Learn to improve the famous wing chun stiking hand drills via mental planning for “No mind” response counter strikes

You hear a lot of people talk about “chi sau”, but what is it exactly? “Chi” in Chinese means stick, and “Sau” means hand, therefore chi-sau means “stick hand” or “sticky hands.” That is the literal meaning of chi-sau, but in the context of martial arts, it is the metaphor given to the unique drills & techniques exclusive to the Wing Chun fighting system.

The purpose of chi sau, or stick hands, training is to increase the practitioner’s sensitivity, speed-up his contact reflex, and develop his close-quarter ging (focused power). All the chi sau techniques, or drills, are derived from wing chun’s 3 and only forms, and the drills are practiced in a reciprocal manner, contiguously, as though it was a real exchange of techniques. For every offensive technique, there is a counter technique.

The idea of chi sau is to control your opponent’s energy by sensing his intentions from the vibrations that he’s emitting at the point of contact. Once you have sense the angle of his attack, or the angle of his energy, it is relatively easy to control and manipulate his attack by deflecting or jamming his energy using the counter techniques, or you could launch your own attack first if you can detect a weak energy point (opening).

The most important principle of Wing Chun is to use speed & skill to overcome a bigger & stronger opponent. The element of this “skill” is chi sau. Ultimately, Chi sau, and indeed Wing Chun, is about the control of energy.

 ”Sticking hands” looks as though we are stuck to our opponent because, once we have made contact, we are actually following our opponent’s arm, feeling & probing his energy, absorbing his energy and seeking for an opening to launch our own attacks. Again, this brings us back to energy control. In chi sau, our arms acts like a probe or feeler to sense our opponent’s vibrations. Once we anticipated our opponent’s intention by his minute vibrations, we can pre-empt his moves. For example, if we can sense an incoming punch, we could use the Wu-sau to “jam” his incoming energy immediately, before he can generate any momentum, thereby limiting his ability to generate power. Remember, the reason for sticking so close to your opponent is to control his energy – no energy, no power. Secondly, being in contact with your opponent enables you to react to his intentions in the shortest time possible, because it is faster to react by feel than by sight.     

 An introduction to Chi Sau

Imagine the Wing Chun hand forms as your dictionary to spell the moves correctly and efficiently, the Chi Sau is the periodic table, you the scientist and the kwan (studio) the laboratory, this is a science and one must be aware of this when practising any form of chi sau. You and your partner must be on the same frequency when practising, and not just working the mechanical movement of the exercise. Concentrate on the contact point, the connection, energy and of course the sticking. Beginner students engage in single sticking hands in which only one side of the body and consequently one arm are used, while more advanced students engage in double sticking hands utilising both arms and feet.

When performing Sticking hands, the practitioners maintain constant contact with each other, testing each other and constantly seeking to exploit any weak points within their framework. Strength In Wing Chun and sticking hands comes from training the framework which comprises of the Bridge Hand and the adduction Stance.

Chi Sau can be practiced at SAS in 2 different ways:

a) Technique against technique – this is more of a set drill than anything else. You face your opponent and deliver pre-agreed techniques. Your opponent allows you to follow each move to completion until a state of familiarity is achieved. Then knowing what the initial attack will be, he will counter and then counter-attack. This method of chi sau training is excellent for developing your framework, conditioning your joints for strength and teaching correct posture, balance and distancing. (chi dan sau, bong lap chi sau)

b) Free Style Chi Sau – as the name suggests there are no predefined techniques but the aim of each opponent is to control and dominate the other using techniques. This does not necessary need to result in a free style fight but instead each opponent tries to work out under pressure what his weak points are so he can improve them and as well as send the correct strike signal to your opponent when ever you exploit his weak points. (Lok sau chi sau, Lap sau kuen fa)

Kung fu is not something that only relates to Chinese martial arts. Because it is never the style that demonstrates kung fu. It’s never the technique that demonstrates kung fu. It’s the martial artist. In China, kung fu never refers just to martial arts. It really isn’t a mystical thing Within Chi Sau, there are three basic concepts:

a) On Incoming power or energy, no matter the direction, you absorb it. You cannot absorb until you can yield. In order to absorb or yield you have to be strong. If you absorb when you are strong, you are able to yield. If you absorb when you are weak, your bridge hand will collapse. Yielding uses the whole body to absorb or to change from one hand technique to another seamlessly without collapsing the bridge hand and using the correct angles. You must have strength in your framework to be able to yield. Your bridge hand and horse stance are vital in yielding.

b) Within the same distance and space, when you move forward, you should project your energy towards your opponent using your framework. You use this concept to dominate your opponent’s distance and balance to make his bridge hand collapse in order to open up his framework. You require strength in order to achieve this or else your energy will be rigid and agitated.

c) When your opponent’s bridge hand collapses and there is no block hand or barrier in the way, this is the time to strike straightforward to the body of your opponent using your energy and power. In other words “hand free straight hit”

Improving vastly in Sticking Hands, depends a lot on adhering to these principles and adopting the right mentality. The student must know his weak points in order to improve them and he must also know his opponent’s weak points in order to exploit them.

