Sticking Hands - The Heart and Soul of Wing Chun

webmaster · #1 (**permalink**) November 1st, 2005, 08:39 AM

There's a new flexinode-1 entry added:

Sticking Hands—The Heart and Soul of Wing Chun

“	<div class="flexinode-body flexinode-1"> Author: Robert Chu <div class="flexinode-textarea-5"><div class="form-item"> Article: [IMG]images/articles/0602/MAL1200bong4.jpeg[/IMG] "When you have full control over your opponent, you make his hands your own. You can strike at will, alternating soft and hard, fast and slow." Many refer to chi sao as "sticky hands". I always think it is a poor translation and refer to it as "sticking hands" or "sticking bridges". Chi sao is the main training in wing chun. Despite claims of unique lineages and secret branches in wing chun, sticking hands training will help you learn all the variations of the art. Ultimately, it is not wing chun which is important, but rather the application of its methods. It is the laboratory in which one can experiment or the clinic in which one practices. In classical wing chun, there are several methods which you would progress through to develop proficiency in the art. The idea was that chi sao would bridge the gap for the beginner to the advanced levels. The levels of progression in classical wing chun first include the dan chi sao exercises. From here the student moves on to luk sao (methods of rolling hands). Variations of the luk sao method are combined with the tui ma (pushing horse) drill to practice the proper body structure and stepping methods. A student should be introduced in the luk sao platform methods of jou sao (running hands) and jip sao (capturing hands). In the jou sao drill, a student practices the changing from four gate methods into one another. Usually pitted against a senior student, the beginning chi sao student learns to run away from pressure. This differs from the practice of the four luk sao positions in that each position is practiced interchangeably and smoothly. The practitioner learns to feel at home at any position and move smoothly from one position to another based on the partner's pressure. Jip sao are methods of capturing and detaining an opponent's attacks. At this level, we learn how to receive an opponent's incoming force. Another training drill in beginning phases of double-sticking hands is to mix luk sao with dan chi sao exercise. In this drill, one rolls hands and feels for an opening. When the opening is felt, the person in the tan sao position will attempt a palm strike. From here the sequence of single sticking hands occurs, this time with both arms in contact. We finally come to the next drill which emphasizes simple gor sao (bridge crossing) methods with single arm attacks such as jing jeung, chung chuie and huen sao. In Chinese we have a saying, "If there is a bridge, cross it; if there is no bridge, build one." All the previous training was learning to build a bridge. In simple gor sao practice, we drill simple single-arm attacks. This is not to say there is no emphasis on body structure. We must still strive to maintain body structure behind our blows. In wing chun, the hands are like nails and our body is the hammer. We must drive in the nails with the hammer. When a student becomes proficient in simple gor sao methods, he can move on to gor sao methods with double-hand complex attacks. These are the bread-and-butter tools of wing chun and emphasize one hand as an asking hand, and the other as a guard hand. They give wing chun the characteristic nature of lien siu dai da "linking defense and bringing in offense". I typically teach only a handful of these tools and allow a student to find the variations on his own. These are best trained with connection to the body and stepping. Many schools teach this form of gor sao while standing stationary. By the time a student learns tui ma, he should already be emphasizing the steps and coordinating the hands. We will go into detail here on some of the complex gor sao methods. I will start out in the basic inside/outside pattern of luk sao and discuss the basic changes from this starting point. Tan Da - While rolling hands, I sense my opponent's incoming force on my right hand. I immediately nullify it by using tan sao and simultaneously striking him with my left arm. Pak Da - When the opponent drops his fuk sao, I immediately feel an opening and assist his dropping with pak sao, while simultaneously striking him with my right hand. Lop Da - While rolling, the opponent tries to throw a straight punch to my chest. I nullify it with bong sao, then immediately flow into lop sao and throw him off balance while simultaneously striking him with my other hand. Por Jung Da - I feel pressure from my opponent's tan sao, so I add to it by pressing slightly with my fuk sao. Continuing the motion, my right hand changes into a por jung sao (center cleaving hand) and I strike him with my left hand. Bong Sao - Many people do not believe bong sao can also be an offensive tool. When I feel the beginning of my opponent's punch, I immediately jam his incoming pressure and using body structure, immediately throw him back. Kwun Sao - My opponent attempts a lop da on me and I immediately smother his attack with a kwun sao. Gaun Da - My opponent tries to initiate a pak sao to my left elbow and going with the flow, I switch to gaun da. Huen Da - My opponent again tries to execute pak sao on me, this time to my forearm. Going with the flow, I meld into huen da and strike him. Fuk Da - Feeling a lack of pressure on his fuk sao, I immediately