Blindfolded Chi Sau

[WCgreg]

Recently I saw some students from my school do blindfolded chi sau with the instructor to earn their black belts, i know not everyone agrees with a grading system in wing chun but I just wondered if anyone else had seen something similar at their schools and whether there are merits to this.

I personally think blindfolded chi sau is great in training reflexes without needing your eyes, it was really fantastic to watch too!

[Vajramusti]

Recently I saw some students from my school do blindfolded chi sau with the instructor to earn their black belts, i know not everyone agrees with a grading system in wing chun but I just wondered if anyone else had seen something similar at their schools and whether there are merits to this.

I personally think blindfolded chi sau is great in training reflexes without needing your eyes, it was really fantastic to watch too!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

blindfolded chi sau for earning blackbelts!! Good grief! Quo vadis?

[wingchunIan]

we don't have belts, but we frequently do blindfold chi sau amongst higher level students. Personally I love it, for me it's a great way of training sensitivity by removing sight from the equation.

[ShaolinDan]

Never done blindfolded chi sao, but we will practice chin na blind. It's a neat experience, I have found it surprising how easy it is...the hands can give a lot of information.

[Lee Chiang Po]

It seems the goal of training Wing Chun is to be able to do chi sao. It is nothing more than a drill where two men can practice their hand weapons and such. Doing it blindfolded is not really a test of your fighting skills, so why do it? Way too much emphisis is placed on chi sao. I can see having some way to measure your skills for a belt ranking if you need one, but chi sao should not be a serious requirement for said rankings.
You might be pretty good at playing chi sao in a blindfold, but try wearing it in a fight and you will see why it is a waste of time.

[wingchunIan]

It seems the goal of training Wing Chun is to be able to do chi sao. It is nothing more than a drill where two men can practice their hand weapons and such. Doing it blindfolded is not really a test of your fighting skills, so why do it? Way too much emphisis is placed on chi sao. I can see having some way to measure your skills for a belt ranking if you need one, but chi sao should not be a serious requirement for said rankings.
You might be pretty good at playing chi sao in a blindfold, but try wearing it in a fight and you will see why it is a waste of time.

Hmmm, a bit of a confused post, you begin by declaring chi sau is only a drill but then draw a parallel to fighting. From your post you don't appear to have tried blind fold chi sau. You are correct that chi sau is a training exercise (note not a drill as drilling implies the same thing over and over and no two chi sau sessions are ever the same) and like all exercises as a student progresses the parameters need to be changed and different nuances introduced. Blind fold chi sau is a way of changing the dynamic of the exercise forcing the practitioner to focus on the messages being received from any bridge / lack thereof. Anybody who thinks blindfold chi sau and blind fold fighting are even remotely close to the same thing is clearly raving mad but I don't see anywhere in this thread that that has been suggested. There are many, many ways of training and developing wing chun fighting attributes, some are common across all lineages and others are unique to one or two. IMHO the healthiest approach is to try them and see if they add any value to you rather than simply shooting them down and dismissing them because you don't do it.

[mjw]

I think blindfolded chi sao is good overall but the bad part is people turn their heads while doing it which screws up their structure a little bit.....

[Phil Redmond]

I think blindfolded chi sao is good overall but the bad part is people turn their heads while doing it which screws up their structure a little bit.....

Exactly. Some people even do it during regular chi sao. I guess people are trying to show how cool they are.....lol. I learned not to turn my head from a few Sifus including Sifus Duncan Leung and William Cheung. You should be focused on your training partner and not looking around as if you're da' man....:rolleyes:

[mjw]

Exactly. Some people even do it during regular chi sao. I guess people are trying to show how cool they are.....lol. I learned not to turn my head from a few Sifus including Sifus Duncan Leung and William Cheung. You should be focused on your training partner and not looking around as if you're da' man....:rolleyes:

I think it comes off of people wanting to watch themselves in mirrors and sifus do it while teaching but if you watch they usually don't do this while just practicing but somehow people see it and do it.....