The right mentality during Chi Sau is learned by observing some simple principles and suggestions as listed below:

1) Never take your partner lightly – This applies to whoever your partner is, whether stronger or weaker. Your framework should be maintained at all times.

2) Concentrate – This is essential during training in order to be able to react fast and to be able to focus energy in to a point of application.

3) Seek for your opponent’s weakness – Two suggested areas are his bridge hand and horse stance.

4) Deal with the person your are facing and his energy and not his hands.

5) Stick to your opponent.

6) Breathe naturally.

Applying these suggestions and concepts consistently to your sticking hands training will produce vastly improved reactions, sensitivity, speed, timing and strength. The benefits that can be developed from Chi Sau training can also be applied to other areas of Wing Chun, the results are absolutely incredible and hard to put into words. It needs to be experienced to be fully appreciated!

SAS Chi Sau training is an on going learning experience in which you can learn from practitioners of both higher or lower standard than yourself. It is truly a fascinating and ingenious training system. Chi sau`s true value can only really be appreciated by those who train earnestly and have a desire to learn from the system.

Summary

Chi sau has nothing to do with street fighting, but the real purpose is to make you aware of the “auto pilot mode” that are practiced in class and to make you responsive to different types of energies. Once you have the concept of different energy deliverance you can disguise your intentions and attacks and make it more difficult for your partner to sense any form of attacks, so really you are practicing to decrease the kung fu (energy) not increase it as it will be detected by sensitive arms and a more skillful student of Wing Chun. This form of training is unique to wing chun as we are the only fighting art that has so much emphasis on the CHI SAU and although as already stated it has nothing to do with street fighting, but has everything to do with reflexes of a prime wild animal in the jungle. This is the “killer instinct” we as animals (humans) do not have. Chi sau will bring out the mind of a predator one who will respond in a split of a second without putting any thought or ideas into the mind before reacting, this action may one day save your life.

The “free fight Chi sau” purpose is to work on all of the above qualities and to add the gates, footwork, blocks and strikes in the wing chun system, so now you are working on experience hand fight practices. However, as this fighting is authentic and unique to the southern Chinese martial arts it is unorthodox way of fighting in today’s modern environment, the science of in fighting is truly a rewarding and satisfying fighting system as you become very lethal in your attacks and your defence is excellent to the point of perfection. But the journey to get to this point of free fighting using the chi sau system is hazardous, frustrating and cumbersome at times, you are going through the learning process and more mistakes and bad judgment will be made than good ones, but through experience and guidance one improves immensely and quickly, and soon are on their own way to finding their own style of fighting using the Wing Chun Concepts, and remember “man makes the art – art does not make the man”   

Master Andrew Sofos

Sticking hands at the Temple of Apollo

The first time I saw a candle extinguished was with a turning punch. The power generated by the punch begins in the firmly rooted feet, spiralling through the legs, amplified and directed by the hips into the fist. The potential energy released is phenomenal.

The action at the elbow is to straighten the joint in a throwing movement. However the joint does not lock out. This keeps the joint stable and allows for the maximum transmission of all that power. The error tends to occur when learning how to punch as we are told to relax and throw with force. It is jolly difficult to do both without the elbow locking out for a fraction of a second. Much of the trauma arises from this locking (hyperextension) of the elbow.

The result is pain in the elbow in the illustrated areas (Diag 1). Depending on the severity of damage the pain may occur only on repeated stress i.e. more turning punches or at rest. 

The elbow looks a little like diagram 2. The bony parts coming together, tension in the ligaments and joint capsule as well as reflex contraction of the biceps, limit movement on extension of the joint. Hence when over extending the elbow damage can occur to any of these parts diagram 3.

Overstretching of ligaments, joint capsules and friction between surfaces all lead to inflammation of the joint. Joints are not well supplied by blood and the turnover of materials is slow hence the long healing times involved. Longstanding trauma can result in fragmentation of the cartilage with loose bodies in the joint, osteoarthritis, and irritation of the nerves that are closely associated with the joint.