give him some pressure and run to his outside gate and enter with fuk da. Biu Sao - My opponent tries to trap my hands by crossing them. By positioning slightly, I wedge my biu sao from underneath and strike his neck. Jou Da - My opponent's pressure is too much for me and I simply run my hand to strike him. Much of the material is simply a breakdown from the forms of wing chun. Chi sao is a platform for the practice of these drills learned singularly, then connecting and flowing with them. In training, we can add many variations. We can progress to using gor sao by utilizing shifting and small evasion methods with the body. It is also important to emphasize gor sao with more active moving steps for large evasion tactics and stealing the gates from the outside positions. We must also train in methods of recovering the centerline when being on the receiving. I also make my students train while trapped against a wall, so they get familiar with practicing in a tight space. Conversely, we must also train methods of chi sao that trap and follow up, which gives our opponent no chance to escape. After a while, we may even begin to dispense with methods of rolling, and from a distance, begin our chi sao practice. This is known as "long bridge methods of chi sao", called "cheung kiu chi sao" in Cantonese. Advanced practitioners go through a period of training with a blindfold. This level of training blindfolded chi sao, emphasizes more tactile and contact sensitivity. The final phase of gor sao practice is mixing methods of both sticking hands and sticking legs in a free form way without having to engage in luk sao. The most important aspect is to control your opponent's bridges and set him up for the next shot. Good wing chun is like playing good billiards; you must always look for the next shot. For my students, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of the posture and structure. Through sticking hands training one develops the ability to change and make variations to techniques and adapt to the circumstances. In chi sao we concentrate on attacking and breaking our opponent's center of gravity. When you find your opponent's center of gravity, you unleash a full assault. This is what your sticking skills teach you. I also make sure I do not push my opponent away, because it will force me to bridge the gap again to stick with and strike him. I always maintain a close distance between my opponent and me. The correct distance for using wing chun is keeping the opponent within the cubital crease of your extended arm. When you see certain "grandmasters" demonstrate wing chun applications from an arm's length or more, they risk losing the timing involved in the application. Distance plays an important role in wing chun. You must be close enough to prevent the opponent from escaping. Each blow sets up the next until the opponent's reaction time is so lengthened he cannot adequately defend himself. This more than makes up for the apparent "lack of" hand speed. It is still more than fast enough to do the job and the added benefit is that you only need one or two strikes. A flurry of "hand-only" chain punches is weak in comparison to power. In this way, the body is faster than the hand. I teach my students the use of the whole body from day one. It is just that many people work only on the arms first. If I show them chain punching, as in the first form's closing, I make it very deliberate and slow so I can reinforce linkage. Later, as coordination gets better, they can link and unlink as they see fit. Wing chun has four basic variations that involve the body and hands. They include: hand-hand, hand-body, body-hand, and body-body methods. All have their place in combat and chi sao. Hand-hand is when a practitioner links one movement powered by local muscles, followed by another movement powered by local muscles. The advantage here is speed and the purpose is to set up the opponent. Hand-body is when the hands lead the body. In essence, this is when one initiates the attacking movement with the localized muscle, which finally links the body with the limb for additional power. Hand to body is one way to transition over from the hands alone. This powers your movements with the body. Body-hand is when you have to change or set up the opponent. Perhaps there is a struggle between you and your opponent and you need to break free. From here, you initiate a de-linkage with your body to maneuver quickly to a faster position. Body-body is when you consistently move from movement to movement with full body linkage. This is the most powerful approach and is the most difficult to do. It also has the danger of trapping or jamming oneself if one cannot maintain the proper distance. Many get frustrated because they think they lack sensitivity. I often say, "You don't develop sensitivity. You're already born with it. You learn to recognize opportunity and be sensitive to that!" I break down wing chun into three components: tools, timing and positioning, and experience. Experience helps you recognize other avenues. Chi sao is the part of the art where one's study never ends. You will always be perfecting your chi sao to improve your skills. It seems that many practitioners of wing chun don't have the right idea when they play chi sao. Chi sao is a living laboratory for the techniques found in the forms, and it gives a fixed environment in which to freely apply the movements contained in siu nim tao, chum kiu and biu jee. The wing chun system does not have a fixed form of application