In all the web sites I've visited, I don't recall one of them addressing this question.
IS Kung Fu San Soo right for me? In a nut shell you have to ask yourself WHY
do you want to learn a martial art? Is it for excersize? Socializing? Something to fill a
few hours a week? To be able to defend yourself in a violent encounter? To be a really bad
dude (or Dudette) among your friends and peers?
As a parent, Is this something I want my child to learn? Will they get hurt? Will they
become the school bully?
All of these questions and more need to be explored before you join ANY martial art,
because the bottom line is that if you are uncomfortable or do not feel that the art, or
instruction given is meeting your expectations then you probably are at the wrong place.
I can only speak of the quality of instruction given to me at East Hills, and of the art
of San Soo, As I've never taken instruction in any other art. What I can say of East Hills
is that the instruction is great, the people are encouraging and supportive of everyone,
and we all help each other.
I WILL NOT go into this art is better than that art, or I'm better than you. For ME San
Soo answers the above questions, and I believe it to be the best choice for myself. For
you? Only you can answer that, but consider the following.......
° San Soo is one of the few COMBAT arts out there:
Most of the other arts you see are taught as a sport, and in any sport you have to
have rules, and points. Without those you can't have a winner and looser. If you train to
fight in a tournament, then you train to pull your strikes, or limit your targets, when
the bell rings someone has come out a head and someone is behind. Both come out of it
alive and healthy. In the street (Real Life) when you're walking along one evening with
your wife and children and someone jumps you hoping to rob you, rape your wife, steal your
kids, or any number of criminal acts. You won't be able to look to the referee and call
FOUL, "He hit me with a club!". What you will have is one chance to defend
yourself and or your family, here the question you have to ask yourself is "Am I
ready to defend my life? or Am I ready to fight in another tournament?."
° Or something like this:
Little 13 year old Jenny and her friend Sally are walking home one afternoon,
some joker jumps out intending to do who knows what to the defenseless girls. Little Jenny
having taken training, assesses the situation and meets their attacker with full force
energy that leaves the attacker on the ground semi-conscious wondering who let a gorilla
loose in the Neighborhood.
° Is my life, or the lives of my friends and family worth fighting for? and if so, are
you willing to fight for it?
No matter what training you undergo, quality training is always better than
no training.
° In the end our society is a gentle one, we've made it that way through a lot of hard
work, a lot of blood and a lot of tears. But even so, Even in todays society we still have
our predators among us, those that feel it is their right to take what they want, be that
your money, you life, or just your dignity. They think it is ok to just take something
from you because they want it, they think its ok because until this point they haven't had
anyone say no to them and be able to back it up. With Training be it San Soo or something
else at least YOU have the knowledge to assess the situation and determine YOUR course of
action without letting someone TAKE your choice away from you.
One other thing to consider, Why Not?, Is watching that re-run of that old t.v. show that important? We're all busy people, we're all trying to get by, but I'd bet you could set aside some time to prepare yourself, to train your body and mind, to better yourself, To DO something positive for yourself.???
At East Hills were lucky to have some REAL good people, So Good Practitioners of San Soo, but even better for YOU, I've personally visited Nearly a dozen different San Soo studios along the western region of the U.S. And for the most part I found all of them doing SanSoo!, With Good People there, and Good Practitioners waiting for you to walk in so they can help you.
All of the above I hope helps you decide which way you will go. If so, then you're stuck with the really big question, Which Art? and Where?...... Just consider these things when you decide.
° Do you feel comfortable in that Studio, this is most important, do you feel comfortable with the instructor(s)? If Not find another studio teaching that art. Don't walk out, RUN, If you're not comfortable you're not learning.
° Do you Believe that the art works? if you're shown a leverage, and you don't feel the leverage work to such a point that you BELIEVE it works, then RUN, Find another studio teaching the same art and try again, IF at that studio you find that you don't believe that it will work in real life, Find another art.
Bottom line, IF you don't believe the stuff you're being taught works, get out. Zero
confidence on your part equals failure both in what you're learning, as well as that
future possibility. In our studio we're show the technique and it is done on us, not to
the point that you're injured, but enough that if you don't go with it you WILL be
injured. Thats the only real way of KNOWing and BELIVEing.
Pick one if nothing else and give it a try, Find another if that one doesn't pan out for
you but what EVER you do, PICK ONE! You're interested in it or you wouldn't be here now,
Go FOR It! The first step is the hardest to make, but once made you're well on your way.
For me, and I can recommend this to everyone without reservations, San Soo to me is the
most effective Art out there, I can expect to defend myself to the maximum ability.
Simply put San Soo is street fighting with the advantage of being practical, efficient,
and powerful. Above all else it is a street fight where YOU are THINKING!! and using
skills instead of just flailing away. Its Fighting with you in control of yourself instead
of THEM being in control of you.
If you have any specific questions, drop by the studio, we're more than happy to discuss things with you. If you'd like to ask your Questions online, you can post a message in the Fourm Or email one of us at any time.
Scott Cargill - Webmaster
1st Degree Black Belt - July 2002