Then there is just something about blind folded chi say that really makes this come out perhaps lack of something to focus on or whatever it may be.....

[Phil Redmond]

I think it comes off of people wanting to watch themselves in mirrors and sifus do it while teaching but if you watch they usually don't do this while just practicing but somehow people see it and do it.....

Then there is just something about blind folded chi say that really makes this come out perhaps lack of something to focus on or whatever it may be.....
True to some extent. But trust me, I've been around the block at least twice and I've seen many people trying to look cool thinking they don't need to look at you to hit you. I personally think it's disrespectful to your partner.

[Yoshiyahu]

I personally love blind fold chi sau...it develops alot of key elements that transition to your fighting...

Chi Sau is akin to lifting weights, shadow boxing and or running.

You dont actually life weights, shadow box or run ten miles in a fight. But you do take the skills gain into a fight with you.

Chi Sau builds skills that you take with you into a fight...Same as hitting a punching bag!

[anerlich]

Not disagreeing with adopting the correct attitudinal aspect, but looking directly at your partner can, according to some, actually hinder your performance.

A direct gaze tends to engage the emotions and promote self-defeating internal dialogue. Peripheral vision is better for pre-conscious reaction.

I find I tend to direct the gaze away from the face, not to show how cool I am, but to concentrate more fully on the connection through the sense of touch.

Blindfolded (or eyes closed, IMO the blindfold is only necessary to add a sense of drama for onlookers) practice is hardly unique to WC, or KF. Wrestlers and BJJ guys do it as well.

[nasmedicine]

Not disagreeing with adopting the correct attitudinal aspect, but looking directly at your partner can, according to some, actually hinder your performance.

A direct gaze tends to engage the emotions and promote self-defeating internal dialogue. Peripheral vision is better for pre-conscious reaction.

I find I tend to direct the gaze away from the face, not to show how cool I am, but to concentrate more fully on the connection through the sense of touch.

Blindfolded (or eyes closed, IMO the blindfold is only necessary to add a sense of drama for onlookers) practice is hardly unique to WC, or KF. Wrestlers and BJJ guys do it as well.


Good post and I agree.

[JPinAZ]

Hmmm, a bit of a confused post, you begin by declaring chi sau is only a drill but then draw a parallel to fighting. From your post you don't appear to have tried blind fold chi sau. You are correct that chi sau is a training exercise (note not a drill as drilling implies the same thing over and over and no two chi sau sessions are ever the same) and like all exercises as a student progresses the parameters need to be changed and different nuances introduced. Blind fold chi sau is a way of changing the dynamic of the exercise forcing the practitioner to focus on the messages being received from any bridge / lack thereof. Anybody who thinks blindfold chi sau and blind fold fighting are even remotely close to the same thing is clearly raving mad but I don't see anywhere in this thread that that has been suggested. There are many, many ways of training and developing wing chun fighting attributes, some are common across all lineages and others are unique to one or two. IMHO the healthiest approach is to try them and see if they add any value to you rather than simply shooting them down and dismissing them because you don't do it.

Quite the opposide - LCP's post was pretty clear, and I agree with him. Too many times, it seems WC's end goal is to be good at chi sau, when it should be about fighting and protecting yourself (since no fight I've been in or seen has ever looked like chi sau).
Doing blind folded chi sau is not really a way to test/determine someone's fighting skills. IMO, if people are going to be testing kung fu ranks/levels, fighting skills are something that should be tested for at every step - especially a 'black belt/sash'. Chi Sau as it's typically done doesn't test for this.

Can blindfolded bridging be fun? sure. Is it something that can represent skill in fighting/defending yourself? probably not, or very little. So I agree with Lee's post and ask, what place does this have in a blacksash test? And, since I stopped formal testing after my first 2 years of training, maybe I'm a bit lost, but I thought a blacksash would determine ones understanding and skills for fights, not if they can play a game (chi sau) blindfolded.

