The San Soo Schools Directory page has been redone and is now listed by state and in alphabetical order to make it easier than ever to navigate. And, all schools that we currently know about have been added to the list. In the future we will be adding a "submit your school" link to the page to make it easier for those schools out there that we don't know about to add their school to the directory.
In the future we hope to add more features and information such as upcoming promotions and instructional information from Master Phillips and others. Look for hints and tips related to San Soo that will help you reach your full potential in this art.
A Brief History of San Soo
Back in 1935, at the age of 21, Chin Siu Dek (Jimmy H. Woo) brought this ancient martial art to America. 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.
Also, the San Soo community in cyberspace is growing rapidly and we look forward to providing quality information to you regarding this "Ancient Chinese Art." We are excited about the furture of Kung Fu San Soo in America.
