The Literature Within Chi Sau

 

How’s your writing?

 

If you are practicing Wing Chun then there is a good chance that you are also practicing Chi Sau, and there is also a good chance that you have observed how others play their Chi Sau, not only in your class but through Youtube, TikTok, or perhaps while visiting other schools or seminars.

 

Now before I begin, the first thing we need to remember here, is that if you see something different, it is exactly that, different, not necessarily right, or wrong, just different.

 

Having the ability to be openminded to what you see, can be greatly helpful and productive, likewise, closing down and ridiculing these variations and being blinkered to the possibility of change, will only serve to limit your true potential.

 

It may well be the case that some people like to roll soft, strong, single or double-handed, fast or slow, using singular or multiple strikes, all of which are correct, especially when they are used together, at the right place, and in the right time.

 

This helps when we start to think of playing Chi Sau as writing.

 

In 1839, author Edward Bulwer-Lytton wrote,

 

“The pen is mightier than the sword”

 

What if we think of your pen, being your sword?

 

A rapid Chi Sau practitioner, may be like that of someone writing an epic sentence, a sentence with lots of flow, but no punctuation, no commas, or hyphens.

In this case, the sentence would be difficult to read as the words would seem to be, tripping over themselves.

 

A snappy singular attacking practitioner, may be compared to someone, excessively using exclamation marks, making every statement a shout, when it only required a gentle comment.

Translating to the reader a very different message than was probably intended by the writer.

 

Having a favourite technique in Chi Sau and always trying to set up such a move, could be compared to that of a person only knowing how to write one passage, ok so you might occasionally get away with using it, but why prevent yourself from trying to be creative with your writing skills?

 

So, when it comes to Chi Sau, or writing, learn everything, be open to everything, and above all know when and where to use punctuation to its most effective.

 

An exclamation mark is not a bad thing, if it used in the right context, as is a comma or a full stop, not appreciating, or refusing to appreciate this, will only hold your writing abilities back.

 

Using italics for instance, to emphasis a word, can make all the difference, depending on when and where it is placed.

 

I didn’t mind him spilling the coffee

I didn’t mind him spilling the coffee

I didn’t mind him spilling the coffee

I didn’t mind him spilling the coffee

I didn’t mind him spilling the coffee

 

The same is to be said for Chi Sau, why is it that sometimes your positions and technique may look correct, and yet the finish does not seem to be half as affective as it is for others?

 

Punctuation, may, be the answer.

 

A closing note:

Please understand that I am not saying that any one approach is better than another, purely that variations should be considered.

I am also not trying to play any one-upmanship on anyone, or even pretend to know how to write!  (I left school with zero qualifications)

I also have no doubt there will grammatical errors within this post (ironically), but at least I willing to learn.

 

Thank you for reading.

 

Oh, and try not to spill it eh?