San Soo article in Inside Kung-Fu Magazine

[Tames D]

The August 2007 issue of Inside Kung-Fu magazine has an article on Taylor Presley, an Army Captain currently serving his 2nd tour of duty in Iraq. Taylor talks about how his San Soo training has helped him. Check it out.

 

[Yeti]

I love how it's only June, but they've already got the August issues of magazines out.

Thanks for the heads-up. I'll be sure to grab a copy.

 

[kidswarrior]

I saw it too, Q-G. Short but excellent piece. Talk about kung fu being combat worthy! Course, it's our beloved Ugly fu, but still, comes from the same source. :ultracool Puts the kabosh on the argument, kung fu doesn't work on the street.

 

[MaartenSFS]

I'm sorry but Sanda and Gongfu are two completely different things. Sanda is a Chinese copy of kickboxing with some grappling thrown in. It has no relation to Gongfu whatsoever except that Gongfu is a generic term used for all martial arts. Learning Wushu forms or a copy of kickboxing are hardly the same.

 

[Tames D]

Can you expand on this please? I don't follow how your post relates to San Soo in Iraq?

 

[MaartenSFS]

My meaning is:

Sanda working in actual combat not= Gongfu working in actual combat because Sanda is a copy of foreign MA.

It's been proven that kickboxing/grappling can be applied to real combat. The same cannot be said of TCMA. For this I wait.

 

[bakxierboxer]

My meaning is:

Sanda working in actual combat not= Gongfu working in actual combat because Sanda is a copy of foreign MA.

Personally, I've always been struck by the apparent similarity between the Chinese "san" = "free" and the Latin "sans" = "without"...
Both might be taken in the same sense as the Madison Avenue "free" as in "salt free" or "fat free".
This might lead us to the "interesting" possibility that "san shu" or "san soo" means "without 'hands'" and "san da" means "without (meaningful) hitting".

It's been proven that kickboxing/grappling can be applied to real combat. The same cannot be said of TCMA. For this I wait.

Perhaps you're in the wrong country to find that.

 

[TaiChiTJ]

yeah but I thought what xue sheng was kindly teaching us in this post was that there are different types of Sanda:

http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38089&highlight=xue+sheng

Which was news to me at the time. So a person could always seek out what for them would be the more "real" sanda, no? Of course finding such a teacher would not be easy...

 

[MaartenSFS]

Personally, I've always been struck by the apparent similarity between the Chinese "san" = "free" and the Latin "sans" = "without"...
Both might be taken in the same sense as the Madison Avenue "free" as in "salt free" or "fat free".
This might lead us to the "interesting" possibility that "san shu" or "san soo" means "without 'hands'" and "san da" means "without (meaningful) hitting".

Perhaps you're in the wrong country to find that.

Definitely. I do believe that there is some useful Gongfu out there, but the percentage of good teachers is so low that there is little hope left. Personally, I don't like Sanda. To me it just conforms to the kickboxing mold. It is nothing special.

Chinese teachers will tell you that all the techniques are from TCMA, but that is complete ********. Whatever happened to the great age/s when people were actually creative. MMA makes it look like there is only one effectice way to fight. No matter what style the fighters trained in, the techniques all look almost identical. This is just boring. Sanda is just China's way of keeping up with the Jones' and hardly has anything to do with applying TCMA to real life combat.

 

[bakxierboxer]

Definitely. I do believe that there is some useful Gongfu out there, but the percentage of good teachers is so low that there is little hope left.

I'm fairly sure that there is useful TCMA "out there", but modern day "situations" are "conspiring" to keep most of the knowledgeable SiFus "out of the public eye".
In PRC, they tend to have "long memories" and it wasn't all that long ago that TCMA were outlawed. There were instances in the past when TCMA masters "standing up for their rights" and those of their neighbors were summarily executed. It isn't healthy to simply forget about those things.

Personally, I don't like Sanda. To me it just conforms to the kickboxing mold. It is nothing special.

Makes two of us....
"Mold".... heh!
Mold is one of the lowest life-forms on the planet.

Chinese teachers will tell you that all the techniques are from TCMA, but that is complete ********.

That's called "reaching".
Trying to get whatever modicum of "respect" (and income) they can.

Whatever happened to the great age/s when people were actually creative.

Most of the modern "creativity" has done nothing more than debase the existing arts.... there IS no "easy way" to "mastery" of any kind.

MMA makes it look like there is only one effectice way to fight. No matter what style the fighters trained in, the techniques all look almost identical. This is just boring.

Judging from what the MMA crowd do, it is anything BUT "effective".
The rules seem to prevent the use of simple basic techniques and natural reactions to some really STUPID "attacks" that are only made in the least bit "useful" by the UNrealistic "rules".

Sanda is just China's way of keeping up with the Jones' and hardly has anything to do with applying TCMA to real life combat.

Market-wise.
Agreed.

 

[kidswarrior]

Not sure how we got here from the OP. Can anyone tie it together for me?

