San Soo San Shou in Chinese / Japanese...

功夫散手 is a martial arts title.

Oddly, there are multiple ways two spell/romanize this in English, but in Chinese, it's written exactly the same.

Technically, the Mandarin romanizes as “gong fu san shou,” for which you'll sometimes see it written “kung fu san shou” (k'ung is an old romanization for a word that sounds like gong with a vowel sound like “oh”).

There is another martial arts style that spells this “Kung Fu San Soo.” I guess this was supposed to approximate Cantonese pronunciation for which the scholarly romanization is generally agreed to be “gung fu saan sau.”

散手 is a martial arts title sometimes spelled in English as “San Soo” or “San Shou.”

The Mandarin version romanizes as “San Shou.” Mandarin Chinese is the most common dialect in China (literally 99% of Chinese people speak standard Mandarin along with their local dialect).

There is another martial arts style that spells this “San Soo.” I guess this was supposed to approximate Cantonese pronunciation for which the scholarly romanization is generally agreed to be “Saan Sau.”

三段 is a Japanese Kanji word that literally means “third degree.”

三段 is the third black belt rank in Japanese martial arts.

The first Kanji means three or third in Japanese.

The second Kanji means step, grade, rank, or level.

散手功夫 is San Soo Kung Fu.

Sometimes you will see this in the order 功夫散手 (Kung Fu San Soo). Either version is OK.

It's like “Kung Fu of San Soo” vs. “San Soo Kung Fu” if you put it in English terms. San Soo is the adjective either way in Chinese.

This is the Chinese name for the country of San Marino.

See Also:  Europe

聖佩德羅 is the name San Pedro in Chinese (Mandarin).

サンペドロ is the name San Pedro in Japanese Katakana.

Note: Because this title is entirely Japanese Katakana, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

聖地亞哥 is how to write San Diego in Mandarin Chinese.

サンマリノ is the small country of San Marino in Japanese Katakana.

Note: Because this title is entirely Japanese Katakana, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

廉耻精進忍耐遵守克己謙遜百折不屈 are the tenets of Tang Soo Do.

After some research, it appears this list was compiled in English based on Taekwondo tenets. We filled in a few of the words that did not have a corresponding Hanja or Hangul. If someone else has a better list with characters included, please contact me.

唐手道 is the alternate title for Karate-do.

This title uses a character, 唐, which represents the Tang Dynasty of China. Thus, this is often translated as the “Tang Hand Way” or incorrectly, “Tang Fist Way.”
I have also seen some call it “China Hand Way.”
Many in Korea refer to and romanize these characters as “Tang Soo Do” (당수도) where these characters refer to a kind of Korean style of Karate.

There is not a lot of information on this title but some believe that a simplified form of Kung Fu that started in China and ended up very popular in Japan used this title initially. It was later changed in Japan to a different Karate title which means “Empty Hand” (as in, without weapons).

Note: When used in Korean, this is pronounced 당수도. This title is often romanized as “Tang Soo Do,” “Tangsudo,” “Dang Su Do,” or “Dangsudo.” The last two romanizations on that list are the official Korean government romanization, though martial arts schools tend to use other non-standard versions.

These are the short titles for Sanxing or 三星 (Three Stars).

福祿壽 are the gods of Jupiter, Ursa Major, and Sirius. Fu, Lu, and Shou represent fortune (福), presiding over the planet Jupiter, prosperity (祿), presiding over Ursa Major, and longevity (壽), presiding over Sirius.

In old Chinese folk religion, they are often represented as three old bearded wise men.

国家忠诚父母孝道朋友有信杀生有择临战无退 are the five codes of Tang Soo Do.

I suggest you have this arranged in five columns when you get to the options page for your custom calligraphy wall scroll.

Here are my translations of each of the five codes:
國家忠誠 Be loyal to your country.
父母孝道 In regards to parents, behave in a filial way.
朋友有信 Be faithful in friendship.
殺生有擇 When fighting for life and death, make noble choices.
臨戰無退 No retreat in battle.

Note: “Tang Soo Do” is a romanization of 唐手道. It's 당수도 in Korean Hangul. It can also be romanized as “Tangsudo” or “Dangsudo.”

精神統一 means concentration of mind or mental concentration in old Korean Hanja and Japanese.

This concentration title is one of the 8 Key Concepts of Tang Soo Do.

You'll often see this romanized from Korean as “Chung Shin Tong Il.”

If you want to order the modern Korean Hangul version, click on the Hangul characters in the pronunciation box. Otherwise, this title is valid Korean Hanja (from the 1600 years that Korea used Chinese characters).

