San Soo Kung Fu UCSD Recreation Fall 2024

https://rec.ucsd.edu/Program/GetProgramDetails?courseId=b2797230-d365-48e1-a0e1-90e159112c29&semesterId=283aab17-7e8a-45e1-824c-2dd13717b0cb

San Soo Kung Fu is an ancient hand to hand combat training system developed to protect the buddhist religion. 

This hand to hand training combat system consists of leverages, throws, punching, kicking, and weapons. Students learn to combine basic combinations of punches, throws, leverages, and kicks into an effective fighting technique for the non-competition environments. 

Students develop who they are as a fighter. Ever person is different. It is expected that they will combine their techniques to match their personality. 

One of the fundamental strategies is to leverage the five principals of striking in combination with the natural automatic response of the human body to take control of the dangerous situation and to allow the practitioner of San Soo Kung Fu to decide the outcome of the fight. 

The five principals of striking are: 

1. Targeting specific parts of the body .
2. Structure supporting the strike. 
3. Penetration of the target. 
4. Speed of the striking appendage. Kinitic Energy is half the mass time the square of the velocity. 
5. Explosive attack. 

The UCSD San Soo Kung Fu program was started in 1989 by Tony Buhr, who is currently still teaching in the program at UCSD. 

This program has provided the students of UCSD with instruction of punches, kicks, throws, leverages, and weapons for decades. Students are taught how to handle non-competition fights situation such as how to fight multiple attackers, attacking at the same time. 

The students are taught in a relaxed and friendly environment. Safety is paramount in the San Soo Kung Fu program. 

Students can attain the rank of 4th degree black belt in San Soo Kung Fu at the UCSD program. 

What is non-competition fighting? 

Competitive fighting typically consists of size, strength, gender matching of opponents in a ring, with a referee, and a set of rules. This is a sporting event which gives out awards and strives to minimize the injury to the participants. These matches can continue for several minutes, broken up into several rounds with breaks. This is the contest of strength and speed. 

San Soo Kung Fu provides no training or instruction for the above situation. 

San Soo Kung Fu is a fighting system developed for the non structured fight. This is the fight of the street corner, battle field, prison yard. Awards are not given out, and the participants can be seriously injured or killed. This type of fighting is not a game or sport. The goal is to survive. These fights last typically five to fifteen seconds, they are very short, there are no rounds. This is the contest of cruelty. 

It is expected and typical for the opponents of this fight to only attack when they feel that they have an advantage. For example, using firearms, attacking in groups, or using weapons (knife, club, pool queue. etc). It is not uncommon for a person to be attacked by four to twenty opponents at one time. 

When discussing or training for multiple attackers at one time, it is completely assumed that all attackers are attacking at the same time. No group of multi attackers will ever take turns attacking.

The San Soo Kung Fu program at UCSD has been providing training for the above situation for decades.

Did Tony work at the Navy Basic Underwater Demolition School as a civilian hand to hand instructor in the early 1990s? 

Yes, Tony worked as a civilian hand to hand instructor on a sole source government contract, at the Navy's Basic Underwater Demolition School, providing fighting instruction to B.U.D.S class 164 through 184, back in 1990 to 1991. 

Tony has never been in the United States military, nor has he ever been a Navy Seal. 

Sounds intense, I am not looking to fight in these extreme situations, can I use this training for simple self defense of every day encounters? 

Yes, the techniques of San Soo Kung Fu work very well for simple self defense. Typically a quarter or two of instruction is more than enough for a background in basic self defense. 

I have a physical disability, can I participate in San Soo Kung Fu? 

Yes, we have trained several student with physical disabilities. Come on by the class and we will see how we can teach you. 

Sounds intense, will I be intimidated by the class or instruction? Is this a macho environment? 

No, safety during training is one of the core values of San Soo Kung Fu. We strive for an inclusive relaxed and friendly training environment. Since we are practicing a non-competition hand to hand training system, the pace of instruction can be adjusted for each student. You will be working with the other students to develop your own technique. 

Has anyone you have trained ever used the training in real life dangerous situations? 

Yes, Tony had had several satisfied customers, who have used their training to survive dangerous situations, throughout the decades of his teaching San Soo Kung Fu. 

Have Tony ever used San Soo Kung Fu in real life dangerous situations? 

Yes. Tony always strive to resolve conflict without using his training. He walk away when he can. However,He has been attacked by multiple fighter on several occasions in situations which he could not resolve or escape from. In these instances, he has used his training and been very satisfied with the results.  

Do you practice forms? 

Yes, we have 73 forms, which we practice empty handed and with the 12 weapons on San Soo Kung Fu. 

73 Forms, are you kidding? 

No joke, the UCSD San Soo Kung Fu program practices 73 forms.

What about lessons? 

The UCSD San Soo Kung Fu program teaches 450 lessons of San Soo Kung Fu. These comprise the core instruction of the program. 

What if I already have multiple black belts in other martial arts, can you provide more training? 

Yes, we welcome students with all backgrounds in martial arts.

Tony started his San Soo Kung Fu training with an extensive background in traditional Karate. 

San Soo Kung Fu will have techniques which you will recognize from your previous training, as well as new leverages and throws. 

If leverages and throws are new to you, this class is a fantastic way to be introduced to them.

It is important to remember that the training in San Soo Kung Fun may be different from your other martial arts training. If you keep and open mind to new things, you may get new techniques and strategies.