What Is Chi Sau?
Chi Sau (Sticky Hands) is a training method unique to Wing Tsun. The word "Chi" in Cantonese means "to stick" or "to adhere". In Chi Sau, two practitioners maintain arm contact and, through touch rather than sight, sense each other's force changes and respond in real time.
Chi Sau is not sparring — it is sensitivity training that cultivates tactile awareness and reaction speed at close quarters.
Stage I: Single-Hand Chi Sau (Dan Chi Sau)
Single-hand Chi Sau is the starting point. Two practitioners use one arm each, typically beginning with the basic Tan Sau (dispersing hand) and Fook Sau (controlling hand) cycle.
Key points for single-hand Chi Sau:
- Keep the elbow on the centreline — it should neither flare outward nor collapse inward
- Apply soft, continuous pressure — do not use brute force to push against your partner
- Focus on "listening force" — sensing subtle changes in your partner's pressure
Stage II: Double-Hand Chi Sau (Seung Chi Sau)
Once single-hand Chi Sau foundations are solid, practitioners progress to double-hand Chi Sau, which engages both arms and introduces more technical variation, including:
- Cyclical transitions between Tan Sau, Bong Sau, and Fook Sau
- Basic attack and defence combinations
- Left-right hand coordination training