[Phil Redmond]

Not disagreeing with adopting the correct attitudinal aspect, but looking directly at your partner can, according to some, actually hinder your performance.

A direct gaze tends to engage the emotions and promote self-defeating internal dialogue. Peripheral vision is better for pre-conscious reaction.

I find I tend to direct the gaze away from the face, not to show how cool I am, but to concentrate more fully on the connection through the sense of touch.

Blindfolded (or eyes closed, IMO the blindfold is only necessary to add a sense of drama for onlookers) practice is hardly unique to WC, or KF. Wrestlers and BJJ guys do it as well.
I teach to focus on the elbows to train my eyes for strikes to my upper and middle gates.

[Yoshiyahu]

good post on peripheral vision!


I disagree a little whenit comes to your opinion on blindfolded technique...how ever i dont think what you use for sash grading really matters!


I think your level as a martial artist should be graded on fighting!



Not disagreeing with adopting the correct attitudinal aspect, but looking directly at your partner can, according to some, actually hinder your performance.

A direct gaze tends to engage the emotions and promote self-defeating internal dialogue. Peripheral vision is better for pre-conscious reaction.

I find I tend to direct the gaze away from the face, not to show how cool I am, but to concentrate more fully on the connection through the sense of touch.

Blindfolded (or eyes closed, IMO the blindfold is only necessary to add a sense of drama for onlookers) practice is hardly unique to WC, or KF. Wrestlers and BJJ guys do it as well.

[anerlich]

I disagree a little whenit comes to your opinion on blindfolded technique

I don't think I said anything about blindfolded technique. I said the blindfold wasn't necessary ... just close your eyes.

[wingchunIan]

Quite the opposide - LCP's post was pretty clear, and I agree with him. Too many times, it seems WC's end goal is to be good at chi sau, when it should be about fighting and protecting yourself (since no fight I've been in or seen has ever looked like chi sau).
Doing blind folded chi sau is not really a way to test/determine someone's fighting skills. IMO, if people are going to be testing kung fu ranks/levels, fighting skills are something that should be tested for at every step - especially a 'black belt/sash'. Chi Sau as it's typically done doesn't test for this.

Can blindfolded bridging be fun? sure. Is it something that can represent skill in fighting/defending yourself? probably not, or very little. So I agree with Lee's post and ask, what place does this have in a blacksash test? And, since I stopped formal testing after my first 2 years of training, maybe I'm a bit lost, but I thought a blacksash would determine ones understanding and skills for fights, not if they can play a game (chi sau) blindfolded.

Clearly we interpreted the post differently. I would say that if the idea of the test (whatever pretty coloured belt / sash or blue peter badge it was for) was to test someone's overall wing chun skill then there is no harm in it being part of the test as chi sau is an important part of training, however I would also argue that the test should equally involve the forms, drills, application (in whatever guise) etc. However IMO the post didn't address this issue it merely made a poorly articulated attempt to dismiss blindfold chi sau.

[Lee Chiang Po]

Clearly we interpreted the post differently. I would say that if the idea of the test (whatever pretty coloured belt / sash or blue peter badge it was for) was to test someone's overall wing chun skill then there is no harm in it being part of the test as chi sau is an important part of training, however I would also argue that the test should equally involve the forms, drills, application (in whatever guise) etc. However IMO the post didn't address this issue it merely made a poorly articulated attempt to dismiss blindfold chi sau.

