| History Of Tsai Li Fo San Shou |
| Buddhism And The Martial Arts The history of the san soo style of Tsai Li Fo traces its roots back to the beginning of recorded Chinese history some 4700 years ago. During this time the native people's of China used various exercise's for health, sign language gestures for communication, and practiced dance routines for spiritual reasons. Fighters of the day were quick to realize that many of these movements could be used in combat and began incorporating and blending them into their styles creating some of the first organized fighting systems. The Taoists as early as the 5th century BC practiced various forms of martial exercises and techniques. They too mixed sign language and dance movements into their martial routines. This was done both for combat reasons and as a way to communicating with others. To this day, hand movements in a kung fu form's tell a story to those who have knowledge of these gestures. The Taoist community also developed harmonizing motions aimed at unifying the upper and lower body actions in a coordinated manner (know as hop ga). These movements were arrived at through the study, and observations of the natural way the human skeletal and muscular anatomy functioned. Methods in physiology were also employed. Observations of facial features as well as emotional and mental reactions to various exercise's were noted. These were then developed in numerous ways to help promote a healthy body and mind. Later all these techniques would be mingled with many of the Buddhist exercise's and evolve into what is know today as fighting forms. These forms were the forerunners of the modern day Buddhist fighting technique. During the Han dynasty (202-220 AD), as Buddhism began to take a foot hold in China, Taoism and Buddhism began to intermingle and used each other for there own mutual advantage's. This mutual relationship was born out of the belief that, the founder of Taoism, had been reborn in India as the Buddha. Some of the first Buddhist translations into Chinese utilized Taoist (daoist) language and dealt with exercises, breath control, concentration and warrior postures. Although Buddhism taught tolerance and respect for all life, their philosophy was not always shared by others. Exactly when the transition occurred no one really knows, but gradually during this period the monks realized that no matter how good they were to others, there would still be those not willing to respect their ways, their lives or possessions. To make things even worse, the monks found themselves overran by roving bands of outlaws, gangs and political rivals. To remedy this situation, their various exercise's, were modified and commingled with native fighting techniques collected from visitors, converts, and retiring warriors that wished to aid the monks in their protection. These techniques were first used to create forms for self-defense purpose's. By the end of the Han dynasty, Buddhist monks had become extremely famous and well renowned for their martial skills. Non-Chinese emperors now frequently employed Buddhist monks as military and political counselors. Also during this time, southern Buddhism began to flourish. In 527 AD an Indian Buddhist monk named Bodhidarma arrived in Northern China, bringing with him additional exercise's to the northern monks. However, by this time both northern and southern schools were already well established and practicing various forms of martial techniques. By the 5th and 6th centuries AD Buddhism became well rooted and firmly established in China especially among the peasants. By the Sui Dynasty (581-618) Buddhism became a state religion. T'ang Dynasty (618-907) And Tsai Li Fo By the T'ang dynasty which was considered the golden age of Buddhism in China, Northern and Southern Chinese schools had completely split apart and were developing completely different characteristics, qualities and approaches to the martial arts. The northern Shaolin (located in Hunan province ("small forest") Temple, developed a long range acrobatic style with high kicks. The southern Shaolin (located in the Nine Lotus Mountains in the province of Fukien), created a close range attack style centering around leverages, chokes, throws and takedowns as well as multitude of biting, gouging and pinching techniques aimed at nerve and pass (death) points. They also developed three types of powers known as gings which dealt with the movement of Chi though the body. However, the first fighting techniques to come out of the south were strictly defensive in design and known as "Dap Ga's" (the proper way the body moves in defense (or the warding off of an attack). Later however, the southern monks concluded that using defensive techniques (waiting for an opponent to attack) gave them little or no control over the outcome of a fighting. They quickly realized that trying to ward off an attack could quickly escalate into an uncontrolled free for all ending in the death of themselves or their opponent. This completely went against there philosophy of non violence so they set out to rethink their self-defense tactics. Though trial and error they learned that by ending a confrontation before it started, they could save both themselves and there opponent from being greatly damaged or killed and thereby ending any hostility. Defensive theories and techniques were abandoned in favor of offensive close range techniques known as "san soo" or combat hands (also known as free fighting and patternless fighting to name just a few). It was during this period that Buddhism experienced a great expansion in martial arts knowledge largely due to the protection and generosity of five wealth families. These families donated great amounts of land to the monks and established private monasteries within known as "merit cloisters". These temples were supported and protected by these families and closed off to general public. Within the confines of these lands (provinces), five main schools of fighting evolved producing vast bodies of systematic teachings and fighting texts as well as an enormous system of staff techniques. The staff techniques were a complete systems of fighting revolving around particular types of footwork which position the Tsai li Fo fighter at certain distance's in order that the staff tip or sides of the staff could strike the opponent properly. Once the Manchu's took over China, they began burning Shaolin temples as early as 1570 and ending around 1799. It was during this time a series of 5 Ancestors and or Elder groups began to spring up in order to keep the art intact and to pass it on to future generation, as well as, for other various reasons. The first group of 5 was the Invincible Five Ancestors formed in 1674. Then in the 1700's the Five Family Ancestors monks which were indentified as; * Tsai, Choi or Choy Ga: Stressing hand blows. * Li, Lay or Lee Ga: Stressing footwork, balance and leg attacks. * Mo Ga: Short hand strikes, low kicks and staff techniques. * Liu Ga: Short to middle arm strikes stressing flowery open hand techniques. * Hung Ga: Dynamic tension exercise. Low and wide open forms. The last of the Five Families names and techniques would be modified by Chan Heung to form the Tsai Li Fo system, and honor his teachers, various Royal families, revolutionary extentions, and the Buddhist faith as follows: * Tsai Ga Kuen Tao (Cai Jia): Short range techniques. * Li Ga Mah (Li Jia): Leg techniques and Balance. * Hoc, Haw, Ho Ga Pai (He Jia): Pressure, nerve and acupuncture points and leverage techniques. * Fut Ga Jerung (fo jia): Open hand and soft techniques, as well as, the Buddhist psychology of the art. * Hung Ga (Xiong Jia): Dynamic tension exercise. Low and wide open forms. Throws and locking techniques were incorporated into all techniques at the time of development. Tsai Li Fo San Soo In America The close range san soo style of Tsai Li Fo was brought to the United States by Chan Sue Duk aka Jimmy H. Woo around 1935. Born in China in the early 1900's, Chan Duk, at the age of 4 began his training in the city of ToiShan located in the Province of Guangdong or Kwangtung, under the brilliance of two main teachers, Chan Koon Pak (grandfather), and Chan Shiu Hung, also know as Crazy Devil Chan (Note: The brutal overlord that had 26 studio that Jimmy mentioned many times was Chan Gung,, not Chan Hung). During his childhood, he lived in the family village just across the river from the Temple in which Chan Woo (monk who hid the original temple books in the Chan family home) once lived (this was Not the Quan Yin). On many occasions as a child, Chan Duk would go to this monastery and display his kung fu prowess to the passing monks, saying "see my kung fu, it is better than yours", only to receive a friendly pat on the head and a big smile. Later he would trade in his arrogance toward the monks taking them food and money. Upon reaching his teens, he began traveling with family members throughout southern China teaching Tsai Li Fo. In his twenties, he became an officer in the Chinese army under Ch'ang Kai Shek (a relative within the Chan family). In the 1930's when the Japanese invaded parts of southern China, his family arranged for him to buy the passport of a dead cousin named Jimmy H. Woo (hence the name he used until his death), so he could enter the U.S. and meet up with his Father who had gone there 12 years earlier. Chan Duk (Jimmy Woo), also took with him several of the original fighting manuals which dated back over 300 years. He then traveled from China to North America by way of steamship. Some say to the port of Los Angeles, California. However, it appears he sailed directly to Mexico where his father was, then came into the U.S (there is serveral versions to this story all given by Jimmy himself). Once in the U.S. however, he went to China Town where he received food and shelter from the local Chinese community, and enrolled in English classes at the local school. In the 1940's he began teaching martial arts to the United States Army. After the war, he began driving produce trucks back and forth between the Central Coast of