This page is dedicated to sharing stories about Sifu Woo, from the people who knew him best. Our hope is that these stories help keep alive the essence of our teacher and friend, Sifu James Wing Woo.
If you knew Sifu Woo and have a story to share, please email it to us.
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In my 30s, my back went out. The pain was incredible. I was, essentially, crippled. Of course, I now know how this happens: stress, etc. At any rate, I was basically slammed to the deck by the pain for about a month. In the process, I dropped out of Si Fu’s class.
Finally, I went to a doctor. He took all sorts of pictures and told me that I had a ruptured disc and that I had to have a series of operations, etc. Naturally, being young and without insurance, I saw my doom. But I didn’t quite trust the doctor.
There was something about him that made me wary. At any rate, I struggled home and looked at my dark future when, suddenly, I got the idea to call Jim. I did so and he told me to come down to the place on Hollywood Boulevard.
When I got there, a class was in session. Note that I was completely bent over – like a very old man – at almost 90 degrees! He stopped the class and gathered them all around with the words: “I want you all to see how a ruptured disc works.” He then asked me if I could get my leg up on the ballet bar, you know, the ones that he had in the studio at the time. I did so with my right leg. Then he told me to twist to the right and then to the left. Again, I did so. He had me repeat the process with the left leg. Again, I did it, after which I stood up, straight as an arrow and completely pain-free. He said, “you don’t have a ruptured disc, you had a locked hip!” At which point he went back to teaching the class while I stood there absolutely stunned. Basically, Si Fu saved my butt. Since that day, whenever I feel back stuff coming on, I repeat what he taught me that day and all is well. Thanks, Si Fu. You have no idea the lifetime of pain you helped me avoid.
The man was a genius. I used to watch him do Tai Chi. Every muscle and tendon in his body was isolated and moved at this command. It was breathtaking to watch. I’ve been very lucky in my life in the way that Divine Providence has sent me just the right teachers at just the right time. Si Fu was up there in the Top 2.
Wherever you are traveling now, SiFu, I wish you fair winds and following seas. Move. Move. Move.
Alexander Martin, Ph.D., Los Angeles, California
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1991. I was taken to the studio. I was overwhelmed and utterly incompetent to get through the beginners Kung Fu Class. I signed up for one class a week. After a couple of months Jim took me aside and explained that he only payed close attention to a student when he saw that they were going to show up regularly.
I told him that, at 10 years old, I had polio and that my poor motor functions, coordination, etc. were the legacy. He wasn’t interested in my sad story. He immediately started me on “learning to feel”. Folding and stacking: the double headed arrow, the three way stretch, finger exercises, the four endings, and the warm up itself which he later told me was really traditional Chi Gong. All this was taught by referencing anatomy books! I later started tai chi as well and he told me that he normally taught students the form first but not in my case. I just couldn’t get it. More small exercises! Moving the energy ball around and weight shifting.
I currently try to do some Kung Fu and T’ai Chi every day. I have had better health now than when I was young. Sifu told me that I should teach. I believe that this was because I had learned some patience, humility, and perseverance from the many years of his classes. It wasn’t because I had become an example of his martial art because I hadn’t. I like to teach challenged students. I know their difficulties.
Sifu was the most generous man I’ve known; generous with his time, talent, knowledge, and most of all his humanity. He saved me from many of life’s missteps too. But that’s another story!
Adrian Henry Mason
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1987/88. After a long sweaty class at the second floor gym on Sunset Blvd., with my stupid watched-The-Karate-Kid-way-too-many-times teenage voice I said, “Sifu my back is hurting. Can you do some magic on my back?” To which he replied, “You want some magic? Go hang on that bar over there in the corner for 10 minutes!”
Sanders Anderson