What to do about it? 

A good warm up and stretch is recognised to help prevent hyperextension injuries. However it is all down to punching technique (I know I’m starting to sound like a stuck record here). Not locking out the elbow reduces fist wobble which also means one is more likely to hit the mark.

Conventional Medical Advice. Once damage is done here’s a simple mnemonic to remember:

1. Rest
2. Ice
3. Compression
4. Elevation 

Other measures: Bracing or splinting (Tubigrip), Pain killers – Paracetamol and especially NSAIDs such as Ibuprofen.

Gentle massage is felt to help with pain. Tai chi instructor Mark Green advocates playing the form to help the healing process.

By Kristinn Tan

Qigong is a branch of learning concerning the exercise of qi. Here the word qi has several meanings. First, it refers to the air breathed in and out by man. It exists in the universe and has direct bearings on the functions of the human body. Second, it it is the medium by which the various parts of the body, including the organs and tissues, are connected and interact with one another. Its importance maybe seen from the old saying: “A man is alive when his qi grows but he ceases to live when his qi disappears.” Third, it is a kind of infinitely small substance existing in the human body. Unlike skin, bones, blood and air, qi is invisible to the eye but forms the very essence of human life. Qigong exercises contribute to the growth of this important substance, thus adding to one’s life force and delaying the process of ageing.

Although qigong exercises vary widely in form and function, they all have one thing in common: work of the mind. According to Lin Zhongpeng, Director of the Institute for Advanced Studies of Chinese Qigong, qigong may be defined as a kind of self-training for improving physical and mental health through the power of the mind. Here we have a definition with three-fold meaning.

The first meaning is about guiding principle, that is, the use of the power of the mind. Of course, qigong exercises also involve physical movements and control of breathing, but these are far less important than the use of the power of the mind, which sets qigong apart from other sports. In ordinary sports, physical work plays the dominant role while regulation of the mind and regulation of breathing only serve to keep the body in form so as to ensure good athletic performance.

The second meaning is about the purpose of qi gong, which is to improve physical and mental health. This is what distinguishes it from yingqigong (hard qigong) a kind of performing art resembling acrobatic feats. Such as thrusting a sharp spear at one’s throat, breaking a stone slab by knocking ones head against it, supporting one’s body on the point of a fork, taking hammer-blows while lying on a b ed sharp knives, and so on. All of which have little to do with health keeping.

The third meaning is about the method of exercise, with emphasis laid on self-training. Although the method of self-training has been advocated by qigong experts at all times, many people unfortunately failed to understand this and they vainly look for what they consider easier ways to keep fit. In ancient times not a few people have lost their lives after taking “elixirs” peddled by quacks for the supposed purpose of prolonged life. Such harmful substances caused the deaths of more than half of the 21 emperors of the Tang Dynasty. Superstitious practices of this kind are quite rare today. But there are still people who, in their pursuit of health, have relied too much on the help of qigong therapists, instead of persisting in doing exercises by themselves. It is true that many qigong masters hae done well to cure ailments with waiqi (out flowing vital energy) ejected from their bodies but they could done even better by teaching others ho to mobilise their own internal qi to prevent and cure diseases. To treat someone with waiqi is to give him a fish. To teach him qigong is to give him a fishnet with which he will make a fine catch once he has learned how to cast it.

By Master Andrew Sofos

Great knowledge sees all in one. Small knowledge breaks down into the many.

Chi Sau, footwork, forms, fighting, Jong, sandbags. We train in many ways.

Small knowledge is thinking that each exercise is just and exercise. Great knowledge seeks to relate each to the other.

What is fighting without sensitivity? Where is sensitivity without Chi Sau? Where is Chi Sau without form? Where is form without power? Where is power without accuracy? Where is accuracy without the Jong Form? Where is the Jong Form without angles? Where are angles without footwork? Where can you apply all you have learnt… but in fighting?

On Skill

A good cook changes his knife once a year, because he cuts an ordinary cook changes his knife every month, because he hacks. This knife of mine is nineteen years old. It has carved several thousand cows, yet its blade looks like it had just carne from the grindstone. There are spaces in the joints, and the blade has no thickness so when something with no thick ness enters something with space it has plenty of room to move about.

Think of you hands as knives, in the beginning when you fight, you hack, your hands have no precision, and they blunder forward with force, trying to land a strike because that is all you know. Hitting is so important to you that you bludgeon, batter and bash.

