Master Bill Hulsey's Ah Soo 1-45 DVD

[Vincent]

This video is available through Master Hulsey's web site Sansoo.com.

I give the DVD itself four out of five stars. However, when supplemented with the e-mail correspondence and video review available to those becoming members of The National Teachers Association Of Kung Fu San Soo it gets five out five. Especially, if like me, you are not fortunate enough to live close to a Kung Fu San Soo studio.

The DVD is a transfer made from a videocassette recording filmed for a relative (the other person in the video) that did not live in California. That being the case, it certainly has that lower quality home video look. Nonetheless, all the lessons where filmed at a wide enough shot so that the entire body could be seen in the frame and the image quality is more than clear enough to see all the moves and understand what is being said.

Regarding the instruction, The Ah-Soo are mostly combinations of assorted punches, kicks, scratches, palms, elbows, hammers, backhands, with some bone breaking and a few leverages. The greatness of them is in there being applied to specific vulnerable targets on the opponents body such as the eyes, temple, jaw, nose, liver, kidney, spleen, groin, knee, ribs, heart, throat, and other sensitive areas. The purpose of them are to quickly and efficiently inflict damage on your opponent to bring the fight to a rapid end. If done successfully these moves are brutal and could likely even kill the opponent in some instances such as a well delivered hammer to the throat.

I found this DVD to be more informative than a couple others I have watched. There are moments when Master Hulsey goes briefly in depth on some subjects that other videos seem to forgo. For instance, he explains how lessons should be broken down in to combinations and practiced as such. As someone who previously tried to learn all 9 moves of a lesson at once while studying another video that little bit of knowledge changed everything about my approach and understanding of the lessons for the better. In fact, having that necessary information withheld by other videos made many of my efforts to practice Kung Fu San Soo misguided and potentially less likely to access an appropriate response in a street fight. So, for me, those bits of information he throws out there are quite helpful.

Now comparing these Ah-Soo lessons to The Basic 45, I got a sense that this Ah-Soo DVD on Kung Fu San Soo is at times a slightly older style that was taught by Jimmy early on that at some later point was streamlined a bit in to the Basic 45. I may be wrong, but that is the impression I got. That is not too suggest that these lessons are not as good as the Basic 45. In my opinion that is far from the case. The Ah-Soo are certainly as good and perhaps in a few instances a little better, but that is a matter of taste. For the most part we are comparing apples with apples. Still, to give an example of a slight difference in flavor between the Ah-Soo and the Basic 45 I will bring up the backhand. In Basic 45 lessons I have seen, when delivering a right backhand the right arm is the only one used. In the Ah-Soo as taught by Master Hulsey the left arm is used to perhaps momentarily have a hand guarding your face, but is thrown out in the opposite direction to generate some more power. I do not know for sure if it does, but it feels like it works. Still despite the difference the potential targets you aim for will remain the same and if done right in the Ah-Soo manner or the Basic 45 method the end result will be pain for your opponent.

To conclude, I certainly feel the Ah-Soo DVD is worth it's cost and I absolutely recommend that you join the National Teachers Association of Kung Fu San Soo if you choose to buy it. Because, despite what I feel to be thorough explanations questions may arise. I have certainly had some. I imagine that any type of instructional video despite how complete it may be will always make a contemplative student have a question. At those times, I have been able to ask Master Hulsey a question through e-mail and get a brief response in a day (two at most) that answered my question. That access to a Master is not something I have seen offered by others selling videos on line and for my money (again as a person who does not live near a Kung Fu San Soo studio) it makes all the difference.

[San Soo Sifu]

Since we are discussing Master Bill Hulsey's Ah Soo 45 lessons, I thought I would add my two cents.

First, I think having the type written Ah Soo 45 lessons for your own personal lesson notebook is the beginning, and bare minimum necessity. Second, having the Ah Soo 45 photograph lesson book by Master Bill Hulsey is the next requirement. Third, having the Ah Soo 45 lessons either on VHS video tape or DVD format is the "Pi?ce de R?sistance."

Owning all three of the above formats, will pretty much ensure that a complete moron (or a complete genius) can teach themselves (and a workout partner).

Having access to Master Bill Hulsey, through emails or the telephone, to ask him follow up questions is simply icing on the cake!
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For more background information about the Basic 45 lessons, and the Ah Soo 45 lessons; please read the following thread, located here on this very forum:

http://www.americansansoo.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?t=31

[61to72]

I would like to see this video that you are all discussing. Can it be down loaded somewhere? I do not know of a Master Bill Hulsey, but I would like to see him in action. I saw the Basic 45 tape by Master Jack Sera, and it is the old style that Grand Master Jimmy H. Woo taught to us in the sixties.

[Captain America]

Check out Master Bill Hulsey's website here.

http://www.sansoo.com/




His studio is in Bellflower, Southern California

It's relatively close to where you work in Anaheim... a quick drive down the 91 Freeway... He is a very open and friendly and knowledgeable instructor.

If you click "Memberlist" at the top of this page, you will see his membership name of "old lion."

[SanSooPadawan]

I have to say that as a former student of Master Bill Hulsey's, I am enjoying the Ah Soo 1-45 DVD greatly, and cannot recommend it enough. To my knowledge there are no San Soo teachers here in the California Central Valley (Fresno area); so all the learning I do is off the Internet and Master Bill Hulsey's DVDs. He explains all the moves and strikes well, and shows each lesson at least twice from different angles. There are also many "mini-lectures" on things like guarding, and combinations. Master Bill Hulsey has even graciously been mentoring me via email! Well worth the money. I plan on buying his Hand Forms video next month.

[bigpappa]

How are his Num-Pi DVD's? Has anybody watched these?

[SanSooPadawan]

His Num Pi's are every bit as good! I happen to be watching them currently, and there are some awesome lessons there -- a whole different family of moves & blocks.