Chi Sau - Sticking hands

Chi Sau, or sticking hands, is a training method that is only found in the Wing Chun system, there are some similar practices in other styles (such as Tai Chi's push hands) but they all tend to lack the depth of chi sau. The aim of chi sau is to stay in contact with your opponents arms and use positioning and sensitivity to breach their defences whilst keeping yourself protected.

Chi sau is developed over a series of progressive stages in the student and will take many years, if not a lifetime to understand and master in its entirety. One way of explaining the concept of chi sau would be to liken it to a young baby picking up a new toy. The child does not see the toy as a toy but as an object. This object may have different colours and different shapes and also be made of different materials with different feelings to them, the child may want to know what the toy smells like and whether it tastes nice. So what does this have to do with Wing Chun and chi sau in particular? Well, just as the child explores the toy, this is how you should explore your opponent in chi sau. If I change my angle will my opponent do likewise? If I go forward what will their reaction be? If they come forward what will mine be?

So chi sau is a game of questions and the more questions you answer the better your chi sau will be and therefore the better your Wing Chun will be.

The best way of getting the most answers to your questions is to chi sau with as many different people as possible, because there is usually more than one answer to a question.

To summarize, chi sau is a game and as in all games, you should explore all of the angles to make the game as playable and enjoyable as possible. Playing with chi sau combines all of the concepts and techniques of the forms with your experiences, and enables you to put them into action in a controlled manner - training and helping your kung fu brothers and sisters rather than merely trying to beat them, therefore learning little of any real substance.