Volume 9 Issue 2

Welcome to the February 2012 edition of AWCA Notes. This month we will look at how Chi-sau and Lap-sau are directly related to actual fighting. All practitioners work their entire training careers in Chi-sau and Lap-sau without ever really knowing the true potential that these valuable skill sets relate.

NOTE: Always consult your personal physician before engaging in any fitness or self-defense related program. If you experience pain or difficulty with these exercises, immediately stop and seek the care of a trained medical professional.

YOU ASSUME ALL RISK AND LIABILITY FOR THE USE OR MISUSE OF ANY INFORMATION RELATED IN THIS OR ANY OTHER MEDIA CREATED OR DISTRIBUTED BY THE ARIZONA WING CHUN ASSOCIATION.

Chi-sau

Sticking-hands

Chi-sau is the concept of making contact with the opponent’s arms and feeling the direction and pressure in order to enact our response. Many will start with Chi-dan-sau, or Single-arm Sticking-hand, in order to begin this process, and then graduate to Chi-sheung-sau, or Double-arm Sticking-hands.

It is the Chi-sheung-sau stage we will focus on, but essentially what most know by the term Luk-sau. Luk-sau is Rolling-arms with forward pressure/energy and is the more commonly-used term for describing Chi-sau.

Luk-sau
Rolling-arms with forward pressure/energy

When we think of Chi-sau, Luk-sau is usually what we see. Although there are many stages of Chi-sau training, the simple act of double-arm rolling is what conjures up the Chi-sau image we are all used to.

For those new to Wing Chun, this is the point we dream of. I remember the first time I experienced a rudimentary form of Chi-sau, which was experienced prior to learning Wing Chun.

While in the U.S. Army in 1984, I checked out a Fred Villari Shaolin Kempo Karate school. While there, one of the drills they were working involved tieing their belts together and working what they considered to be Chi-sau. After a long discussion and demonstration of what they considered to be Chi-sau, they proceeded to whack away at each other. Stepping, ducking, bobbing and weaving, and working drills while tied together.

They stated they could feel what was happening and I am sure they could to a point on some things. And since I had no clue what Chi-sau was really about, I was impressed.

A few months later I was exposed to Wing Chun for the first time and after seeing what Chi-sau really is, I stopped going to the Fred Villari school.

I learned quickly that while it “is” possible to take from some systems and blend them in with others, the concept behind many actions is what makes it work. As good as any movement or series of movements may be, how and why it is used is the true catalyst.

For those that train as described, I recommend stopping immediately because you are probably cheating yourself. Chi-sau is not about beating the crap out of each other and seeing who can take a punch. Instead, it is all about feeling, about making contact with an opponent’s arm and learning to feel the pressure and angle of their attack.

Once learned, it gradually increases in speed and power so that in the end, you are engaged with full-speed, full-power assaults and using the opponent’s actions to dictate your response. Yes, this takes years of training, and yes, it is a later stage for all-out engagement. However, that is the goal vs being someone’s punching bag.

Luk-sau

With a slight forward pressure, the practitioners begin to roll the arms. The goal of Luk-sau is to feel every nuance of angle and pressure during the roll.

Luk-sau
(continued)

Continuing the roll, the wrists remain as close to the centerline as possible, shoulders relaxed and back kept straight.

Luk-sau
(continued)

The completed roll. The practitioners now roll back to the other side, with this action being repeated continuously to develop pressure sensitivity.

Luk-sau should be worked alone vs adding any attacks are defenses until a smooth flow is achieved. It is tempting to want to throw a palm or punch when you start feeling comfortable, but this is detrimental.

The entire scope of Luk-sau is solely to feel your partner’s pressure at every angle during the rolling, while simultaneously keeping yourself protected. Introducing anything beyond this until your rolling is smooth, controlled and correct will set you up for bad habits that have to be corrected later.

Once this rolling is smooth and correct, then basic attacks, basic defenses, stepping, turning, and the Chi-sau sections can be introduced gradually so that you always build on the foundation you are creating here.

Lap-sau

Deflecting-arm

In tandem with Luk-sau, we also introduce the Lap-sau. Meaning Deflecting-arm, Lap-sau is a basic introduction to sparring by way of learning to use the entire body to reinforce the limbs. Wing Chun is all-encompassing and does not rely on one specific element; instead, the whole body plays a role. Lap-sau is representative of that and uses Bong-sau as the beginning action.

As seen on AWCAOnline’s Lap-sau section, we first begin with the Lap-sau drill. Before embarking on the below series of movements, it is recommended that you first become competent in the basic Lap-sau drill.