The reason it was poorly articulated is simple. I am not an articulate man. Let me see if I can be a bit clearer in my verbage.
Wing Chun is a fighting system. However, Chi Sao has become the goal in some circles. It is a drill where 2 Wing Chun trainees will practice hand technique in a way that they can feel pressure and learn how much pressure to apply. It seems that it has progressed into a game where the two participants try to OUT chi sao one another. Trying to strike the other guy if you will. But, that is not the purpose of Chi Sao at all. It is for what the name implies. In just about any get together where people talk about full contact Wing chun they are actually talking about full contact chi sao.
In this, todays world, unless you hang out in front of Wing Chun Kwoons, you are not likely to come up on a Wing Chun fighter. Who ever you come up on is going to fight you in a more conventional way on average, and sometimes you will see someone try to use some other system of fighting, but not likely to see anyone with any real skill. You will not Chi Sao with such an individual. He will simply swing at your head while you are trying to cross arms with him. Put a blind fold on and he will kill you. It is just that simple.
Wearing a blind fold to do chi sao for a belt ranking is so silly that it really doesn't rate response. It only goes to reinforce what I have been saying about chi sao being the end goal of training Wing Chun. It someone chooses to require blind folded Chi Sao in order to advance in belt ranking, I guess you had best put the thing on and get to it. You could stand on your head and stack BB's too, for all it will do for your fighting skills.

[nasmedicine]

It seems the goal of training Wing Chun is to be able to do chi sao. It is nothing more than a drill where two men can practice their hand weapons and such. Doing it blindfolded is not really a test of your fighting skills, so why do it? Way too much emphisis is placed on chi sao. I can see having some way to measure your skills for a belt ranking if you need one, but chi sao should not be a serious requirement for said rankings.
You might be pretty good at playing chi sao in a blindfold, but try wearing it in a fight and you will see why it is a waste of time.

you took the words right out of my mouth.

[bennyvt]

Blind fold is more about testing if you are after the person or the hands. If you attack the center of the person without seeing and not be faked by the hands you are going pretty good. I also got into a fight where the guy threw a drink in my face and hit me. I from training went straight at his center with a mass of punches before I could even see so it could be applicable in a fight

[wingchunIan]

This discussion seems to have deviated from the pros / cons of blindfold chi sau into a more general discussion around chi sau. Several posters seem to have a real hang up over chi sau which is mystifying to me. I agree that some schools have lost touch with reality and have made chi sau their only goal and that there are also many schools out there that teach very poor versions of chi sau. However chi sau is IMO a very important part of the Wing Chun training platform and if trained correctly improves a practitioners ability to fight. Training with a blindfold simply alters the equation and changes the experience, in the same way as training with a constrained repetoire of techniques, only using one hand, training on a wobble board etc Saying that using a blindfold (or simply closing the eyes) has no place because you wouldn't wear one in the street when fighting is like saying you shouldn't hit pads because you won't be attacked by someone wearing focus mitts, or you shouldn't punch bags because you won't be attacked by a 6ft leather bag full of sand and rags, never mind training on a wooden dummy etc IMO Chi sau (and blindfold chi sau as a subset), have an important part to play alongside all of the other training methods. If it's all you do then you are IMO missing out, but I would also say that the reverse is true.

[mjw]

good post on peripheral vision!


I disagree a little whenit comes to your opinion on blindfolded technique...how ever i dont think what you use for sash grading really matters!


I think your level as a martial artist should be graded on fighting!

I agree you should be graded at the end of the day on your fighting you can do all the pretty drills in the world but what do they matter if you can't fight.

Yes they help you fight and are part of the system don't get me wrong but a martial art is a fighting art so you should be able to fight plain and simple IMO especially to be a so called black belt/sash etc.

[Lee Chiang Po]

Chi Sao is a very important part of Wing Chun training. But so is footwork training and a whole boat load of other stuff. It is just simply part of the training process. I did lots of it for the first couple of years, but then I just quit. My dad told me that I needed to get away from it because I had begun to play with it like people do today. He told me that if I let it happen, it would become my Wing Chun. It is a game people play today. It can only be done between two Wing Chun people so it is a game you can not play elsewhere. I believe that the wooden man is far more important once you have developed your skills to the point of working the jong. It is difficult to actually spar full out with someone you like. Wing Chun is not something you can do just a little bit. It is something that has to be done full out or it will not work unless you are playing with some skill deficient kid.
What with some of my career choices over the years I have had to be able to fight. I have not always fared that well and have had my face rearranged a few times. However, when I did have to fight, I always hurt someone. Sometimes very badly. And had I not done so, I don't think I would have prevailed. Fighting is brutal, and you have to go full out if you want it to work for you. That is why we use a wooden man. He feels no pain.

