History

History can never amount to anything more than a very high degree of probability based upon data collected, recorded, and taught to each subsequent generation for its preservation. One very real fact about History in its march through time, is that mans greatest enemy has always been himself. Mankind will fight about anything and everything. It is an unfortunate trait of man and yet this very trait is what brought about the need for the martial arts we enjoy in the first place. People tend to believe what they want about History and discard what they don't like as well. I have heard of people who deny that the Holocaust ever happened. Denial does not negate reality, if you don't believe that, deny gravity while jumping from a roof and see what happens.

The exact history of the martial arts is unclear. What we do know is that organized fighting Systems have existed as early as 2,000 B.C.. It is believed that the Oriental systems originated in India and Tibet and were brought to China by Buddhist monks. Within the confines of their monasteries the Chinese monks refined their knowledge.

The Qwan Yin monastery of Hoy Song Canton is where San Soo, or more accurately Tsoi-Li-Hoi-Fut, was developed into a highly organized scientific method of free fighting.

Tsoi, Li, and Hoi were family names. Each family had its own specialized fighting system.
	Tsoi-ga	dealt with striking.
	Li-ga	the use of balance and leverage.
	Hoi-ga	the specific anatomical targets and precise execution of technique.
Tsoi, Li and Hoi combined their Systems around
	Fut-ga	(Fut-ga is from the buddhist influence dealing with the use of the mind or psychology), later elements from another family,
	Hung-Ga	(the proper use of power through body dynamics) were added.

And so today we hear mention of the "Five Families of San Soo". The truth is there were three families, with five aspects of training.

In the monastery the art was carefully guarded and continuously taught to the priests for both exercise and self-defense. During the reign of the Manchus the temples became centers of rebellion. For this reason many of them were raided and burned like the famed Shaolin Temple. Often treasures housed within the temples would be given to individual priests for preservation. One such priest was Chin Leong Kick. When Chin left the temple to return to his family, he not only took the training he had received but two extremely valuable books on the art of San Soo as well. Chin decided to keep the art a secret, only teaching family members after swearing them to secrecy.

And so the art was handed down from father to son, uncle to nephew, until Chin's great great great grandson Chin Siu Dek began training under his uncle Chin Siu Hung at the age of 4. Chin Siu Dek's dedication and focus made his training extremely fruitful. By 14 years of age he had become a teacher. By 18 his reputation as a fighter had grown considerably. Shortly after the Japanese invaded Manchuria it was time for Chin to leave his beloved country. As heir of the family art Chin Siu Dek was given the two books from the temple. He was 5th in direct succession to inherit the temple books.

Young Chin traveled to the United States taking the name Jimmy H. Woo in 1935. Jimmy taught in the Chinatown area of Los Angeles California before opening his studio in El Monte in 1962 (this date has been under dispute,
some say 1958 some 1959 this date is from the newspaper add for Grandmaster Woo's grand opening). During this time he taught the art by the name Karate Kung-Fu since very few people in the U.S. had ever heard of Kung-Fu alone. Grandmaster Woo became one of the first Chinese to accept students other than full Chinese descent at a time when reprisals from the Chinese martial arts community would be common place.This was a bold step for anyone to take, but he believed that the art would be preserved by sharing it.
Later he changed the name to San Soo and formed an association comprised of his black belt students known as the Jimmy H. Woo Association.

In 1984 Grandmaster Woo retired for a short time. Upon his retirement the association name was changed to the International Kung-Fu San Soo Association. Grandmaster Woo came out of retirement and headed up the association until his death in 1991. The studio where he taught for so many years remained open until last year when structural problems forced the closing of this landmark forever.

Master Ted Sias began training in San Soo under Frank Woolsey one of Grandmaster Woo's black belt instructors in 1967 and then under Grandmaster Woo from 1972 until 1991. In 1974 my training began with Master Sias and even though I have not been training exclusively under him all this time, his guidance and personal development in San Soo are an inspiration to me.

From the Qwan Yin monastery the art was passed down through five generations of the Chin family to Grandmaster Woo, and seven generations to his grandson Master J.P. King. In the over half a century that Grandmaster Woo taught San Soo in the United States a great many outstanding Masters received training from him directly or indirectly through his students. The history of this art continues on through each of us. We all have a contribution and responsibility to do our best with that which has been handed to us.