Kung Fu San Soo - History Research Update

   current mood: Feeling Smart...


From Master Dale Lockwood:

I just received some updated research on our art. Please note that because of Chinese dialects, many terms and names can be confusing. Where you see Chen Shou Jue, this is the same person as Chin Siu Dek - our grandmaster (losifu) Jimmy H. Woo.

San Soo's history actually dates back over five thousands years. The term which means free hand was a personal expression of fighting ability and was passed through Families and at times by military and other groups, but never organized. In history we hear of General Yee's San Soo, which means his ability at fighting, there are other references from drawings in ancient caves to writings in ancient manuals.

The modern area really began about two thousand years ago, when monks were the first to organize and study/ teach in the Taoist Temples in the 72 peak area of China, and later in Buddhist Temples like Shaolin in Hunan province, China. This teaching spread to other area of China like the southern Shaolin temple in Fukian province. The Chen Family connections to Temples we have chronicled back over 1,400 years. in recent times the Chen Family became connected to Shaolin in the late 1700's through the Monk, Chen Yun Hu, there is another talked of Monk in our Lineage known as Leong Kick, This is under research, this Monk could be the same person or another relative perhaps connected to a Taoist Temple of another area. What is known that in the late 1700's Chinese Emperor Quin Long destroyed many Buddhist and Taoist temples and a Chen Family ancestor perhaps Leong Kick saved the training and
history Manuals that the monks recorded in the Temples.

What is known is that Chen Yun Hu taught his nephew Chen Xiang and who also was taught by Li You Shan and Cai Fu. So again it was being passed through the families in which all had ties to Monks and monasteries. Chen Xiang to honor his three teachers used the names of Cai and Li and to honor the monk Chun Yu and his family used the term Fu which means Buddha. Chen Xiang had many disciples some recorded, some not. he taught family among them his son Chen Guan Bo. Around this time in Taishan China, Chen Zhao Xiong was sent to Xinhui China to study with Chen Xiang and later Chen Guan Bo. In books from that time,
it is written that Chen Guan Bo changed the name of the young Chen to Chen Zhao Xiong which means Chen a billion hero's. Chen Zhao Xiong returned to Taishan and started a school called the Xiong Sheng Guan, ( Heroic victory school.) At a later date he taught his son Chen Shi Wu and our Laoshifu Chen Shou Jue at the Wen Wu Miao temple in Taishan,( Wen scholarly in honor of Confucius and Wu ( Martial. ) in honor of the Patron God of Martial Arts, Guan Yu or Di which means deity.)

Our Laoshifu Chen Shou Jue had five Uncles besides Chen Zhao Xiong who taught him, their names are under research. When Chen Shou Jue came to the U.S. he taught through the Tongs of Chinatown. Finally settling in L.A. being head of security for the Hop Sing Tong, ( He Sheng Tang, Mandarin, Meaning, Combined Victory Group.) Plus teaching Kung Fu and Lion Dancing. He opened to Westerners in 1962. He named his school San Soo Wu Guan ( fighting school.) and later explained the art comes from five families. Cailifoxiong, Mandarin, Choy Li Ho Fut Hung, Cantonese. Research on the other two families He and Xiong ( Ho, Hung.) Has lead us to Foshan China and two other groups the Hung Ga ( family.) group from the southern Shaolin Temple of Fukian and the Hong Sheng Guan
group of Foshan that for three generations was headed by the Ho or Haw in Taisanese families, originally from Taishan now Foshan, Guangdong China. This may be the two missing uncles of our lineage Ho And Hung.

There will be updates as we do more research.

Master Dale Lockwood
"The Most Effective Self Defense Training - ANYONE Can Learn!"™
www.texaskungfusansoo.com
10th Anniversary 1995-2005
817-590-8585

Pretty cool stuff! Have you ever seen a beagle do kung fu? hehe...