nor does it contain any of the elaborate formal two-man sets found in other systems of martial arts. Wing chun is a reform of the Fujian Shaolin systems that relied on many forms and two-man sets to teach their practicality. It preferred to get to the point by introducing one to energy development and to develop one's own techniques through constant practice. Because the system gives practitioners a sense of freedom while practicing in chi sao, they follow only certain criteria when engaged in chi sao practice. Chi sao is not an all-out, anything-goes type match, nor should it be considered a form of competition. Chi sao practice is the training for sensing and feeling an opponent's attack through the touching of the bridge-arms. Because the sense of touch is brought into play, we can react faster than if we relied solely upon our vision. Open the Door Chi sao allows one to feel openings in what we define as the gates. An analogy is that of a door. To strike my opponent, I must pass through the door or gate of his defensive bridges. If a door is open, I can walk through it; if it is closed, then I must wait until it is open to walk through it. I can also knock on the door and hope that someone opens it. If I have lost the keys, perhaps I will have to remove the hinges to get inside. Similarly, if a door is spring loaded to close, I must hold the door open to enter. If the door is a revolving door, one must wait for the correct time and get into position to enter it. Wing chun practitioners can even knock the door down, depending upon the circumstances. Three Levels There are levels of chi sao practice. Beginners often engage in using force against force and will do techniques of a singular sort. Intermediate-level students tend to use more combinations, begin to utilize strategy and discover more body power. Advanced-level practitioners utilize their power with correct timing and proper positioning and exhibit confidence. Having confidence to face an opponent can be one of the most important attributes developed through chi sao practice. There should not be a contention of forces while practicing chi sao. Asking Hands Those who degrade chi sao into a practice of force against force are not practicing chi sao, but some terrible form of sumo wrestling. Training in chi sao develops reaction of the sense of touch, with the bridge-arms used as feelers or antennae of an insect. There are no feints because of the close-range nature of which wing chun practitioners are familiar. The closest principle resembling feinting is called "mun sao" (inquisitive hands). Many practitioners within the wing chun clan think that only the lead hand can be considered a mun sao. This is incorrect, since either hand or both hands can be considered mun sao depending upon the situation. The mun sao concept makes wing chun kuen an art of problem solving: when faced with a question, one must strive to find the answer. The principle of mun sao is to ask the opponent what he will do at the moment. At the onset of touching hands with an opponent, or when engaging during luk sao (rolling hands), one can already feel the skill level. Taijiquan's push hands exercise is similar to wing chun's chi sao. Both taiji's push hands and wing chun's sticking hands exercise develop interpreting, understanding, and neutralizing the opponent's energy. The most important aspect to avoid during chi sao is to make it a match of strength. If chi sao practice is regulated to a mere force- against-force match, you have lost the wing chun aspect. We react rather than wrestle with an opponent's energy. I doubt the legendary women founders, Ng Mui and Yim Wing Chun, would develop a system based solely on strength or to use force against force. If one observes how the feelers of an insect work, you will notice that the feelers move about in a random manner. When the feelers touch something, they go around it to interpret and determine what the nature of the object. There is some whipping about and springiness to the action of the antennae and the insect decides whether to walk around the object, walk over it, or simply avoid it. We can use this analogy to explain wing chun's chi sao training. If our mun sao feels or senses too much pressure, we can redirect it, guide the pressure elsewhere, ride it, or go away from the source of force. This principle exemplifies the wing chun motto, "Lai Lou, Hui Soong, Lut Sao Jik Chung" (As he comes, receive him; As he leaves, escort him.). Rather than fighting force, you utilize your opponent's force to create your technique. Many other gung-fu systems call this principle using your opponent's force against him or borrowing his strength. Only proper practice and experience determine what is the correct feel during chi sao practice. A master cannot give it to you - you must earn it through hard work and insight. Because learning this level of wing chun is so hard to master, many students get frustrated and quit. Equally frustrated are the wing chun teachers who realize the difficulty in teaching this aspect of the art. Using the Mind The concept of using the opponent's force to give rise to your technique is not unique to wing chun. It is, however, a stage of realization where the martial arts merge with philosophy and principles. Concepts such as "using no way as the way" and "allowing yourself to be empty" stem from discarding your ego and stopping leading. Rather than lead, allow yourself to follow your opponent. Sun Tzu recommended to, "Attack after, but arrive first." It is this