Lap-sau Section 1

From the Lap-sau drill…

Lap-sau Section 1
(continued)

… Wu-sau changes to Yan-cheung and stamps the practitioner’s arms down, while Bong-sau begins changing to Chau-chong-kuen. Simultaneously, explode forward until you are in fist range.

Lap-sau Section 1
(continued)

Continuing to stamp the arms down, Chau-chong-kuen drills or lifts up and into the chest or throat.

With Chi-sau and Lap-sau working in unison, a practitioner frees him/herself from the average one-two type of fighting. There is no thinking required; you meet the attack, Chi-sau guides the way through the attack, and Lap-sau has created a structure that lets you respond with specific actions for the given moment.

Because of Chi-sau and Lap-sau’s sectional training, an endless repertoire of movements could be amassed. However, this is actually negative to a certain degree because we can mistakenly create a set pattern of responses vs feeling what we should do. The situation is never the same so expecting a response can lead to reacting to that response, even if the response is not present.

To that end, we explore basic sparring actions to combine Chi-sau with Lap-sau, which in turn creates Lat-sau scenarios. Lat-sau, or Fight training, is a wonder unto itself, and AWCA Notes will be addressing many of these scenarios in later issues. For now, let’s take a look at the first step for combining Chi-sau and Lap-sau.

Combining Chi-sau and Lap-sau

When we think of combining Chi-sau with Lap-sau, you can begin in either Luk-sau or the Lap-sau drill. Regardless of which you start in, your attacks and defenses will inevitably find you in the other. And this is when it gets really fun.

Let’s look at the beginnings of how we combine Chi-sau and Lap-sau in order to free us up from typical “standardized” drills.

Beginning in Luk-sau…

… an opening exists to attack. The attacker initiates Yan-cheung and Chau-chong-kuen from Lap-sau section 1.

Staying relaxed, the defender turns into the attack with Jut-sau in order to move the attacker off the line.

Jut-sau becomes Gwat-sau and “wipes” the attack off to the other side with a simultaenous punch. This is defended with Bong-sau.

Turning back to the front with Tan-dar, this is defended with Kuen-siu-Kuen.

Feeling a neutral position, both practitioners resume Luk-sau and it all starts again.

When combining these skills, it feels rather unwieldy at first because you are used to one or the other. Chi-sau is a specific curriculum and so is Lap-sau, making the act of blending them together confusing at first. In a very short time, though, you will find that the line that divides them is actually very small, and there are certainly more similarities than differences.

Can one be worked without the other? Most certainly. Keep in mind, though, that the sensitivity of Chi-sau is what is telling your arms to do, which is where Lap-sau reinforces. Almost every action in the Chi-sau curriculum has a counterpart in Lap-sau, which is why they are instrumental to each other. You can train one without the other, but if you do, it will not amount to much.

Free Wing Chun eBooks

Three Free Training eBooks

As my special Thank You for visiting AWCAOnline and reading this month’s issue of AWCA Notes, I invite you to check out the free online eBook training guides below to assist your training. These titles include “Concepts of Wing Chun,” “Principles of Wing Chun Punching” and “Principles of Wing Chun Kicking.”

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Wing Chun Minute

Training Tips In Under One Minute

From Lynette in Indiana:

Si-fu Phil… This isn’t really a training issue. Instead, it’s a basic question: If Wing Chun is so good for women (and it is), why don’t we see more of them training? I’ve been doing Wing Chun for over 15 years and I just don’t understand why more women don’t train. What’s your take on that?

That is a question I have asked myself many times, Lynette, so trust me, you are not alone. Even if the stories of Wing Chun being created by a female are not true, it still capitalizes on logic and common sense vs the typical martial art requiring strength and flexibility. Women are phenomenal Wing Chun practitioners and there “are” a lot of them, but not as many as I would think there should be.

I wish I had more of an answer for you but admittedly I, too, have no clue why more women do not get involved in Wing Chun. Not only is it perfectly suited for their body structure, but it is also an art that does not require the typical male’s strength.

Maybe those who are reading this can help spread the word to our female friends and get them more involved. You never know, it could become the start of a new Wing Chun revolution. It would be nice to get everyone’s wives, sisters, daughters, even their mothers involved. We all know how effective and fun it is. Wouldn’t it be great to pass it on to them and know that we are helping them with something that might one day help keep them safe?

Good luck in your training!

To ask a question and have it posted here, contact Si-Fu Phil Bradley.

Next Month…

Next month’s issue will be of particular interest to many. We will take an in-depth look at the wooden dummy and examine how this training aid can propel one’s Wing Chun to brand new heights. The next couple of months will be a great time, so I hope you will join us in March!

Until next month,

Si-Fu Phil Bradley
Arizona Wing Chun Association