Master Tse’s Wing Chun Note #201

Hit Us Suddenly at the Beginning of Chī Sáu

During Chī Sáu 黐手I often come across people who I do not know very well and some who I have never met before. They may be beginners or may have done some other martial arts or even have done Wing Chun somewhere before. Once we touch hands, maybe even before rolling they suddenly attack. In this situation, if you are not careful they can hit you. It can be quite unexpected and if you have a bit of a temper then you will hit back. This can get messy. The fact it is hard to defend against someone who suddenly attacks you. However, in Chī Sáu we must always be alert and once we make contact we should keep the right distance. What is the right distance? We must make sure we keep a space of two fists between our elbows and our body, always make sure we stand where they cannot reach us, unless they lean or step forwards. This is a safe distance and so once they move we will have enough time to respond. We still need to be careful though as some people can be extremely fast, but do not forget once our hands touch and we are relaxed enough, we should know what they are going to do. If you practise correctly in a relaxed way, then after a year you should be able to defend against a sudden attack like this. So distance is the key, experience and relaxation will help.

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