Then they cut, when you have learnt that force against force is not the Wing Chun way. Wit and accuracy are the important things when you fight, only then can you overcome your opponent regardless of your stature. You have the understanding to see that hacking is no longer your aim, and you have not yet the skill to carve, but the understanding to not hack. The strike is not the object of the game, you partner is not a thing to hit, but someone to outwit.

When you achieve mastery, you carve. Fighting is an effortless activity. Each technique is applied with surgical accuracy, and your execution is like a knife with no thickness. There is always space to move in, an angle, no matter how small to find. You no longer see your partner as an object to strike or outwit, but as a subject to dismantle. Each technique’s aim is to dismantle his structure.

On Using The Tools You Have

“…In Sung there was a man who was skilled at making a salve to prevent chapped hands, and generation after generation his family made a living by this. A traveller heard about the salve and offered to buy the prescription for a hundred measures of gold. The man called everyone to a family council. ‘For generations we’ve made this salve and we’ve never made more than a few measures of gold,’ he said. ‘Now if we sell our secret, we can make a hundred measures in one morning. Let’s let him have it!”

The traveller got the salve and introduced it to the king of Wu, who was having trouble with the state of Yueh. The king put the man in charge of his troops, and that Winter they fought a naval battle with the men of Yueh and gave them a bad beating (Their hands were not chapped because of the salve they used and they could use their weapons). A portion of the conquered territory was awarded to the man as a fief. The salve had the power to prevent chapped hands in either case; but one man used it to get a fief, while the other one never got beyond silk bleaching-because they used it in different ways…..”

Each technique we know, tan sau, bong saw and son is like a salve. All of us from the first level to the sixth rank can all play them. Using them in the most obvious way is like selling out for a hundred measures of gold. Apply thought to your techniques, in application and in practise, study their flight, analyse their angles, memorise the way they feel. It is this thought that will ultimately gain you a fiefdom of deeper understanding, different avenues to explore, greater insights not only into your own body- awareness, but also into how these techniques can be crafted and adapted to suit your needs as a martial artist.

On Overconfidence

“Great understanding is broad and unhurried; little understanding is cramped and busy. Great words are clear; little words are shrill and quarrelsome.
….
They bound off like an arrow or a crossbow pellet, certain that they are the arbiters of right and wrong. They cling to their positions as though they had sworn before the gods, sure that they are holding on to victory….”

After six months of training, most of us are begin to understand something of what Wing Chun is capable of.

After a year of training, most of us probably begin to feel some confidence in your Wing Chun skills.

After two years of training, you may even be dangerous! Do not be so sure that you are holding on to victory. There are depths of knowledge and understanding that you have not yet even seen, and levels of power that you have yet to experience. At this stage, can your understanding be broad and unhurried when Wing Chun takes fifteen years to learn?

On Learning

The goal of fasting is inner unity. This means hearing, but not with the ear; hearing, but not with the understanding; hearing with the spirit, with your whole being… The hearing of the spirit is not limited to any one faculty, to the ear, or to the mind. Hence it demands the emptiness of all the faculties. And when the faculties are empty, then the whole being listens. There is then a direct grasp of what is right there before you that can never be heard with the ear or understood with the mind.

Wing Chun in all of its training, in all of its fighting is all about letting go. Listen; hear, not just with your eyes and ears, but with your body too. Learn with your arms, as when we teach, we teach as much with our arms as we do with our words and actions. Feel the energy; find your understanding in the feeling, not the words.

Learn with no judgements or preconceptions, let anything that you already know go trust us as your teachers to show you the way. Do not judge what you see and place obstacles to your own path. To truly learn and understand Wing Chun, you must first embrace and never judge her, and when you remember her, remember with what has been instilled in your body. Knowing and understanding is useless to you in Wing Chun if you cannot act. Knowing in he body is as if not more important than knowing in the mind. Knowing how to do a pak sau is not the same as being able to do it properly.

On Teaching

The Great Man in his teaching is like the shadow that follows a form, the echo that follows a sound. Only when questioned does he answer, and then he pours out all his thoughts, making himself the companion of the world. He dwells in the echoless, moves in the directionless, takes by the hand you who are rushing and bustling back and forth, and proceeds to wander in the beginning less. He passes in and out of the boundless, and is ageless as the sun. His face and form blend with the Great Unity, the Great Unity that is selfless. Being selfless, how then can he look upon possession as possession?