principle of interception upon which wing chun is based. As long as your fist contains ego, you can never reach a high level. Merely doing forms and practicing techniques never made anyone a master. You must invest in loss, receive many beatings, give up yourself to follow others, and learn to lose before you can learn to win. Some of wing chun's concepts relate to Chan Buddhism and Taoist teachings. At the advanced aspects of both, the concepts of "egolessness" and "emptiness" is appreciated. Buddhism states that suffering is caused by desire. In wing chun, the desire to not be struck can cause suffering. There is a wing chun saying that admonishes the desire not to be struck, "If you're afraid to strike, then you will be struck." When we first learn chi sao, we feel afraid or insecure. Thoughts like, "I can't stop him!" or "I can't control the situation!" run through your mind. It's quite natural to have these feelings, but you must not let them control you. Later, as you grow more skilled and confident, your air changes. You're can then face your partner in chi sao with more confidence, but then you must not let the confidence control you. When you finally reach the highest levels, you have no fear, no emotion. You merely reflect. The Buddhists refer to this as a "mind like water". Should your opponent attack "you" are no longer there, there is no "you" as in ego - you flow with the motion and give yourself up to follow your opponent's action. This ultimately allows your opponent to give you the means of defeating himself. At this stage, there is "no-technique" and "free form". At this point, a student has become an expert. This corresponds to the wing chun saying of, "Allowing the hands and feet to defend accordingly." Wing chun then becomes a true art. The practitioner's experience allows him to express and interpret the art for himself. No one can tell what's right and wrong for the artist; the artist decides for himself. It is at this level of development that wing chun kuen transcends a mere method of self-protection. Wing chun practitioners reaching this level can be called experts. But first, they must learn to ask where the openings are, and once there, how to close up their own openings while crossing the bridge. Giving up ego is an easy thing to say, but hard to put into practice. Chi sao trains an exponent to cross bridges and develop technique. You learn touch or contact sensitivity and the ability to flow with an opponent. Problem solving skills are imparted utilizing wing chun tools. Chi sao bridges the gap between form and actual usage. A wing chun student can learn the changes and variations of the techniques in a live laboratory. Wing chun training is physical, but ultimately awakens the mind. For example, many say chi sao teaches you sensitivity. Nothing can be further from the truth. You are born with a nervous system that allows you to feel and sense. You can certainly feel pressure when it is placed on your arm, even without chi sao. The chi sao is really a means of organizing the data, of using the results to some use. The luk sao or touching is an information- or data-gathering process. What do you do with that data It is ultimately your choice. After touching hands with hundreds of people, I can honestly say if you don't develop it yourself, no one can really teach you chi sao. If you are bright, inquisitive and resourceful, others can give inspiration or guidelines to help you progress, but none can really pass it on to you. Chi sao is extremely difficult to teach! Most students can hardly learn chi sao without becoming frustrated. Chi sao is your own laboratory or practice. No one can give you this clinical experience; you just have to do it and develop it. Helpful Hints Beginners in wing chun chi sao often make the same mistakes. The most common are: fighting force with force; seek the hands, not the opponent's body; missing opportunity; not setting up a strike with another strike; being sloppy with your strikes; forcing your strike(s); not relaxing; not sinking; Not maintaining good structure; allowing the mind to freeze; and not understanding options. Force against Force To fix this common mistake, flow with the opponent's force. Sticking to the Hands Another common mistake is that many people seek to chase after their opponent's hands during Chi Sao. Wing chun oral tradition states, "Seek the Body, not the hands". I differentiate wing chun from other southern fist systems in that we have sensitivity in our hands like a "guided missile" to lead us to our goal. Some systems of martial arts are more like a "cannon ball" - if one shot misses, they merely reload and shoot again. The goal is to strike the opponent and set him up for more strikes, not just to stick to his hands. Missing opportunity Often, we seek to be at the right place at the right time. Some literally ignore or miss openings. This is a matter of being focussed elsewhere. Chi sao is also a game of mindfulness. I suggest that one hit the "empty spots", places where the opponent is not mindful. Use One To Set One Up Another common mistake is that people fail to use a strike to set up another strike. They have not learned to link up defense with offense and offense with defense. As a result, they are "one-shot artists". In wing chun, every movement links with another. Being Sloppy Many beginners can be sloppy with their strikes. I tell them to spend more time on the fundamentals and basics. When one trains the forms, he should be mindful of his position and structure. When