Chi Sau (i) Fundamentals

June was another month of intense focus on chi sau skills. Everyone attending Wing Chun training regularly was able to work on these skills for up to 10 hours each week. Early in the month I increased the intensity of the class, it was great to see just how much improvement everyone has made over the last few months. The fundamentals are really starting to take shape, building a solid foundation for further training and the challenges to come.

I work-shopped the links between all the aspects of chi sau we have been honing so far and proceeded to dissect each of the most practical and useful entries in chi sau including:

• Honing your ability to execute the entries;
• The most appropriate time to use each entry;
• How you might use each of the actions outside of chi sau;
• The counter to each entry; and
• How to flow when your entry is countered.

Key points for Chi Sau:

• Rolling from lower fook sau to upper fook sau should have the same feel and intention as the punch in Dan chi sau, see the clip in post 2012-5;
• Bong sau to taan sau is the same action as in Siu Nim Tau;
• Constant forward intention “lat sau jik chun” and even pressure throughout the roll;
• Rolling properly makes it harder for your partner to attack you and easier for you to feel holes in their technique;
• Above all else: keep the energy light and “springy”.

It has been fantastic to see so much improvement and enthusiasm at training; keep up the good work. Soon I will transition the training to pressure training. This year pressure training will have new elements that raise the pressure and levels of conditioning to new heights, get ready to sweat and excel!

Chi Sau from Ving Tsun Combat Science on Vimeo.