-Fu San Soo, it would be difficult for anyone to imagine or for us to fully explain exactly what it is we do. So, we will try to break down Kung-Fu San Soo in a way that you may be able to appreciate. Let us make a comparison to other martial arts systems that you may be familiar with.
Aikido
Take all the wrist locks, elbow locks, shoulder locks, pain-compliance holds, come-along techniques, and handcuffing techniques of Aikido...and that is what we can do to the arm and leg, also add joint locks and leverages to small joints like fingers.
Judo
Take all the hand throws, hip throws, standing throws, foot & leg sweeps, plus the entire choke & strangle holds and all the arm locks. If a technique is based on sound science, physics, anatomy, etc., it is incorporated into our techniques.
Sambo
Take some of the leg locks of Russian Sambo that is what we do to the leg. We do not do ALL the leg locks of Sambo, but again, if a technique is based on sound science, and flows smoothly, it is incorporated into our techniques.
Muay Thai Kickboxing
Take the power round house kicks of Muay Thai (directed at the ribs, the stomach, inside and outside of the thigh), the elbow strikes, the knee strikes, inside fighting, and clinching of Muay Thai Kickboxing...and that is how we strike on the inside. Plus, we will use head butts and shoulder strikes, which are illegal in Muay Thai Kickboxing.
Tae Kwon Do, French Savate, (and other "kicking" arts)
Take all the types of kicks you can imagine, group them under this heading, and that is how we kick. But, it is usually the young teenagers who try and learn the fancy stuff. Most old timers have enough common sense to stick with below the waist kicking.
Boxing
Take the brutal punching combinations of Boxing, and that is how we punch with our knuckles. Plus, we will use back fists and back-hand hammer strikes which are illegal in Boxing. We at the Double Dragons School advice our students to use back-hand hammers or open hand strikes and not to punch to the face area, to avoid the possibility of hand injuries.
Iron Palm
Take the brutal heel of the palm strikes and chops of Iron Palm, and that is how we strike with an open hand.
Eagle Claw
Take the clawing, tearing, ripping, eye gouging, eye poking strikes of Eagle Claw, and that is another way we strike with an open hand.
As you can see by the comparison of other martial arts to the three fighting families, Tsoi-Ga, Li-Ga and Hoi-Ga of Kung Fu San Soo that it is as complete a martial art you could ever find. This should give you a better understanding of our martial art known as Kung Fu San Soo or Tsoi Li Hoi Fut Hung, and to give some idea on how we train and fight with all the martial art techniques we would ever need at our disposal.
