"Chasing Hands" is typically considered to be a cardinal sin in Wing Chun. But what does it mean to "chase hands"? I'm betting that this will differ between lineages like many things in Wing Chun.

I think most would agree that this refers to using wasted motions in some way. Often we think of Wing Chun as a direct tool for maximum impact. So we don't use a lot of flowery motions, just hit! But what if all you want to do is control drunk uncle Bob and not smash him in the face? Is staying on the defensive, not striking into openings when you could have, and controlling someone in a case like this still "chasing hands"?

My feeling is that if you have gone beyond 3 defensive counts/beats/techniques without launching an offensive technique of some kind, then you are "chasing hands." Even with drunk uncle Bob, you should be using an offensive technique that turns and off-balances him or controls him in some way without necessarily hurting him. This is where Kum Na/Chin Na techniques come in. But most people's Wing Chun doesn't have much of this.

How do you guys define "chasing hands"?