Wing Chun Chi Sao Training will develop your touch sensitivity.

You will be able to read your opponent's intentions and respond to his movements much faster than by eye.

Besides Wing Chun, many other forms use Chi Sao. This goes to show how highly regarded the benefits of Chi Sao are.

The exercises in this article are in the order in which you should learn the skills.

If there is a size difference between you and your partner, adjust the angle of your body. You want to direct energy towards your opponent.

The centerline is an imaginary line that runs vertically down the center of the body. Attack and defend on this line, i.e., guide incoming attacks out of your center, past your body. Attack your opponent along his center.

Always keep the centerline of you and your opponent in mind when fighting. Have control of your centerline whilst penetrating his.

To enable ease of transference from practice to real life, stand in the Fighters Position.

If your right leg is forward most, then your right side is your lead and your left side is your rear. When fighting, have your strong side as your lead most of the time, but train on both sides. Most of your strikes come off your lead.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and take a natural step back. Put a slight bend in your knees. Relax your body and have a slight forward lean. Find the point at which you are most balanced. Be firm and flexible as opposed to stiff and rigid. To test, have someone push you from the front.

There are three main hand positions used in Chi Sao. They are Tan Sao (Palm up Block/Taun Sao), Bong Sau (Wing Arm Block/Bon Sao) and Fook Sao (Bridge-On Arm Block/Fok Sao/Fuk Sao). Practice each of these hand positions separately as well as switching from one to the other.

Using Tan Sao limits your opponent’s ability to strike straight in. Drive it forward from the center of your body in a slight upward motion.

Use Bong Sao to redirect the opponent’s attack to a neutral position. It is best used when you are already in contact with the opponent’s arm.

This is a defensive position. Place is over your opponent’s arm. Adjust your exact positioning to fit the situation and is often described as either high or low.

Don't apply the movements in this drill with the intent of striking. They are for teaching the feeling of movement and. Do them gently to begin with.

Contrary to the name, it is the forearms that 'stick', not the hands. They stay in touch throughout the entire drill.

P1's right arm is in Tan Sao. P2 adopts Fook Sao with his left arm on top of P1's arm. P2 presses his elbow inwards towards his centerline. Both exert a slight forward pressure.

This is the same as Dan Chi Sao but with P1's free hand in a Low Fook Sao over P2's Tan Sao. This position does not change whilst the other hand performs Dan Chi Sao as normal. At the completion of one complete round, switch arms. Practice until the switch between arms is seamless.

Luk Sao is the base of Chi Sao. Practice it on its own until fluid before incorporating attack and defense drills. Throughout the movement, keep the shoulders relaxed and apply a slight forward pressure.

Note: If your hand positions are correct, forward pressure will be automatic. If your opponent removes opposing pressure, your hand will strike forward by reflex.

Luk Sao is basically moving between 2 positions. From Bong Sao and Low Fook Sao, to High Fook Sao and Tan Sao.

P1's right hand is in Tan Sao. P2's right hand is in Bong Sao. Both of their other arms are in the Fook Sao position. They are over their partners opposing arms, i.e. right on left, left on right. P1's Fook Sao is in a high position whilst P2's is low. Constantly press the elbow of the Fook Sao into the centerline.

P2 grabs P1's arms. His right hand grabs the inside of P1's left and his left hand grabs the outside of his right. P2 shifts his body to his left, whilst directing P1's arms forward and to the right.

As P1 attempts the Double Arm Grab, P2 relaxes his upper body. He must keep grounded through his legs to avoid getting pulled off balance.

There are four positions in which the arms can be in relation to the opponent’s guard. This is a basic explanation so you can follow the movements in the drills. More detailed explanations are in the book.

This multiple strike attack drill is good for showing the application of trapping in a more realistic fighting scenario.

P1 is in the Left Out, Right In position. As his right arm reaches a high point he brings it down over P2's right arm. At the same time, his left arm comes up to the outside of P2's left arm and brings it down to cross over his right.

The start is the same as Multiple Strikes, but this time P1 steps in to punch. As P1 strikes, P2 steps back and deflects the strike. P1 steps forward for a second strike. Again, P2 steps back and deflects the strike. This can continue.

Now that you have a basic understanding of various techniques, you can go into Free Form Chi Sao.

Although often referred to as Sticky Hands, the goal of the exercise is not to stick to your opponent. Instead, the aim is to protect oneself whilst exploiting your opponent’s openings.

Like all sparring, it is a good time to test what works and/or how your opponent reacts to your actions.

Here are some general tips:

There are many ways to vary Chi Sao apart from “going at it”. The only limit is your imagination. Here are a few ideas:

In this article you learned: