Wing Chun’s Chi Sao Exercise

What is wing chun’s chi sao exercise? Chi sao translates literally to “clinging arms”. There are several types of chi sao, but all involve the wing chun stylist constantly trying to keep at least, if not both of his arms constantly touching one or both of his opponent’s arms.

The most basic chi sao is single hand chi sao. The student will train one hand at a time and will start practicing the correct form and the correct reactions to a simple straight punch and a simple palm attack.

Poon Sao or “rolling arms” is the simplest form of double arm chi sao, and some sifus consider it in some respects to be the most important. In Poon Sao the student practices his arm structure and positions, especially the tightness of the defense, as well as working on developing constant forward pressure. The next step is to add very simple attacks and defenses. At this stage the trainee can start developing “sensitivity”. Sensitivity is the ability to sense and defend against incoming attacks and to both defend and attack using the sensation of touch instead of vision. Over 300 years ago the founders of the art learned two things: 1) that in close range combat involving non-telegraphic hand techniques there is no way to defend reliably using vision alone, and 2) that the sense of touch allowed reactions anywhere from 2 to 5 times as fast as vision.

The Poon Sao exercise also starts to teach the student how to control each arm independently, using different halves of the brain.

In the Leung Ting version after  the trainee has trained in Poon Sao and simple attacks and defenses he or she moves on to learning the “first section” of chi sao. The sections are actually similar to the 2 man forms of other styles of Kung Fu. The purpose of the sections is to demonstrate and practice correct form, as well as to  build up the correct reactions to counter both wing chun and non wing chun attacks and to make these reactions instinctual based upon tactile sensations.  Once the student has “learned up” the first section he then starts learning free chi sao. Free chi sao, called Kuo Sao, can be practiced at either slow, medium, fast, or at an explosive pace, and can used to try out and refine moves or as a competitive form of “sparring” wherein the student uses all of the techniques he has learned against his opponent, while he controls his striking power to avoid injury. Some striking power can be even be safely  practiced using limited protective equipment. Subsequent sections of chi sao add more offensive and defensive techniques. Some sections focus on joint locks, double punches, chops, throws, elbow attacks, trapping, and dissolving traps.

There is much debate between various lineages as to what the purpose is of Chi Sao training. One explanation that I like is that chi sao allows the student to learn the practical use of the techniques in a much shorter period of time, while greatly reducing the chance of injury. While chi sao is not fighting it can approximate fighting, and it can also be used as a training method to develop practically any component skill of fighting, i.e. maintaing stick, remaining flexible and borrowing force, defending the center line, rapid switching from one technique to another, simultaneous attack and defense, or specific techniques. Grandmaster Yip Man is claimed to have said that “there is no Wing Chun without Chi Sao”.

There are several variations of chi sao that I prticularly like. After the learner has been training for a couple of years or so, he can return to the single hand version of chi sao, this time using all the techniques he has learned in a more realistic free style way. It is actually very hard to get a hit when doing single hand and there is always a tendency, which should be constantly fought, to use force to get a hit. Also any failure to maintain stick is immediately punished by a hit. I also like free style single hand training emphasizing footwork and movement.

The so called “A and B method” has each partner taking turns either attacking and defending in a free style manner. By simplifying the chi sao exercise so that you only have to worry about attacking or defending it is possible to emphasize sticking, being soft, footwork, or whatever else you want.

Blindfold chi sao not only develops sensitivity, but also trains close sticking. To avoid sloppiness and injury, it is best if only one partner is blindfolded.

The video below demonstrates both cooperative, flowing chi sao, and chi sao sparring pushed to its ultimate limits of speed and aggressiveness.