RK Martial Science & Fitness

Cai Jia Quan Hao (Tsoi Ga Quan Hao) - Responsible for fist or closed hand strikes (punches and hammers) as well as arm and elbow strikes.

• Cai (Tsoi) = surname
• Jia (Ga) = family
• Quan(Kwan, Kyun) = fist
• Hao (Hao, Hou)= great

Named for Choy Fuk (Choy Pak Tat) in our first generation. The famous "Hammer at the end of a rope" punching techniques came mostly from forms of Choy Fuk.

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Li Jia Ma (Li Ga Ma, Lei Ga Ma) - Responsible for footwork, stances, kicking, knee strikes, balance.

• Li (Li) = surname
• Jia (Ga) = family
• Ma (Ma) = horse

Named for Li You Shan (Li Yau San), also in our first generation. A style well known for extremely diverse kicking forms and techniques. Li Yau San was famous for his "Tiger Tail Kicks". The family style combines Northern and Southern Shao Lin (Sil Lum) styles of kicking, aerial to low kicks along with the many throws and take downs from the ancient practice of Shuai Jiao.

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He Jia Pai (Ho Ga {Pai}) - Responsible for open hand strikes, controls, grasps, leverages, pressure points, and nerve controls.

• He (Ho) = surname
• Jia (Ga) = family
• {Pai (Pai) = points back to China, but means school of thought}

Named for Ching Cho Hor Shang (The Green Grass Monk), the famous Southern Shao Lin (Sil Lum) master and patriarch of (Ho Ga Pai). He greatly influenced Shao Lin Kung Fu and helped Chen Xiang (Chan Heung) through Jeong Yim, their common student, finalize Cai Li He Fo Xiong with Qin Na (Chin Na). This family of practice allows smaller and weaker persons to overcome larger and stronger opponents by using naturally vulnerable areas.

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Fo Jia Zhang (Fut Ga{Jeung}) - Responsible for the philosophical, ethical, psychological, spiritual, and strategic basis of the art.

• Fo (Fut) = Buddha {or Buddha like}
• Jia (Ga) = family
• {Zhang (Jeung) = palm}

Named in honor of the Buddhist roots of the art, this family pays homage to Chen Yun Hu (Chan Yuen Woo) in our first generation. The Fo (Fut) family of practice focuses on the internal aspects of the art and the sudden execution of decisive action to end a fight almost before it has begun.

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Xiong Jia Guan (Hung Ga {Kuen}) - Responsible for developing physical conditioning, power, strength, stamina, dynamic tension, breath control and sounds.

• {Xiong (Hung) = Heroic, Victorious
• Jia (Ga) = family
• Guan (Kuen) = school}

Named in honor of the anti Qing and anti Japanese fighters known by the collective name of (Hung Sing) (Victorious Heroes). This was also the origin for the name of Chen Xiang's (Chen Heung's) first school, Xiong Sheng Guan (Hung Sing Kuen). Chen Guan Bo (Chan Koon Pak) dubbed "Xiong" as a revolutionary extension to Cai Li He Fo, with the meaning being "strength". Also, this final extension was only allowed to be worn by senior and experienced Cai Li He Fo practitioners. Xiong Jia is a family style that stresses power training within forms and techniques. This family of practice focuses on the physical conditioning of the body to develop its maximum potential, or the external aspects of the art.

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Italics written by Grandmaster Jimmy H. Woo, 1975. Courtesy of Sifu Russ Williams.

Other information in Brackets and below italics were added by Dave Lorenson from his own research.

The Romanization is Pinyin and the parenthesis include the old Wade-Giles Mandarin and Yale Cantonese

All Chinese martial styles include four fighting categories: Wrestling (Shuai – pinyin), Seizing and Holding (Na or Qin Na – pinyin).Kicking (Ti – pinyin), and Striking (Da – pinyin), Wrestling is designed to counter kicking and striking, Seizing is used to counter wrestling, and kicking and striking are used against Seizing. These four mutually support and conquer each other, thus completing a perfect martial style. The origins of each of these four aspects are outlined in the discussion of the five families of our art, however, there is overlap in several areas, so it is difficult to say which family has more influence in some parts of the 4 categories.

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The following history on the art of San Soo was written in May 1993 by the Jimmy H. Woo Association based on information provided by Grand Master Woo. Although there have been some speculations in connecting this art to another lineage, there is no documentation to support these claims. The Masters who studied with Lo Si Fu for many years will continue to support the family lineage provided by Grand Master 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.

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 Tsoi Li 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.

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.

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 (Lau 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.

Destiny brought Chin Siu Dek to America as Jimmy H. Woo to preserve the ancient art of Choi (Ga Kuhn How) Lee (Ga Ma) Ho (Ga) Fut hung (Ga), San Soo. In his memory and that of thousands of instructors and monks before him, the art must be preserved.

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