Re: My thoughts on chi sao
Originally posted by travelsbyknight
To me, chi sao should be about control. You control the other person's limbs so that you have 100% chance of striking. This involves a trap. This means...NO RANDOM PANSY SHOTS WITHOUT A STRIKE unless the other person's trap isn't sufficient enough to keep your arms from striking.
Wing Chun doesn't try to control the other, but it appears that way. It's about self-control, but is all offensive, breaking the opponent down and striking when he's helpless.
Chi sao to the extent it leads to best practice for defense and offense, develops this. Obviously, chi cao takes a lot of practice in which partners give and take. I agree it isn't necessarily about who hits who. In fact, if the opening is there and one knows it, it isn't necessary to hit your partner; it's fine to just continue practicing by letting the moment pass and resetting your relative positions.
In the end, we benefit by advancing our partners' skills as training with skilled partners improves our own skills. So be generous. One should beware of taking advantage of one's own superiority in fighting skill as the beginner soon learns, some better than others, and ultimately the lack of discipline/compassion within a school will come back to haunt one.
Regards,
Uber Field Marshall Grendel
Mm Yan Chi Dai---The Cantonese expression Mm Yan Chi Dai, translates to "Misleading other people's children." The idiom is a reference to those teachers who claim an expertise in an art that they do not have and waste the time and treasure of others.
Wing Chun---weaponized Chi (c)