We offer regularly scheduled group classes for adults. Conveniently located near the Howard Hughes Center, sharing a parking lot with Dinah’s Family Restaurant, we are a great location for adults from the West Los Angeles neighborhoods of Westchester, Culver City, Marina Del Rey, Playa Del Rey, Ladera Heights, and Playa Vista to improve their fitness, health, confidence, and safety.
The ancient art of San Soo was created and designed for battle. In our instruction it is important that the student adopt the mindset of a “fighter”. From our standpoint we are not talking about going into the ring or other types of formal competitions, but rather preparation for any situation that can occur on the street. The students are taught to use their San Soo from any point, position or situation they may encounter in the real world. From the moment they leave the house, students learn to be aware of every detail in their surroundings. They learn to spot trouble before it develops. This can mean the way they carry themselves or the way some else carries themselves. This becomes extremely important in situations like walking through a parking lot at night or in a store, park or any environment where crowds are. The San Soo student’s field of vision becomes broader. They are able to process the potential for danger much quicker than the non San Soo trained individual.
Using San Soo at its highest level is learning to diffuse or deescalate a situation so one can walk away without resorting to physical force. In the event this is not possible, students learn techniques for all types of situations. The strategies can be different for each situation but the mindset is not. The ultimate goal, when attacked, is to survive and take out your adversary as quickly as possible. This is also the structure for our Anti-bulling program with the exception of the philosophy of taking out your adversary as quickly as possible. The kids are taught a series of specifically designed verbal blocks and counters to deescalate the situation with a bully. This deceases the likelihood of getting into a physical altercation. Please see our Anti-Bullying section for more specifics.
The size or weight of an adult student is not important when it comes to defending oneself. Students learn to use their full body weight when striking vulnerable parts of the body coupled with what they learn about anatomy, physiology and relaxation of the body. In addition the student learns the application of leverage so if the student weighs 100lbs it is possible to neutralize an attacker that weighs more than twice as much.
San Soo is ideal for women. The anatomy and physics of Kung-fu San Soo is such that women learn that they are capable of extricating themselves out of certain situations because of their body structure. We are taught that because a man may be large or heavy in stature that it is impossible to equalize and control them. The fact that they are heavy, large or even muscular is the very thing that can place a man at a major disadvantage against women. This is something we explore in detail in our women’s self-defense programs. This also holds true for smaller stature men that are confronted by larger men. The greater mass of a larger man make’s them slower and less agile than a smaller man. It is extremely important that the adult student understands and learns how to work with an adrenal response. When we are in dangerous situations, like being confronted by an attacker, we experience an adrenalin surge. The inexperienced person gets tunnel vision, the heart rate jumps and blood pressure increases all in preparation for battle. This can cause one to freeze or panic. In San Soo we teach the student to turn the adrenalin surge into an advantage. It will no longer be a surprise when and if it happens
When you are enrolled in our classes you have the opportunity to work out and learn from our Masters, higher level black belts and our advanced students. Unlike other martial arts styles where they group all white belts together, our method helps the beginning student to progress faster. We want you to know that our students have more self-confidence in their ability on the street and life itself, better physical condition, discipline, and better reactions. We look forward to the opportunity of helping you to.