chi sao....

[wongfeilung809]

what signifigance if any, do you think chi sao has? if you dont practice it as much do you think you cant be a good wing chun fighter? im looking for diffrent views on this one...
simpleangles

[Sihing73]

Hello,

Chi Sau is the "sensitivity" drill utilized in Wing Chun. It is a means of learning how to deal with the variations of energy which an opponent will give to you. Proper practice will enable you to react more quickly to the enrgy an opponent gives during a confrontation.

Basically the whole idea it allow you to react by touch without having to think about what you are doing. However, for Chi Sau to work you must be in contact with your opponent it won't work based on what you see, or think you see ;) you must "FEEL" the energy in order to react to it.

Chi Sau is usually divided into Dan Chi Sau, or single sticky hands and Seong Chi Sau, double sticky hands. In addition most people of the Yip Man lineage utilize the Poon Sau platform which is the rolling seen being used by people in practice. In the beginnning it is practiced in a stationary stance however as one progresses moving footwork is added.

As to whether Chi Sau equals a good fighter that varies depending on who you talk to. IMHO, the skills and attribute you gain from CHi Sau can carry over and allow you to be a more proficient fighter. BUT!!! Chi Sau is not the same thing as fighting. There are many other qualities which one must develope in order to be a good fighter. Chi Sau skills/sensitivity are but one piece of the pie :) SO, IMHO being good at Chi Sau does not mean one is a good fighter. There are a lot of other things which will help you to be a good fighter as well. Consider the Pak Da drills for example. Great for speed and coordination etc.

Anyhow this is just one view I am sure there are others :p

Peace,

Dave

[wongfeilung809]

thanks for your view, dave

simpleangles

[benny]

i agree, i think that chi sao is an important part
of vingtsun but i think to many people use it to fight with. chi sao is practicing the bit in a fight when both or one of your hands is either blocked or touching the opponent. if you do it properly then unless your opponent is well trained really all you should need in most fights is your basic(but complicated) tan,fuk,punch.
too many people think you just walk up and touch arms then fight. much better simply to punch first or fuk/punch on response.

[whippinghand]

First of all, there's no such thing as a Wing Chun fighter. A fighter is a fighter, and if you classify yourself as a Wing Chun fighter, then you are neither a good fighter, nor a good Wing Chun artist.

Chi sau plays a very, very, very large part in your understanding of Wing Chun. If chi sau is not the most important part, and the majority, of your training, then your Wing Chun, will never be as good as it could be. You might be a great fighter, but your wing chun will lack.

[Sihing73]

Whipping Hand,

I find it interesting that you state there is no such thing as a "Wing Chun" fighter. Don't you think that those who practice different styles will fight differently? If this is true then would'nt it be fair to make reference to their methods? For example one who boxes is a boxer, someone who does Praying Mantis would fight utilizing that system. With this type of definition then why can't one be a "Wing Chun" fighter? I do agree that the style is of less importance then the person. A lot more than style will determine ones fighting ability; heart, conditioning, mental prepartion etc :p

As to Chi Sau needing to be the "majority" of your training; all I will say is remember "balance". If you want to bake a great cake you need all of the proper ingredients and they need to be in the right amounts. Too much of one thing will ruin the end result. I think Wing Chun is a lot like that :) too much of anything will ruin the end product.

BTW if I were to suggest anything needing more practice I would concentrate on my stance and footwork. I think you may find that if you are great at Chi Sau but your stance is weak you will have problems with others more developed in this area. But, if you have the whole thing then you can have fun with them ;)

Peace,

Dave

[whippinghand]

Sihing,

The different paths lead to the same pot of gold.

The main ingredient in cake is flour. If you don't have flour, you don't have a cake. Exception: cheesecake, if you don't have cream cheese, you don't have a cheesecake.

[Sihing73]

Whipping Hand,

I would agree with you that different paths can lead to the same pot of Gold. However, I did not get the impression from your oringal post that you felt the same way. I must have misunderstood your statement:
["If chi sau is not the most important part, and the majority, of your training, then your Wing Chun, will never be as good as it could be. You might be a great fighter, but your wing chun will lack"]

From this I took it that you felt without Chi Sau being the most significant portion your Wing Chun would not be as good as it could be.

I am not really trying to argue as differing views are valid. I am drawing on a few years of experieince. I recently worked out with another Wing Chun Sifu and he stated that my hands were as good as his or perhaps even better. However, he was able to dominate me with his superior footwork. This is why I feel it is dangerous to concentrate too much on one aspect.

BTW: I like the flour analogy :)

Peace,

Dave