[Yoshiyahu]

I agree you should be graded at the end of the day on your fighting you can do all the pretty drills in the world but what do they matter if you can't fight.

Yes they help you fight and are part of the system don't get me wrong but a martial art is a fighting art so you should be able to fight plain and simple IMO especially to be a so called black belt/sash etc.

I dont believe in belts or sashes...i believe in Ranking


People should be ranked by what they accomplish.

A person with the entire system and knows to knowledge and philosphy but cant fight his way out of paper bag should be ranked as a = teacher

A person who has the knowledge and philosphy but can defeat an opponent one on one 80% of the time should be ranked as a = fighter

A person who looks good at doing forms and is great at doing drills and also has the skill of a teacher should be ranked as a = kung fu man

A person who has the skills of a fighter in addition to being able defeat multiple opponents 80% of the time should be classified as a = Top Fighter


An finally any one who has ranking of a kung fu man but is also a top fighter should be called a = Master and when he gets too old to fight anymore he should be called a = grand master...

My opinion purely...

[Yoshiyahu]

Blind fold is more about testing if you are after the person or the hands. If you attack the center of the person without seeing and not be faked by the hands you are going pretty good. I also got into a fight where the guy threw a drink in my face and hit me. I from training went straight at his center with a mass of punches before I could even see so it could be applicable in a fight

Benny Excellent testimony! wow so true...Yes when you cant see all distractions are nullified...You can't fake, feint or flinch a blind fighter. lol...



This discussion seems to have deviated from the pros / cons of blindfold chi sau into a more general discussion around chi sau. Several posters seem to have a real hang up over chi sau which is mystifying to me. I agree that some schools have lost touch with reality and have made chi sau their only goal and that there are also many schools out there that teach very poor versions of chi sau. However chi sau is IMO a very important part of the Wing Chun training platform and if trained correctly improves a practitioners ability to fight. Training with a blindfold simply alters the equation and changes the experience, in the same way as training with a constrained repetoire of techniques, only using one hand, training on a wobble board etc Saying that using a blindfold (or simply closing the eyes) has no place because you wouldn't wear one in the street when fighting is like saying you shouldn't hit pads because you won't be attacked by someone wearing focus mitts, or you shouldn't punch bags because you won't be attacked by a 6ft leather bag full of sand and rags, never mind training on a wooden dummy etc IMO Chi sau (and blindfold chi sau as a subset), have an important part to play alongside all of the other training methods. If it's all you do then you are IMO missing out, but I would also say that the reverse is true.



thanks for that so true!!!

[mjw]

I dont believe in belts or sashes...i believe in Ranking


People should be ranked by what they accomplish.

A person with the entire system and knows to knowledge and philosphy but cant fight his way out of paper bag should be ranked as a = teacher

A person who has the knowledge and philosphy but can defeat an opponent one on one 80% of the time should be ranked as a = fighter

A person who looks good at doing forms and is great at doing drills and also has the skill of a teacher should be ranked as a = kung fu man

A person who has the skills of a fighter in addition to being able defeat multiple opponents 80% of the time should be classified as a = Top Fighter


An finally any one who has ranking of a kung fu man but is also a top fighter should be called a = Master and when he gets too old to fight anymore he should be called a = grand master...

My opinion purely...

Don't have belts etc & I personally don't care for them if people want to use them thats their choice

[wingchunner]

Chi sao is very important. For a wing chun person to say it isn't important is ridiculous. Without chi sao, we just have some hand drills and forms that wouldn't make sense (without chi sao).

Most people just classify chi sao as double sticking hands. For us wing chun practitioners, everytime we touch hands with a classmate should be chi sao, even if the drill is called something other than "chi sao".