 

[Tames D]

Not sure how we got here from the OP. Can anyone tie it together for me?

Good question KW. I think they are confusing Kung Fu San Soo with Sanda/San Shou. Oh well...
As you know KW, SAN SOO is an extremely effective fighting art.

 

[MaartenSFS]

I'm fairly sure that there is useful TCMA "out there", but modern day "situations" are "conspiring" to keep most of the knowledgeable SiFus "out of the public eye".
In PRC, they tend to have "long memories" and it wasn't all that long ago that TCMA were outlawed. There were instances in the past when TCMA masters "standing up for their rights" and those of their neighbors were summarily executed. It isn't healthy to simply forget about those things.

True, but most teachers are not like that. They are young Wushu coaches that want to be rich and famous or aging men that want to be richer and get face. And the police and military teachers, although they have some ability, are arseholes.

And then there are the ones that "teach" only foreigners for ten times the price. Many foreigners are satisfied with what they "teach". I have come to understand how Chinese people think and so I distrust 99% of them, especially doctors. If given a good opportunity, I strongly believe that at least 75% of Chinese would resort to thievery. And of all of MA teachers that I have met here only one of them is a good man.

TCMA, like all MAs, are fading away because combat is no longer a part of our everyday lives (And the ****ing government). This is a world of sports. Most people are satisfied with that. I am not. Hell, there is more TKD in China than TCMA. What does that tell you?

Makes two of us....
"Mold".... heh!
Mold is one of the lowest life-forms on the planet.

That could be said of a lot of Chinese, especially MA teachers.

That's called "reaching".
Trying to get whatever modicum of "respect" (and income) they can.

And here I am just trying to find something worth studying... =S

Most of the modern "creativity" has done nothing more than debase the existing arts.... there IS no "easy way" to "mastery" of any kind.

True, I've more or less decided that I don't need to study from anyone to train myself for combat. I have my own ways and theories. I just need practise and practise partners. But Chinese are too boring to be interested in practising real MA.

Judging from what the MMA crowd do, it is anything BUT "effective".
The rules seem to prevent the use of simple basic techniques and natural reactions to some really STUPID "attacks" that are only made in the least bit "useful" by the UNrealistic "rules".

I don't think that it is completely useless because at least the training is alive, but everyone is taught the same thing and to me that is just boring. There are many ways to effectively fight if one trains well.

 

[MaartenSFS]

Good question KW. I think they are confusing Kung Fu San Soo with Sanda/San Shou. Oh well...
As you know KW, SAN SOO is an extremely effective fighting art.

Kung Fu San Soo is not a mis-spelling of Gongfu Sanda/Sanshou?

 

[Tames D]

Kung Fu San Soo is not a mis-spelling of Gongfu Sanda/Sanshou?

No. KFSS is a Chinese fighting system in it's own right. As far from sport fighting as you can get, in my 30+ years of experience in the art.

 

[kidswarrior]

Ditto.

 

[Yeti]

Hell, there is more TKD in China than TCMA. What does that tell you?

LOL!
There are more TKD schools in my town then there are lawyers! What does THAT tell you!?!?

 

[MaartenSFS]

No. KFSS is a Chinese fighting system in it's own right. As far from sport fighting as you can get, in my 30+ years of experience in the art.

There are several versions of Sanda... Are you sure that it isn't one of them? It only means unarmed combat in Chinese. That's rather broad, nee?

 

[kidswarrior]

There are several versions of Sanda... Are you sure that it isn't one of them? It only means unarmed combat in Chinese. That's rather broad, nee?

No, Kung Fu San Soo in America is more than the sum of its etymological parts. It's a complete system brought here and taught by Jimmy H Woo (Chin Siu Dek). There are many clips and threads in the CMA section, if you wanted to get a visual representation of Jimmy or the Art (or, could just use Search function).

 

[bakxierboxer]

I have come to understand how Chinese people think and so I distrust 99% of them, especially doctors. If given a good opportunity, I strongly believe that at least 75% of Chinese would resort to thievery. And of all of MA teachers that I have met here only one of them is a good man.

Don't confuse the "ways" of people who have been forced to live under Communism with the natural proclivities of a "free" people.
Chinese in America are often "sharp" business-men/dealers, but I would not call them thieves. There are other nationalities that are far worse.

TCMA, like all MAs, are fading away because combat is no longer a part of our everyday lives (And the ****ing government). This is a world of sports. Most people are satisfied with that. I am not. Hell, there is more TKD in China than TCMA. What does that tell you?

It tells me that is what the government THOUGHT they wanted.
Now, perhaps it is too late to "change back".

And here I am just trying to find something worth studying... =S

If you look long enough, you may find it yet.
The "wrong attitude" will pretty much guarantee not finding it.
You DO need to be cautious....

True, I've more or less decided that I don't need to study from anyone to train myself for combat. I have my own ways and theories. I just need practise and practise partners. But Chinese are too boring to be interested in practising real MA.

How old are you and how long have you trained?
In what?