He was groomed by his great uncle Chin (Chan) Sui Heung.
You are most probably familiar with the Lineage of, say, Doc Fai Wong, a practitioner in San Francisco California.
Jimmy H. Woo (Chin Sui Dek) line differs from the CLF lineage of Doc Fai Wong. The Art of Chin Sui Dek contains two other aspects, Hoi (Poison Hand) and Hung ga (form).
The following links are helpful in understanding the lineage of San Soo ...
Master Tom Akers has done extensive documentation, studied the lineage and visited China. He documents the history and lineage of Lo Sifu Jimmy H. Woo... These pedigrees show his Father's and Mother's Line.
http://www.hingdaiwui.com/st_6.html
Master Jim Benkert summarizes our history here... It is pretty general, though.
http://www.geocities.com/san_soowushu/San_Soo.html
It is important to note that most of the development and perfection of the kung fu art happened prior to its outting from the monastery. The art developed during two distinct periods... 1. During the time prior to the monasteries' aquistion of the art. Here Warrior Families perfected their own technique and kept it very secret. 2. It's development continued behind the monastery walls, due to the efforts of hundreds of monk over hundreds of years. Futhermore when the boxer rebellion occurred and many artists fled the country, the pure art intermingled with the native forms of the arts of the country where these individuals settled. This formed other stylized systems.
Some good, some bad, usually very different.
A kung fu systems content, look and style is most influenced by what it will be used for, how it is taught, and who performs it.
This is a hard concept to get across, but basically, the art of kung fu was perfected a very long time ago. It's technique understood a very long time ago. It underwent tremendous change depending on who did it, how it was taught, in what kind of terrain it was used in and for what purpose, and how other approaches influenced it. So many systems are related but not very similar.
A modern example is how my art is being changed and influenced is by the combining of other popular approaches; notably Ultimate Fighting Technique, other Kicking styles, other monasterial systems.
My attempt is to keep my teaching true to Jimmy H. Woo and not to bring my other studies into the San Soo collective.
This post began as a discussion of the effectiveness of Hung gar. Hung ga's contribution to San Soo was the form and sturdy stance work. Hung gar is Long, Strong and very rooted.
CLF brings to the art, the famous Chinese punching combinations and the art of attack.
PB
Hope this helps.