California and Los Angeles all the while promising himself, that someday he would teach kung fu again. In the 1950's he became a Black Jack dealer in Las Vegas, but later returned to his first love, the produce industry. It was during this time he also began teaching martial arts at the Sing Kang or "cousin's club" in Los Angeles California (similar to the YMCA). However, at the time, social standards set forth by local Chinese excluded non-Chinese from learning martial arts. Although anxious as well as reluctant to break this code, Chan Duk knew this barrier had to come down if he was to make a good living a teaching the martial arts. In the early 1960's he received a tip concerning a horse race. Feeling very ambitious he went to the track and placed a large wager hoping to make his fortune. As luck would have it, the horse won the race and Chan Duk (Jimmy H. Woo) won a very large sum of money allowing him the freedom and independence to begin his dream. In 1962, he established his first kung fu studio's in the Midway Shopping Center in El Monte California where he effectively and energetically taught all race's both the philosophy of Buddhism and the san soo combat art of tsai li fo. In 1982, he semi retired only to return and set up a "closed door" Master class which he taught to his death on Feb 14 1991. The Fighting System Of Tsai Li Fo san soo San soo Tsai Li Fo, is based on the element of surprise and is strictly offensive in nature. The monks determine early on that once an opponent is geared for battle, a practitioner must work hundred times harder to defeat him. Therefore, outward displays of aggression and confrontation are avoided in order to appear unprepared for combat. The core of this system is made up of close range strikes, chokes, locks, throws and ground techniques. These are intermingled with basic biting, gouging and pinching skills aimed at nerve points, wind passages, arteries, chi paths, joints, bones and tendons. Other concepts include triangle and circle theories as well as elaborate timing principles which are concerned with body reactions during combat. The basic ten (10) seeds (hand techniques) and the 1 to 100 hand strikes are employed as well. This system also boasts a staggering 3,180,000 (Buddhist holy number), different fighting techniques. Also emphasized is the psychological and mathematical sciences of Buddhism. Within the realm of Buddhist psychology, the philosophy and nature of the correct way to live is always at the fore front. Right thought, right action, right speech, compassion and ones karmic actions are strongly stressed, as well as, the proper methods of teaching and employing the art. The Buddhist mathematics of this system deal with the arrangement and use of the holy numbers 3, 5, 9, 12, 18, 36, 72, and 108. All these numbers weave the art together and deal not only with the structure of fighting techniques and base methods within the art, but with whole complex systems concerning the counting and measuring of zodiac and planetary cycles, eclipses, and lunar motions in relation to the plotting of forms. The Many Style's Of Tsai Li Fo Today there is almost as many different styles of Tsai li Fo as there are cars on the road. This has evolved in various way, but the most common occurrence manifests itself through the practice of masters deleting or hiding certain applications from students, or just not knowing certain aspects. Then those students upon reaching black belt or master status pass on an art differently from the original system. Also, in China, some family members only wanted to excel in particular areas of the art and disguarded the rest leaving gaps in what they taught. To further complicate matters monks living in the temples, as well as, retiring monks outside the monasteries would teach only bits and piece's of the art (the form in particular), for food and or money while keeping the main applications (fighting technique) secret. Over the years this has caused many masters who have learned partial forms or fighting techniques to try and fill in the gaps with their own beliefs or ideas. In turn, this bore hundred's of new arts with each tracing their roots back to a particular monk, family, or temple. However, we should not let these difference stand in our way or separate us from one another. Regardless of the style of kung fu or Tsai Li Fo one learns, we all are connected and should always consider ourselves brothers and sisters. However, as in any family, there are always those who would try and push another member out of the fold, or bully him or her around. These people neither know or understand the true meaning or way of Kung fu and should not be taken with any great gravity I would like to take the time here to thank Warren Woo (Jimmy's son) for some of the historical information in this article conerning his Father. For more information on the Temples within the Five Family districts, click on the "Five Family" link in the Site Map page. Also click on the "Shaolin.com" link on the main page. Also See: Quan Yin Temple |