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Sanshou (Wushu Sanshou), also known as Sanda (Wushu Sanda), Chinese boxing or Chinese kickboxing, is a Chinese self-defense system and combat sport.[2] Wushu Sanshou is a martial art which was originally developed by the Chinese military based upon the study and practices of traditional Kung fu and modern combat fighting techniques; it combines full-contact kickboxing, which includes close range and rapid successive punches and kicks, with wrestling, takedowns, throws, sweeps, kick catches, and in some competitions, even elbow and knee strikes.
Wushu Sanshou is not seen as a style itself, but rather is considered as just one of the two components of Chinese martial arts training and is often taught alongside Wushu Taolu (forms) training. Jūnshì Sǎn shou (Pinyin, Military Free Fighting): A system of unarmed combat that was designed by Chinese Elite Forces based upon their intense study of traditional martial arts such as traditional Kung Fu, Shuai Jiao, Chin Na and modern hand-to-hand fighting and combat philosophy to develop a realistic system of unarmed fighting for the Chinese military. Jùnshì Sǎn shou employs all parts of the body as anatomical weapons to attack and counter with, by using what the Chinese consider to be the four basic martial arts techniques:
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This history is from the Jimmy H. Woo Association website. The following history on the art of San Soo was written in May of 1993 based on information provided by Master Bernie Woo. "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. One of these young monks, named Leoung Kick, an orphan who lived in the monastery since the age of 10, (Jimmy H. Woo's Great, Great, Great Grandfather) decided to leave the monastery when he was approximately 30 years old. He took with him two of the Buddhist training texts which probably date back to the 1500's during the Ming Dynasty. These books have remained within the Chin family, where the techniques and forms were taught and passed down from generation to generation. All of the techniques and forms taught to and by Jimmy came from these two manuals. |
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Young Chin Siu Dek (Jimmy's real name) was taught by his Great Uncle Chin Siu Hung who was nicknamed Chin Neow Gee, which means "Crazy Devil." Hung was an extremely large man, 6'5" tall and weighing well over 320 pounds. Following in his grandfather's footsteps, Hung became a well-known fighter, teaching in his own San Soo school. He was overlord for the entire province, which at that time, late 1800's and until 1941 was about the size of Orange County, CA. He had complete control over nearly every aspect of the lives of the people in the area. No one started a business, moved or made any other major decisions without consulting Hung.
From the age of five on Dek was to be his Great Uncle's prize student. He learned extremely fast and loved the contact and grueling workouts on hard floors.In his teens, Dek became a traveling teacher of Choi Lee Ho Fut Hung; the official name of the martial art perfected hundreds of years before in the monastery very near his small village. When anyone in the province needed someone to come and settle a grievance, Dek was the enforcer. When village elders decided it was time for the young men to learn to defend themselves, Dek would be sent to live there for months at a time to teach them. 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. |
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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. Jimmy traveled several weeks by steamship to the United States, landing in the Port of Los Angeles, California. Jimmy worked many varied odd jobs as he became acclimated to his new home in Los Angeles' Chinatown District. His love for fresh fruit and vegetables stemmed from his long hours as a produce manager in a market, but his first love was teaching San Soo. He began teaching privately to close relatives and friends; later he was the instructor for several years at the Sing Kang "cousins club" a social/recreational organization. He also acted as security/police for the residents and business owners in the area and sometimes as a bodyguard, the only unarmed one in the area. Destiny brought Chin Siu Dek to America as Jimmy H. Woo to preserve the ancient art of Choi (Ga Kuhn Tao) Lee (Ga Ma) Ho (Ga) Fut (Ga) Hung (Ga), San Soo. In his memory and that of thousands of instructors and monks before him, the art must be preserved." |
Further research has since been conducted on the arts and Chin Siu Dek's actual origins.
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Chin Siu Dek was born in Tai Shan China in San Ba Town. His first art is Choy Li Fut and his instructor was a cousin by the name Wing Churng whom after receiving a serious leg injury asked his Teacher Chin Si Hung to continue teaching young Dek. Hung accepted. Chin Dek trained for four years under Hungs direction.
