KFSS Tattoos

[usnken]

I have been thinking of creating a KFSS tattoo for my back. The bad news is that I have no artistic ability whatsoever.  Do any of you guys have unique KFSS tats? Or ideas? Any artists on here who might be willing to draw me one? Just checking....

Thanks Gang!

[kfletcher]

Hey Ken,
I have seen a few on different arms. Alot of people are content with the characters around here. We don't get them until black belt level and the five families at Master. Generally it has been a pretty big deal for a large group of us that came up together. Master Ben Dixon did mine in different stages and is known for doing excellent work. I've seen some on scrolls or other backgrounds and the combinations can been endless. Good Luck figuring it out. I'll try to post mine at some point soon.
Kenneth Fletcher

[Dave]

Ken,

This is tattoo land here in Nashville. Two of our San Soo guys are renowned Tattoo artists. Ben owns a successful chain of tattoo shops around Nashville and he usually gives everybody around here there tats. Ive seen some pretty elaborate work done regarding the characters on our guys.  You'll have to come visit us and get some ink done while your down here.  Ben and Brandon seem to leave their mark on most everybody down here, and they do top quality work.

Peace

[usnken]

Thanks for the info; I want to come down there so badly, but time always seems to be full of other distractions. Ill keep that in mind. Ken

[usnken]

Im thinking of doing something with these....

Tsai Li Haw Fut Hung Ga - San Soo WuShu Kung Fu

If anyone has suggestions, or sample pictures of what they have done using these, let me know. Thanks!

[Dave]

Maybe you could elaborate on choice of spelling and use of words for those characters.

Ive never seen it spelled Tsai and Haw.  Is this a different dialect?   Ive learned Tsoi or choy.  and Hoi or Ho respectively. These represent different dialects from different parts of china.  I always understood it to read "Tsoi li ho(hoi) fut hung" or "Tsoi li ho"  kung fu.  Some chinese martial artists who are familiar with our art will refer to it as just Tsoi li ho.

Where does the wushu come in with regards to our art?  Ive never heard of this.  Our art has nothing to do with wushu. It is a different art all together.  The traditional characters never suggest wushu to my understanding.

Maybe you could post examples of those characters.

If it was me, I would permanently put those characters on my body that resembled the way that our Grandmaster wrote them.

[San Soo Sifu]

Where does the wushu come in with regards to our art?  Ive never heard of this.  Our art has nothing to do with wushu. It is a different art all together.  The traditional characters never suggest wushu to my understanding.

Wu3 Shu4 (Mandarin; Beijing)
Mou5 Seut6 (Cantonese; Hong Kong)

Literal translation: Military (Martial) Art.

It is on the end of your degree of black belt, i.e.:
1st (First Year Martial Art)
2nd (Second Year Martial Art)
3rd (Third Year Martial Art)
4th (Fourth Year Martial Art)
5th (Fifth Year Martial Art)
6th (Sixth Year Martial Art)
7th (Seventh Year Martial Art)

...the Chinese characters have always been part of our art of Kung-Fu San Soo.  Grand Master Jimmy H. Woo's black belt has something like (I cannot see the number too clearly, so forgive me if I am incorrect)... 37th Year Martial Art... but, I think you get the point, even if I am wrong about the exact number on his belt.

[Dave]

yep. Im familiar with the degrees on the belt. I am also familiar with Mu Sut. This is the way Ive always heard it. Never Wushu.

[San Soo Sifu]

I am also familiar with Mu Sut.

Mu Sut would be the Sei-yap or Toisanese dialect.  Same Chinese characters, though.

[Dave]

Mu Sut would be the Sei-yap or Toisanese dialect. 

Yes sir. You are correct. That is precisely the reason why most of us would recognize it as mu sut and not wushu.  Wushu is the national sport in China, not ever to be confused with our art.

Im not trying to be a punk about it. Just conversation....good conversation at that.

Regards

P.S.  Ken, Im sure your tattoo will be awesome.

[sansooman]

Soon as I can get back down there I would like to have Ben tattoo my arms.  I like his work.

[usnken]

Oh, sorry guys--the characters didn't show up on my post. I basically searched word by word on wikipedia and then copied the Chinese characters from there, but this site isn't formated to accept them in a post.

The name came from my emails with Master Jim Benkert. (his website: http://www.geocities.com/san_soowushu/)

Here is a brief explanation of the name.... http://www.geocities.com/san_soowushu/SanSooOrTsai.html

Basically, I want to be very specific about our style, rather than simply listing only the five families. One time I showed the five family characters to a Chinese exchange student (not a martial artist) and asked him to translate them. He said they didn't make sense to him because they stood alone, without being placed into context of what they meant.

So, that is kind of where I am coming from by wanting to be very specific.   

[kfletcher]

Hey Dave,
Hope the vacation is going well. I spoke with Chuck earleir today and he said pretty much the same thing everyone else has said. Mu Sut is the Sei-yap or Toisanese interpretion of the characters and their meaning in that region. Jimmy was from that region, hence we were taught that way and Chuck has contined to pass it along that way. I never made any correlation between Mu Sut and Wushu either.
Ken I don't know what the general policy is, but "here" and in Chuck's line, we can receive kfss characters after black belt, but can't do the families until a minimum of 5th degree. Chuck has said Jimmy did that to assure anyone displaying the family characters could represent the art in any manner neccessary.  He told me it would apply to belt patches, tattoos or other representations. Alot of the black belts have the KFSS symbols but only the Masters have the families. My tattoo was started at yellow belt rank and I have continually added to it at different intervals with the Families being my culmination or reward one day. Or at least that was what was planned.

Best of Luck,
Kenneth

P.S. We have shown older Chinese persons our characters that had history near the region and they knew IMMEDIATELY what they meant. Some have said "you're a fighter".. others have had similiar responses. Some have even looked at us and asked if we knew what they meant. When we replied and they realized we really did have the information, they have said "you are learning real kung fu". Perhaps the student was younger and unfamiliar with the art or from a different region. It has become more "underground" in China from my understanding. I suspect as time progresses fewer people will understand the meaning of it as we have been taught.
Kenneth

[usnken]

Kenneth,

I had never heard any of that before, other than people saying others got tattoos 'commonly' after black belt. I never knew such 'guidance' existed for displaying the five families. Very interesting. It makes total sense, though.

Damn. Now, since I cant train regularly anymore it will be a long time before getting my black belt, so that pretty much means no tats for a while! You guys are killing me here!     

[kfletcher]

Hey Ken,
I never meant to imply what you should or should not do. I'm sure you will know what to do when the time comes. I just was telling alittle history from our perspective and how we practice it here. Our group is very dedicated to keeping things traditional and passing the art along as it was passed to us. I'm sorry you aren't training anymore. You really seem to love the art and I certainly respect that. Perhaps we can all meet one day and have a cold beer.
Formal Salute,
Kenneth Fletcher