Hello Everyone,

Another old post that I wanted to put up on the new blog.

I was attending a kickboxing event and got to watch a variety of kickboxing gyms go and do battle (only kicks and punches were allowed) I often make sure to take notice of the fighters in attendance from each specific gym. I observe how they warm-up (stretch, hit pads, shadow box, etc), the discussions they hold with their coach and/or corner men, how they pass time before the match (such as listen to music, pray, etc), etc. Some fighters are quiet and sit alone while others talk to other fighters on their team and laugh the time
away.

One thing is for sure, they put a lot of effort getting ready to go into a ring to do battle against another person who is only allowed to use punches and kicks against them while they can only use kicks and punches too. The event was really good and of course there were some brutal knockouts and the fights were stopped immediately.

What I'm trying to convey is the seriousness of these so called "combat sports." Don't be fooled for one second. This event where only punches and kicks were allowed consisted of REAL FIGHTS. They may not allow dirty tactics such as eye-gouging, biting, groin strikes, etc, but they are REAL FIGHTS. I saw some fighters that would definitely provide some serious challenges to the majority of Kung Fu San Soo masters. For one thing, these kickboxers train realistically, focus on physical fitness no different from guys in professional sports, have to face non-cooperative opponents in training, etc.

If Kung Fu San Soo was such a devastating martial art meant for the street to deal with life and death situations then shouldn't a practitioner of Kung Fu San Soo (and CERTAINLY a "master" of Kung Fu San Soo) have no problem getting in the ring for three to five rounds only using punches and kicks? Why don't Kung Fu San Soo guys test themselves in these kinds of events and see how they do in a "sport" situation (when it's really a fight situation) since they claim to train for life and death situations.

This is one of the many reasons I cannot recommend anyone to train in Kung Fu San Soo for self-defense situations. It just isn't practical, realistic, efficient, and certainly effective when compared to the martial arts I've mentioned on this blog in order to get the average person ready in the most efficient way possible for a real fight! There are certainly exceptions where traditional martial artists have gone in and pursued a career in professional combat sports, but just because there are exceptions to the rule doesn't mean a rule should be made for the exception (I.E. just because a person from a traditional martial arts background went into the UFC doesn't mean another person should train in traditional martial arts and expect his traditional martial arts background will be effective and efficient in getting him to succeed in MMA or Kickboxing events).

Questions or Comments?
JimmyHWoo2016@gmail.com