This information came from Dek's mother and other family in China and collaborated by his schoolmate, training partner and Chin Hung's own son Chin Sai Mo. Chin Sai Mo was a famous Choy Li Fut Sifu like his father Chin Si Hung. Chin Hung and his son are recorded in the Choy Li Fut history book written by Chin Yi Chi the grandson of the arts founder Chin Heung. Somewhere, Chin Dek learned other aspects of martial arts. One with flips, throws and leverages and incorporated it into what he called Tsoi Li Ho Fut Hung or more commonly Kung-fu San Soo. It's only conjecture at what else he picked up. Most likely it was either Shuai Jiao, San Shou. Choy Li Fut doesn't posses the amount or types of throws, takedowns and leverages held within Grandmaster Woo's system of San Soo. Chin Dek aka Jimmy H.Woo created and founded Tsoi Li Ho Fut Hung Kung-fu San Soo based on his families real art of Choy Li Fut, real fighting experience, and probably Shuai Jiao, San Shou or both. He, like his great-great-grand dad and many of the hundreds or thousands before, had blended styles and techniques to create something more effective. Though, he claimed it was a pure art and should not be altered since its inception. So though the stories are nice, they are stories that should be moved beyond, so as to grow. An interesting note, he did say his art was over 4,000 years old. This leads credence to Shuai Jiao being the art he learned and fused with Choy Li Fut, since it is the oldest of China's organized fighting systems. Which GM Woo said that his families art was the first organized fighting system in which other arts borrowed from. San Shou is also in Shuai Jiao when used with strikes, kicks, leverages etc. We at Kung-fu San Shou Cypress have built on Jimmy Woo's San Soo adding(or reinstating) as he did, to his base system. Additions of resistive training in Chinese Shuai Jiao and Full contact San Shou, which I believe he had training and he did share much of the techniques, but for whatever his reasons he chose to leave out resistive training and sparing, Opting for co operative semi contact workouts. Hence our name change from Kung-fu San Soo to Kung-fu San Shou. we still teach Jimmy's forms from his Tsoi Li Ho Fut Hung system, blended both of Jimmy's old style (1950-late 60's larger windmills, more aggressive) and his latter version (late 60's-1991 tighter inclose, heavy on leverages and throws) lessons/fighting techniques. That still being the base, but with resistive training, pad work and basics of grappling making what I feel as a better training system for self protection.This is our Kung-fu San Shou. Full of Real History, time tested training methods and growth. For more in depth info on the History check out Ron Gatewood's book Kung-fu San Soo: History and Myths. |
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Where We Are Now
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Kung-fu San Shou at Cypress College has a rich history going back to the 1960's Where instructors trained in Grandmaster Jimmy H. Woo's system share their passion to the thousands of students for over 5 decades. |
Sifu Jason D. Kalar a 3 time master degree earner within San Soo has been training since 5 years old and has learned and taught here at Cypress College through the N.O.C.C.C.D SCE (now NOCE) For over 33 years. Sifu J.D. Kalar carries on the complete Jimmy H.Woo San Soo system with some added additions. Come and know that you are learning Kung-fu San Shou self defence the right way. So as to be effective.
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Grand Master Jimmy H. Woo (Chin Siu Dek)
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Though Grandmaster Woo opened his school in 1959 it was in December of 1962, Jimmy officially held the grand opening for his martial arts studio in the Midway Shopping Center in El Monte, CA. In the early years he called it "Karate-Kung Fu" because no one knew what kung fu was at that time.
In January of 1984, following his retirement from daily instruction, Jimmy H. Woo became Grand Master (Lo Sifu) when his Grandson, James P. King, earned his black belt. Jimmy H. Woo continued teaching his instructors' class two Saturdays a month until 1991, totaling nearly 46 years of kung fu teaching in America. |
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