正直 or honesty is being truthful and sincere. It is important because it builds trust. When people are honest, they can be relied on not to lie, cheat or steal. Being honest means that you accept yourself as you are. When you are open and trustworthy, others can believe in you.

正直 is one of the 8 key concepts of Tang Soo Do.

Note: This entry is cross-listed as "integrity" because it also fits that definition.

Please note that the second Kanji sometimes has an alternate form in Japanese. Let us know if you want the alternate form shown to the right.

See Also:  Truth | Trust | Integrity

忍耐 is patience, the quiet hope, and trust that things will turn out right.

You wait without complaining. You are tolerant and accepting of difficulties and mistakes. You picture the end in the beginning and persevere to meet your goals.

忍耐 can also mean “to endure,” “restrain oneself,” or “forbearance,” and in some contexts, it can mean “perseverance” or “endurance.”

忍耐 is also used as a tenet of Taekwondo, Tang Soo Do, and other Korean martial arts where it's titled “Endurance” and romanized as “In Neh.”

Note that when writing this as Kanji, Japanese will tend to write the first character in the form shown to the right. If you select our Japanese master calligrapher, please expect this Kanji form (yes, it’s just one stroke that is slightly different in location, crossing another stroke in the Japanese Kanji form).

See Also:  Peace | Harmony | Perseverance

勇氣 is one of several ways to express bravery and courage in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

This version is the most spiritual. This is the essence of bravery from deep within your being. This is the mental state of being brave versus actual brave behavior. You'd more likely use this to say, “He is very courageous,” rather than “He fought courageously in the battle.”

The first character also means bravery or courage when it's seen alone. With the second character added, an element of energy or spirit is added. The second character is the same “chi” or “qi” energy that Kung Fu masters focus on when they strike. For this reason, you could say this means “spirit of courage” or “brave spirit.”

This is certainly a stronger word than just the first character alone.

Beyond bravery or courage, dictionaries also translate this word as valor/valour, nerve, audacity, daring, pluck, plucky, gallantry, guts, gutsy, and boldness.

This is also one of the 8 key concepts of tang soo do.

While the version shown to the left is commonly used in Chinese and Korean Hanja (and ancient Japanese Kanji), please note that the second character is written with slightly fewer strokes in modern Japanese. If you want the modern Japanese version, please click on the character to the right. Both styles would be understood by native Chinese, Japanese, and many (but not all) Korean people. You should make your selection based on the intended audience for your calligraphy artwork. Or pick the single-character form of bravery/courage which is universal.

蔡李何佛雄 is the five families associated with San Soo Kung Fu.

The characters are always the same, but there are several ways these are romanized from Cantonese, Mandarin, and other dialects. Some common ones include Tsoi Li Hoi Fut Hung and Choi Li Ho Fut Hung.

If you are using a different romanization, that does not mean it's wrong. It might just be that your school is using a different dialect or romanization scheme.

富士山 is the Chinese and Japanese Kanji title for Mount Fuji in Japan.

富士山 is also known as Fujiyama or Fuji-san.

三方 is San Bo or Sanbo which literally means three sides but in Japanese, refers to a small offering stand.

It can also be the Japanese surname Mitsukata.

In Buddhism, “三摩提” is the transliteration of the Sanskrit word Samādhi, which means equanimity, concentration, and determination.

It is one of the Buddhist practices aimed at eliminating all distractions and calming the mind.

Sometimes written in a shorter form of 三昧 (san mei).

This is a Chinese surname that romanizes as Zhang, but in Taiwan or old romanization can be Cheung.

This can also be the Japanese surnames Harisaki, Hari, Hara, Tsuan, Chou, Cho, Chiyan, Chiyau, Chan, Chian, Sun, Jin, Jiyon, Jiyan, Zan, San, or Kin.

The meaning of this character can be: to open up; to spread; sheet of paper; classifier for flat objects; sheet; classifier for votes.

聖 is the simple, single-character religious form of “saint” in Chinese (also holds the same meaning in Japanese and Korean, though rarely used alone like this).

This can also mean holy, sage, master, or priest.
Note: 聖 is often used in compound words (words of more than one character) to create further meanings. In compounds, it can mean holy, sacred, or divine.

聖 is also used as the first word for Spanish and English place names such as “San Diego” and “St. Louis” in Chinese (not Japanese).

In the Buddhist context, this can represent ārya or sādhu. And mean a sage; wise and good; upright, or correct in all his character; sacred, holy, or saintly.

緩急 is often used as a Korean martial arts term, “speed control.” It's also one of the 8 key concepts of Tang Soo Do.

