Ok now you've peaked my interest. First a question which really has no bearing on the rest of my post. Was'nt there a guy named Scott(Wong?)something? Who was an editor for BlackBelt,or Inside Kung-Fu. Who was a practioner of Kung-Fu San Soo? I remember vividly a close up shot of his knuckles. Wow were they ever an example of "karate" hands. Now back to my real questions. Are there any forms/kata in this system? If so, what are they, and what are their foundational purpose? Thanks for all answers.
1stJohn1:9
Don't know the first gentleman. Remember this is Kung Fu, tho, not karate, even if it's hard core kung fu
. One of my favorite quotes from Jimmy:
Don't use power, use leverage. You can see in the clips that the fighters do this over and over, toppling the other from the top, bottom, or with whole body as a 'fist' to just overpower the opponent for a takedown by taking his balance, or his center.
On forms: yes, many forms. All have 26 movements and are characterized by one foot (usually) never coming off the ground--idea is to fight multiple directions in small space inflicting most damage possible. Some forms created by each studio owner (which I understand Jimmy encouraged when they opened their own school). My Master has 10 weaponless and 10 weapon. Hard to get info on these unless you study with them, tho.
Another way to learn KFSS forms is to go straight to the source. Master Barbara Wallace, under (American) 1st Gen. Master Ron Gatewood, has an illustrated book of 25 of Jimmy H Woo's original forms (think it's under $20). Gives step-by-step instructions. Just learning one form every month, or every other month could make one a pretty decent KFSS stylist, especially if done in tandem with a friend. Link is:
http://www.sansoojournal.com/
Thanks for the interest. Hopes this helps. Feel free to ask further if you have more questions.
BTW, books on principles and application are easier to get. Can go to above website, or also search amazon.
~kidswarrior
):
