Class Structure and Curriculum

Adults

An adult two hour training session typically involves individuals in attendance that range in rank from White Belt to Master. Each class opens with a series of required Pre-warm-up exercises. Pre-warm-ups include a number of fundamental fighting exercises which includes a variety of windmills for striking, deflection or re-direction, punching drill with footwork, front kicks, sidekicks, knee strikes, and the twelve-step basic foot-work Form of Kung Fu San Soo. The twelve-step basic foot-work movements form the fundamental footwork, balancing, and positioning for fighting techniques that a student will use thru-out their training in San Soo. This footwork exercise which concentrates on fundamental footwork and not striking, is done first to the right side then to the left side to create a 24 step footwork form. The Pre-warm up exercises are then followed by stretching exercises that concentrate on core muscle groups of the body. Sometimes students are run through a series of bag kicking and/or punching drills, usually in combinations that include footwork and timing. Emphasis is placed on accuracy, footwork, coordination, balance and finally, power.

The Pre-warm up exercises are designed to:

Students are then paired up by twos with new students or white belts paired up with higher ranked students. This provides them with one-on-one access to all the higher ranked students almost providing them with private instruction, although in a class environment. And continue with an exercise designed to help enhance and develop "reactionary quickness", creativity and "improvisation". All this is then followed by the students two and two workouts or in groups of three or more for multiple attacks training.

Each belt rank is given a lesson starting with white belts first then on thru to black belt. Each high Ranking Belt is expected to do whatever lesson is given that is below their Rank. For example, if a Black Belt is present they will do five lessons in one night's class. Each lesson is a series of one to six techniques for each rank, consisting of an attack, and a series of counters and complex response to the attack. Attacks might consist of kicks, punches, grabs, attempted take downs, or weapons training with assaults using weapons like a stick, club, knife or even a gun. Students are trained to always move forward, to the side, or around the attacker, always looking for a different opening and a different way of exploiting it. They are trained to intercept and re-direct, deflect, or strike and seize to apply leverage to lock, or throw an opponent and pressure point attacks. Students are also trained to do all these things from the ground, including kicking, striking, and leveraging, and avoiding and escaping ground holds. Within every lesson given are techniques unique to that belt rank that is meant to be memorized as they are practiced with their workout partner. Then students are rotated with other students of different sizes and body weight so they learn how to apply their lessons on different body types.

Each Student is then checked on the lesson given for foundation, control, accuracy and for proper reaction when the lesson is done on them. And to ensure that they understand the techniques in the lesson given and the type of manipulation that is being done on the skeletal frame, internal organs, nervous system and muscular structure of the attacker.

We at The Double Dragons School place just as much emphasis on proper reactions to getting hit as we do on proper hitting. When a person or body is getting hit with the power or force that a student is learning to develop the body getting hit has to react to the force of the impact and pain inflicted. This gives a student defending a chance to learn how to improvise using techniques learned on a body that is reacting because of impact and /or pain. Also learning to react to an impact or pain teaches the student how to absorb and roll with a hit thus minimizing the impact of a strike if they get hit.

Time is usually allocated for free sparring called "working out" after the lessons have been checked. This particular style sparring is the core of Kung Fu San Soo training and what sets it apart from most other martial arts.

"Work outs" have no predetermined set of movements, it is always fully spontaneous. The defending student never knows what the attacker might do until committed, and neither the defending student nor the attacker knows what the defender is going to do. Students begin very slowly, learning to apply techniques from lessons learned according to their rank. Students learn to recognize, improvise and attack available targets. Higher belts work closely with new students helping and encouraging them while emphasizing foundation, control and accuracy thus re-enforcing that foundation upon themselves. Students learn to step in and evade the initial attack and strike, kick, bite, gouge, seize and apply leverages, throw, stomp, grapple, and more. As students advance, this sparring can occasionally ramp up to full speed with nearly full, but selective power applied and contact. In this way, each student incorporates more and more techniques from lessons to develop the students’ own individual style.

Forms

All classes, Adult and Junior end with a set pattern of movements called forms. Class forms are just as important as class lessons in developing timing, balance, movements, strikes, kicks, blocks, breathing, and energy flow. Class Forms are designed to allow students to practice within a class structure or once learned alone. Forms are divided into hand forms and weapons forms. Each rank from Yellow belt thru Black Belt is required to create a form(s) as part of their requirement for belt advancement. Students are also encouraged to develop their own personal form.