In other contexts, this can mean priority, pace, tempo, or slow and fast.

妙手仁心 is a phrase that celebrates the benevolence, skill, and service to his/her patients.

Here's a breakdown of the characters:
妙手 miào shǒu is an admirable skill in curing disease (when referring to doctors).
仁心 rén xīn kindheartedness, charity, benevolent heart.

伸縮 can mean, to lengthen and shorten; flexible; adjustable; retractable; extensible; expansion and contraction; elasticity; flexibility; elastic; stretchy.

伸縮 is often romanized from Korean as “Shin Chook,” which is associated with one of the 8 key concepts of Tang Soo Do.

力操正 is a Korean martial arts title meaning “Power Control.”

It's most often cited as one of the 8 key concepts from Tang Soo Do.

This can be pronounced in Chinese but will only be recognized by those familiar with martial arts terms.

妙手仁心悬壶济世 is a phrase that celebrates the benevolence, skill, and service to his/her patients.

Here's a breakdown of the characters:
妙手 miào shǒu admirable skill in curing disease (when used in reference to doctors).
仁心 rén xīn kindheartedness, charity, benevolent heart.
悬壶济世 xuán hú jì shì practice medicine or pharmacy to help the people or the public.

The first character means “wood glue” or can be understood as “sticky” or “sticking.”
The second character means “hand” (or “hands”).

This term can be romanized as “Chi Sau,” “Chi Sao,” or from Mandarin, “Chi Shou.”

黐手 is a concept that comes from the Wing Chun (AKA: Ving Tsun, Wing Tsun, or Yong Chun) style of martial arts. If you are looking for this term, chances are, you already know the meaning within the context of Wing Chun.

有段者 is a Japanese term for someone who holds rank in karate, judo, etc.
This term theoretically applies to anyone with rank (above a white belt). However, some schools or dojos may reserve this title for a holder of a black belt.

I'd suggest that you only order this phrase if you have honestly reached this level.

This title does kind of make sense in Chinese but only to those Chinese who practice “kong shou dao” (karate) or when used in the context of martial arts.

美國館 is a Korean Hanja title, which roughly means “U.S. School.”

The first two characters mean “USA” (literally: Beautiful Kingdom/Country).

The last character means “school,” “building,” and “schoolroom” in this context.

This “Mi Guk Kwan” title is used to mean “The American School of Tang Soo Do.”

If you want this in modern Korean Hangul, just click the Hangul characters in the pronunciation box next to the Korean flag above.

推手 is the martial arts title “Pushing Hands.”

推手 is the title for two-person training routines practiced in internal Chinese martial arts such as Baguazhang, Xingyiquan, Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan), Liuhebafa, Chuan Fa, and Yiquan.

The first character means “pushing.”
The second character means “hand” (or “hands”).

This term can be romanized as “Tui Sau,” “Tui Sao,” or from Mandarin, “Tui Shou.”

If you are looking for this term, chances are, you already know the meaning within the context of Tai Chi and other martial arts.

謙遜 can also be translated as being modest, humble, or unpretentious.

Being humble is considering others to be as important as yourself. You are thoughtful of their needs and willing to be of service. You don't expect others or yourself to be perfect. You learn from your mistakes. When you do great things, humility reminds you to be thankful instead of boastful.

This Humility title is also used as one of the 8 key concepts of Tang Soo Do. Often romanized as “Kyum Son.”

Also sometimes used in Japanese to express humility with an essence of modesty.

See Also:  Modesty | Humility

The literal meaning of 空手道 is “empty hand method” or “empty hand way.”

Credit is given that karate started in China but migrated and became refined and vastly popular in Japan.

Karate is a martial art that uses no blades or weapons other than the “natural weapons” God gave to humans (fists and feet). The last character somehow became optional, but the meaning of that character is “method” or “the way” as in Taoism / Daoism.

Karate-Do reached Korea, where it is known as 공수도 which can be romanized as “Kong Soo Do” or “Gong Su Do.”

鬆濤館空手道 art the Japanese Kanji that make up the title for Shotokan Karate.

This should be considered a Japanese-only title. It does make sense and is pronounceable in Chinese and Korean but only as a title for a building (perhaps a martial arts hall) surrounded by pine trees - followed by the characters for “The empty hand method” (kong shou dao / Karate-do). Also, the first two characters were simplified in both Japanese and Chinese. The third character was simplified in Chinese but not Japanese.

Upon request, we can offer the fully traditional Chinese version but be sure you know what you are asking for.

Note: This would be understood in Chinese and Korean Hanja by a person from those cultures familiar with martial arts and various schools of Japanese karate.