By Tai Chi Instructor Mark Tan

Wing chun stylists defeat their adversaries by funnelling strength into and through an array of triangles. These triangles are found in the footwork; handwork, posture, strategy and virtually in every aspect of wing chun.

1: – Triangle Stance

Grandmaster Yip Man demonstrating the basic free-fighting stance

The basic stance of wing chun fighter is formed by placing the feet shoulder width apart. The toes of the feet turn slightly inward and knees are bent weight is slightly towards the back leg making the front leg more manoeuvrable for leg strikes. To see the triangle looking down, imagine that the left foot is standing on point A and the right foot on point B, (forming the baseline of the triangle) and point C (the apex of the triangle) is on the floor in front of the body.

The fighter’s knees pull in towards the direction of point C. the result is extremely strong solid structure. The wing chun fighter will maintain his triangle stance as he moves in and out of strike range with his opponent. At times the triangle will be equilateral at other moments more elongated.

2: – Triangle Footwork
Wing Chun work with two main footwork patterns. The “male” and “female” triangle. The male triangle can be visualised by imagining that the apex of the triangle is in front of the body and the baseline is under the feet. The female triangle the apex is behind the body its baseline also under the feet. The male and female triangle form a square turned on its end in diamond fashion.

The male triangle is used mainly for offence. The female triangle is used most often for defence and counter or for simultaneous attacks and defence.

3: – Leg / Torso Triangle
The wing chun body is divided into two triangles. One triangle exists with its base position at the feet and apex at tan tien (centre of the body below the navel.). The other triangle has its apex at the tan tien and its baseline points at the left and right shoulder joints.

The tan tien is the fulcrum. Power funnels up from the floor, through the lower triangle to the fulcrum (tan tien). And later in to the upper triangle where it passes into the arms and fists. These two triangles gives you the support structure for your stance footwork and your punches. The student must learn to move both hand and feet together to take advantage of their fulcrum.

What is necessary is a direct transfer of energy from the ground through the centre. This complete body alignment represents the most efficient use of leverage or energy from foot to fist.

4: – Defensive Triangles
 There are many hand positions used in our system for defence. Four main ones are Tan Sao, Bong Sao Fook Sao and Pak Sao:

The tan sao forms a triangle from elbow to hand to shoulder; the edge of the triangle is an open palm facing up.
Fook sao position is similar, the arm is held in front of the body on the centre line. The triangle again from shoulder to elbow to hand. However the wrist is bent forming another triangle from wrist to fingers to forearm.
Bong sao is an outward or horizontal triangle. Its purpose to protect from side angle attacks. The arms held out from centre line with arms bent and elbow tip facing to the side.
Pak Sao defensive position formed by placing open palm in the centre of the body at appoint much closer than the movements above.

In wing chun one never meets force on force, instead relaxed energy, appropriate triangular positioning and arm movements are required as quickly as possible.

5: – Destroying Triangles
A wing chun fighter defeats his opponent by slicing punches at angles which penetrate the weakest point. Naturally, the opponent will turn to defend the weakest area of its defence, forcing them to shift the apex of there triangle to meet the incoming force if there assailant. With minor footwork one can plant blows to the sides of the defensive triangle and sheer through the defensive line. Footwork is used to perform this task.

The up and down triangular structure is destroyed when a wing chun fighter forces them to cross the upper and lower triangles. Once the body is crossed the power lie is gone and the opponent is vulnerable for attack. Once the lower triangle is disrupted, hence the opponent is out of stance and off balance then the wing chun fighter should swiftly move in and take them out.

6: – Kicking Triangles
If kicking is to be effective, the kick leg must be bent slightly, only by keeping a bend can a triangle of hip to knee to foot be maintained. Your balance must be over your centre when kicking to maximise your stability and power.

7: – Pyramids and Triangles
The shortest distance between a fighter and his opponent is a straight line, wing chun fighters try to stay in control of this inside line (inside gate), as who ever controls this line controls the fight. This line is the primary power line. What two wing chun fighters try to do is attempt to place their triangle, their pyramid in such a way to seize an advantage and gain a superior position – controlling the inside line.

8: – Triangles in Nature
Nature is full of geometric shapes, triangles, circles, squares and rectangles. Combat technique and strategy is based on nature’s geometry, yet few martial art systems pay as much attention to the triangle, nature’s most solid structure, as does wing chun.

The diamond like edge of the triangle lets wing chun students fight with minimal exertion. It is the triangle that opens the lines of power and provides the advantage that small men need to defeat larger, more heavily muscled men. Ironically it is the hard triangle that makes the wing chun system so soft.