Kung Fu San Soo forms are based on a center, or "Bakwa", composed of the Buddhist eight spoke wheel. Each spoke describes an angle from center, at either ninety degrees of offset, or forty five degrees of offset, forwards or backwards, which is called north and south, or side to side, which is called east and west. One foot usually remains in the center, unless a move specifically requires leaving and returning to center for a moment, therefore defining the center of the Bakwa itself. As a student learns to maintain their own fixed center through the use of forms, the center becomes an infinitely moveable core of position and balance during fighting. San Soo fighters take their center wherever they go.

A class form consists of a series of fighting techniques performed in precise order. The idea is to establish precision, balance, timing, and motor skill memory. Every move should be deliberate, and each strike should be delivered as if in an actual fighting situation. Forms can be practiced slowly, or 'internally', or fast and hard, or 'externally'. They can also be soft and flowing, or employ tension to develop dynamic strength.

Each class form consists of 26 moves, with the first 13 moves taught the first month, followed by the next 13 moves the second month and one full form completed by the third month. So there is one class form every 3 months, 4 class forms per year. A weapon form is similar to a class or hand form, except weapons are utilized. Weapons are always formal Chinese combat weapons and include the staff, spear, sword, butterfly knifes, axes, knives, moon knife, and chain. Weapons forms teach coordination with objects, and practical application extends from the form itself. For example, a shovel, long stick, or broom handle becomes a staff in a life threatening situation.

Kung Fu San Soo class forms are usually designed from scratch around some aspect of combat. That is, as a form is created, the creator imagines opponents strategically around him in multiple attacks and as if each movement were demonstrating an actual combat technique.

Belts and Ranking

Historically, Chinese martial arts did not utilize belts as a means of ranking. Shaolin Systems did often use a sash system, but most secular Chinese martial schools did not use belts as a means of ranking. Still, most modern American martial training systems have belt rankings and students expect them. Belt ranking is only a means of establishing time and effort applied, to provide students with a set of goals, a means of quantifying time and effort, and a method to signify ranking order within the school.

Kung Fu San Soo Schools uniformly utilize some kind of belt ranking system. As explained here, Chan Siu Dek (Jimmy H. Woo), the father of Kung Fu San Soo in America, did not originally have a set ranking system. But he eventually established a belt ranking system in his El Monte School in the 1960’s, much like the common modern ranking used globally in Karate, Judo, and Jujitsu training. This belt system consisted of white, yellow, green, brown, black, seven degrees of black, and a masters rank at the eighth degree. More important than attaining these goals is a true Student will achieve a level of dedication, training, and commitment to the Art.

The art of Kung Fu San Soo is probably not meant for any student overly preoccupied with the color of a belt or a ranking system.

With respect to uniforms, originally, Chan Siu Dek had his students wear white Japanese style Jujitsu guis, as Chinese fighting uniforms were not readily available in those days. He later went to more formal Chinese uniforms for demonstrations.

Today, the Double Dragons School is largely informal, the student has the option whether to wear more traditional Chinese uniforms, or guis, or the School uniform which is simply uniform pants and school tee shirts. Students learn to take advantage of the skeletal structure of an opponent for grabs and throws and not have to rely on heavy clothing.

Adult Belt Ranks are

Junior Dragons Class

Their classes consist of One hour with the same exercises and drills and Two and Two Workouts as in the Adult class with the exception of a few changes. When dealing with someone of their own size or peers at school, they are given specific areas of the body to target and to stay away from certain parts of the anatomy until they fully understand the consequences of their actions. Junior students are taught to be aware and know the difference between techniques for use in a school environment and techniques that can be used outside of school which are more aggressive in nature because of the potential for greater danger.

They are taught to use and take full advantage of the element of surprise and to use Hit and Run Tactics so they are not exposed to any unnecessary danger, especially when attacked by an Adult. So they are given specific targets to concentrate on and are taught to be fully aware that no matter how many lessons they have been given or High Rank they have achieved, it is not wise to go toe to toe with an Adult.

They are taught and made aware of the virtues of being:

And a by-product of their training will be better social skills, camaraderie, patience, sharing and self awareness.

And above all that they are unique in their own special way and break the mold of bad influence and insecurities and stay True To Their Center.

Junior Dragons Belt Ranks are

“Junior Dragons Pledge”
To always do my best and never give up
To obey my Parents and Teachers
To tell the truth and honor my word
To always, be polite and respectful
To never misuse what I learn in class