Dap’ga could be translated “combinations”. It is
interwoven throughout every aspect of this art. Basically it is how the
individual strikes, blocks and motions fit together into the whole art in
their proper order. This particular element in Kung fu San Soo is what sets
this art apart from all other systems. It gives the practitioners a true
freedom within the art to creatively express themselves and enables them to
develop an individual personality within the confines of the whole system.
The most important thing to consider here is in maintaining the integrity of
the art as to not allow the effectiveness to be compromised. Kung Fu San So
is a language system. Not unlike English, Hebrew or Greek. It has an
alphabet which are the individual kicks, strikes, blocks, stances etc. As
in any language, you must take the alphabet and put it together in an order
that makes sense. You create words, phrases, sentences and ultimately
ending with a story that has been told. The grammar in San Soo training is
found within the forms and fighting lessons. These sequences are the
building blocks by which we can understand the language. The key to using
any language is that you must remain within the language itself to maintain
order. You cannot add words from German or French to the English language
and expect English to be understandable. Just as you cannot change the
rules of grammar expecting to maintain a system that will continue to
communicate to others the messages you wish to send. It will make no sense
to anyone. The foundation for the original language will be lost to those
receiving the new information.. Only those who have kept the language pure
will understand the differences.. Anyone who knows the original language
will clearly see the problems and inconsistencies. Therefore, if we add
portions of other martial arts or change the prescribed grammar within this
art, we will weaken the foundational structure. This will confuse the
practitioner in how to use this art freely while robbing them of how it was
designed to be used in it’s original structure. San Soo has a unique flow
of patterns and motions that are an important aspect of how this grammatical
structure holds together. Without that structure, the foundation
collapses. We need to have these absolutes within San Soo in order to keep
it San Soo.
Once this understanding is lost and no one knows how
it was originally constructed, then no one can come back to what once was.
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