chi sao

[ChocolateDoggy]

ok well at my wing chun school sparring is one of the last things we learn, after we get good at all the other basic stuff. so i thought i probably won't be able to defend myself well until at least 2-3 years or so later, but we do a lot of chi sao.. i'm just wondering, can you be a good fighter by doing chi sao?? is chi sao anything like a real fight, and do you actually hit the other person in chi sao? please respond!!! thanks.

[BeiKongHui]

Chi Sao can make you a better figher, that's for sure, but can you Chi Sao in a fight? I think Yip Chun said something to the extent of "If you Chi Sao in a fight, you will get beaten"

Chi Sao can certainly look like fighting but it isn't. It should be a cooperative drill as opposed to a competition. It's a tool to learn with and if you are worried about "beating" the other person you'll really limit your training.

Also I would say it depends on what you are working on in Chi Sao. If two sihings are going all out then, yes, they will really hit each other but other times you maybe training something different and only lightly tap each other. Hard to say really, because like much in WCK it "depends".

[old jong]

Chi sau is intended to be the bridge to fighting.It is the drill that can teach you how and when to apply your wing chun motions and how to defend yourself.
You can learn a lot about sticking, timings,lines of attacks and defenses,use of body structure and body unity,relaxation,proper power and many other things known only by the subconcious mind maybe by seriously practicing chi sau.
All of these things are real tools for fighting and defending yourself.Or....You could start to jump around and do bad kick- boxing ;)
Oh!...And as I said a few times,"When you fight,use the results of your training,not the drill!" ;)