Practicing chi sao blindfolded is also critical, it helps eliminate visual stimuli and forces the practitioner to focus on the connection with the partner. The practitioner can understand what their partner's body is doing through the touch. Being blindfolded eliminates the opportunity to open the eyes to compensate for the lack of awareness through the touch.

However, I believe that it needs to be balanced with open-eyed chi sao so the practitioner can still visually focus on the opponent's centerline.

The more one practices chi sao correctly, the more the person should be able to control themselves and the other person because through chi sao they gain a much better understanding of their body and their opponent's body. Thus, the practitioner should be able to control their self and opponent more and more with practice. Practicing with opponents of various sizes, shapes, age, and experience allows the practitioner to become better equiped to handle real life situations.

Chi sao isn't sparring, but to do sparring without utilizing chi sao, for the wing chun practitioner is ridiculous. Why train in something you don't utilize?

If people believe chi sao is the ultimate goal, I believe people are seriously missing the mark. There is much more to wing chun, then chi sao.

Marty

[Grumblegeezer]

Chi sao is very important. For a wing chun person to say it isn't important is ridiculous...

Practicing chi sao blindfolded is also critical, it helps eliminate visual stimuli and forces the practitioner to focus on the connection with the partner. The practitioner can understand what their partner's body is doing through the touch...

If people believe chi sao is the ultimate goal, I believe people are seriously missing the mark. There is much more to wing chun, then chi sao. --Marty

I have to agree. My old sifu used to identify four key areas of training. Forms, drills, chi-sau, and free sparring. Most styles only have the other three. Chi-sau is what makes our training different.

As for "blindfolded" chi-sau, or practicing with your eyes shut, I agree with Marty that it can be very useful in helping break a student's dependence upon visual stimuli and focusing on using tactile cues to "read" your opponent. Once this dependence on visual input is broken, blind chi-sau suddenly becomes very easy... and unecessary. In fact it can become a bad habit. Students may unconsciously start shutting their eyes in light training. In truth it is best to spend the majority of your time training with your all your senses engaged!

[Robinhood]

Like anything else, if done right it can't hurt. I think there are people doing chi-sau all kinds of different ways, most are wrong anyway, so adding blind fold might help or make them even worse, hard to say.

Practicing something wrong just makes you better at doing it wrong.

[Grumblegeezer]

Like anything else, if done right it can't hurt. I think there are people doing chi-sau all kinds of different ways, most are wrong anyway, so adding blind fold might help or make them even worse, hard to say.

Practicing something wrong just makes you better at doing it wrong.

It's true that practicing bad habits just reinforces bad habits, but I hate it when I hear stuff like saying "most (people) are wrong anyway". Not to say that you don't have a point. It's just that we WC guys are generally disliked for our arrogance... and making such statements does sound arrogant. Most people here probably view everyone else, from other branches or lineages as wrong. That makes us seem pretty petty.

Instead of using words like "right" and "wrong" maybe we could use more objective terms like "more effective" and "less effective" at achieving a particular result. And when possible, back it up with a good, logical argument, a videoclip, or even cite some good experiential "testing" in sparring. Just a thought.

[Robinhood]

It's true that practicing bad habits just reinforces bad habits, but I hate it when I hear stuff like saying "most (people) are wrong anyway". Not to say that you don't have a point. It's just that we WC guys are generally disliked for our arrogance... and making such statements does sound arrogant. Most people here probably view everyone else, from other branches or lineages as wrong. That makes us seem pretty petty.

Instead of using words like "right" and "wrong" maybe we could use more objective terms like "more effective" and "less effective" at achieving a particular result. And when possible, back it up with a good, logical argument, a videoclip, or even cite some good experiential "testing" in sparring. Just a thought.

Yes, experience will let you know what people are doing wrong, this gives you a comparison of different training methods.

It would be nice if video was all it takes, but that will not help with this kind of training.

People need to seek out and find others and see and try.

[Lee Chiang Po]

I have to agree. My old sifu used to identify four key areas of training. Forms, drills, chi-sau, and free sparring. Most styles only have the other three. Chi-sau is what makes our training different.