doing sticking hands or fighting applications, one should almost treat it as if there were no opponent in front of you. Forcing a Strike Forcing a strike can be a wasted movement. It is best to flow into the situation. Not Relaxed! Relaxation is the key to being smooth and avoiding jerky movement. Smoothness is a large component of speed. Relaxing also allows one to use the proper muscle groups in body structure. Not Sunk! Sinking is an important aspect of maintaining structure. By keeping the shoulders sunk, elbows sunk, and stance sunk, we can keep rooted and protected. Maintain good structure by keeping good form, relaxing and sinking. Getting Fixated Let your mind flow. In other words, don't freeze if you are hit, but move on to solve another problem or create a problem for your opponent. Options Sometimes because a student has no experience, he does not know what options are available. It is best to consider one's options. Use opposites and understand yin and yang. Who is the leader and the follower Make your opponent follow you. If you are fast, make him catch up to you. If he is faster, make him slow. If he is hard, defeat him with soft. If he is soft, defeat him with hardness. 14 Mental Methods Teaching chi sao is complex and often there is no way to convey the methods. Classical wing chun has a definite progression, but unfortunately many people take a training sequence as the way. In itself it is a dead system. There was little variation - that is, the advanced level changes that mark an expert were not drilled. For many years I could not find a definitive way to transfer my knowledge to my students. I simply did what I felt was correct at the proper moment as I sensed my partner's intentions. This was fine for me, but did not impart the main skills found in chi sao. But this was not enough for my students who preferred a more practical approach and were more analytical. After much reflection, I have categorized the following chi sao methods. The 14 mental methods of chi sao are not step by step or a progression, but merely a breakdown of strategies in chi sao. Wing chun already has a progression in chi sao with pak sao, lop da, dan chi sao, luk sao, tui ma and gor sao. Much of what is taught in the various drills and stages of classical wing chun chi sao are mechanical methods, yet do not involve a full strategy or sum fa (mental methods) behind it. They rely more on a technician's point of view. My 14 methods include the changes and strategies of wing chun and break down the art to its conceptual roots. 1. Mun Fa/ Yin Fa - Asking/inquiring and enticing. Asking can be done with the hands, pressure, body, steps, or technique. In asking, you pressure the opponent and use four ounces to offset his 1, 000 pounds. 2. Jou Fa - Running - Avoiding pressure, running from pressure, or using pressure to give rise to new situations/techniques. 3. Jeet Fa - Methods of intercepting - Beating the opponent to the strike, recognizing threat and immediately shutting it off with the hands, body or steps. 4. Tao/Lou Fa - Methods of leaking and stealing, seeing an opportunity and taking it, or passively finding it. 5. Jiu Fa - Common methods of gor sao (crossing hands) such as tan da, pak da or lop da in singular and combination. Typically, it is a technician's level of training. 6. Sim Fa - Methods of evasion with steps, body displacement, dodging, or hand movement, but still being close enough to continue. There are two major methods: using the torso to evade (small evasion) or using steps to evade (large evasion). 7. Dai Fa - Methods of guiding, leading an opponent to walls, objects, or directions where they don't want to go. 8. Jie Fa - Methods of borrowing an opponent's power and energy, or using his momentum against him. This is closely tied to pressing the opponent and leading him. 9. Fou - Methods of floating, unbalancing, or uprooting an opponent. 10. Chum - Methods of collapsing a person's structure or sinking. 11. Tun - Methods of swallowing an opponent's force and dissolving it. Also related are methods of storing power with the body, as well as folding methods to absorb an opponent's power 12. Tou - Methods of expelling force in contact with the opponent. Also includes extending your force through an opponent. 13. Tuen Fa - Methods of breaking and de-linking the body connection to preserve body structure 14. Jip Fa - Methods of linking the body connection once the connection is broken. This is the opposite of tuen fa. Some of these methods may seem like keywords in other Fukien-based nam kuen, but they are taught in the wing chun context. This is different from a simple technical progression of exercises, which are concepts that give rise to many techniques. My wing chun focuses on principle, not theory; concepts, not techniques. I have seen my students grow in their strategies since I developing and outlining these methods. I did not have a definitive method way of describing these methods when I first began teaching these concepts, Comparing many of the concepts, I see my methods correspond very closely to my Yuen Kay Shan and Gu Lao wing chun training. I hope you can dig deep and understand my meaning, since the concepts give rise to the physical techniques and tools. The student who can master these methods with the linking/de-linking of body structure and can create multiple changes will attain a high level of chi sao ability. This ultimately will help his understanding of wing chun. Robert Chu is a martial artist and Unique Publications book author.	”