As for "blindfolded" chi-sau, or practicing with your eyes shut, I agree with Marty that it can be very useful in helping break a student's dependence upon visual stimuli and focusing on using tactile cues to "read" your opponent. Once this dependence on visual input is broken, blind chi-sau suddenly becomes very easy... and unecessary. In fact it can become a bad habit. Students may unconsciously start shutting their eyes in light training. In truth it is best to spend the majority of your time training with your all your senses engaged!

Chi Sao is important indeed, but it is only a hand drill as I said. Doing it blindfolded or with the eyes closed will only give you the ability to read another Wing Chun trained person if you are doing Chi Sao. The point I am trying to make here is that this is the only benefit you get from it. If you plan to never get into a fight, and to only ever do chi sao with your friends, then by all means do it blind folded. For all your effort this is all you benefit from it. Step outside the kwoon and get into a fight with a street person that has no idea what Wing Chun chi sao is and you will need to keep both eyes open because he will not let you cross arms with him. I don't know why this is do difficult to understand. I quite playing patty cake a long time ago. There are 3 or 4 million people in the area where I live, and I have no idea how many Wing Chun trained people are in that bunch. I have not ever met another one aside from me, my son, and his 2 children. I could probably go out and ask everyone I meet if they know about wing chun and never find one that did. I can still apply all my hand techniques without the aid of Chi Sao, and against someone that has no idea what Wing Chun is, I can usually make it work very efficiently.

[Yoshiyahu]

Chi Sau is a exercise or drill that develops a skill

You have many exercises that develop skills.

1.Throwing a 1000 Punches a day (Develops stamina in striking).
2.Running top speed and jogging when fatigued develops anerobic stamina
3.Kettle bells, weight training, calenstetics develops Lik or usable strength
4.Strecthing and yoga develops flexibility and agility
5.Hand Eye cooridation games develops just that, hand and eye cooridation
6.Punching a wall bag, kicking a heavy bag or wooden post develops power
7.Wooden dummy develops jing


So Chi sau develops sensitivity...blindfold chi sau heightens your sensitivity...also it allows you to adapt...

You can or can not train blind fold chi sau...but think of blindfold chi sau as developing not only feelers but a second sight...

suppose your fighting at night or in a dark club. Can you really see everything?

Have you ever sparred with people at night. I have. Its definitely a different dimension. suppose someone throws dirt or a drink in your face an they start striking you. Why not bridge and follow and stick while attacking? How will you ever be able to do that if you never do chi sau blindfolded and never spar blindfolded?

Also what if your maced? the pain alone will debilitate you...but if your being attacked are you gonna just stand there an take the hits or try an put up a struggle?


Those who develop skills ahead of time are prepared for every situtation...


I personally think people should spar in different conditions. As well as practicing chi sau in different conditions!


The way i was taught you did chi sau and you light sparred in the various situtation!


1.Sitting down

2.Blindfolded

3.Stationary and while moving

4.One handed

5.Hand cuffed or hands tied infront of you

6. Multiple people. 1st Two then Three then Four.

7.At night and in the dark

8.With your back against the wall

9.In tight places like bathroom, small kitchen, or with in small circle...

10. On elevations such as; Tables, Benches, Balance Beams etc.

this is how i came up training how about you?

[wingchunIan]

Doing it blindfolded or with the eyes closed will only give you the ability to read another Wing Chun trained person if you are doing Chi Sao. The point I am trying to make here is that this is the only benefit you get from it. .
If you train chi sau correctly then actually you are feeling lines and directions of force and movement, not techniques. If all you ever got from your chi sau was how to react to wing chun moves then its probably a good job that you stopped doing it.

[Yoshiyahu]

If you train chi sau correctly then actually you are feeling lines and directions of force and movement, not techniques. If all you ever got from your chi sau was how to react to wing chun moves then its probably a good job that you stopped doing it.

agreed! good post lol