Retreating Footwork

It's quite revealing that during many years of my Wing Tsun Kung Fu training under various instructors, retreating steps were never explicitly taught. The prevailing instruction emphasized constant forward pressure and aggression. Any yielding was framed as a lateral shift to attack from a different angle.

However, upon joining Alamo City Wing Tsun a couple of years ago, I received formal instruction on retreating steps and proper backward movement. Initially skeptical, I quickly realized the need to embrace new perspectives. This led to a significant insight: retreating steps were inherent in the system all along, just never explicitly recognized as such. The initial backward movement in the arrow step to regain the adduction stance is a perfect example – a retreating step in its essence.

The distinction lies in training repetitions allowing for multiple backward steps, whereas a real-world application typically involves only one or two steps to neutralize incoming force.

Introducing these retreating steps to students with prior experience in European Wing Tsun also met resistance, echoing my earlier indoctrination that a Wing Tsun practitioner "never retreats."

I now understand that a rigid "never retreat" mentality is impractical and illogical. This likely stems from a misunderstanding of the retreating step's application.

Firstly, a strategic retreat is essential. While constant forward pressure is valuable, what happens when one is overpowered and pushed back? A contingency is necessary.

Secondly, a retreat doesn't negate forward intent. It's a temporary yielding to dissipate force, immediately followed by a counter-attack.

Thirdly, we've implicitly practiced retreating steps within the chi sau sections all along. We simply haven't conceptualized them as more than a single repositioning.

Interestingly, the explicit retreating steps are evident in the advanced Bart Cham Dao (Butterfly Knives) form, demonstrating their presence within the complete system.

It's crucial to remember that every movement in Wing Tsun, regardless of its apparent simplicity, serves a purpose – within the forms, chi sau, and weapon forms. Sometimes, these principles are subtly embedded, waiting for us to recognize them.

Chi Sau vs Gwo Sau vs Lat Sau

What are chi sau sections in the Leung Ting system?

To codify the Wing Chun system, Grandmaster Leung Ting ingeniously organized the Chi Sau attacks and defenses he learned from Leung Sheung and Grandmaster Yip Man into two two-person forms. This innovation allowed him to standardize instruction for his worldwide instructors, ensuring everyone learned the complete curriculum. By teaching in "sections," he streamlined instruction for large groups globally and simplified the tracking of student progress, simply asking which section they had mastered. These Chi Sau "sections" were a distinct and valuable contribution by Grandmaster Leung Ting.

Does learning the chi sau sections teach you how to apply the movements for real fighting?

While learning the Chi Sau sections provides a foundation in basic reactions and applications, developing the ability to instinctively apply movements under stress requires training Guo Sau (Chi Sau sparring). This crucial training method was largely kept within Hong Kong, inaccessible to most instructors outside of that region. Consequently, until the late 1990s, during my time with Leung Ting's organization, American Wing Tsun instructors and students, including myself, were not taught Guo Sau; our training was limited to the Chi Sau "sections."

What is guo sau and lat sau?

Think of Guo Sau (Chi Sau sparring) as the natural progression from the structured movements of the Chi Sau "sections" to their live application. It teaches you to flow seamlessly between attack and defense with minimal pause. Initially, all attacks are purely Wing Chun-based, with other techniques introduced only after a solid understanding of basic Guo Sau is achieved. The relaxed fluidity cultivated in Guo Sau training rapidly becomes automatic and instinctive. Beyond application, Guo Sau becomes a valuable space for experimentation, allowing you to explore different attacks and reactions. True mastery lies in achieving this fluid engagement with minimal tension and resistance.

Lat Sau, a concept distinct from "European lat sau," simply describes any moment where contact with your opponent is lost. It's as simple as that: the breaking and subsequent re-establishment of hand contact. This can occur naturally at any stage of Guo Sau practice.

What about free chi sau?

The prevalent "free Chi Sau" practiced outside Hong Kong, while aiming to emulate Guo Sau, often misses the mark. Instead of truly random and mixed movements, it frequently mirrors the predictable applications of the Chi Sau "sections." Attempts to inject spontaneity often lead to disorganized, wrestling-style grappling. While spontaneous flow can be learned through extensive trial and error, this inefficient approach overlooks the existence of an ingenious and readily available solution: the Hong Kong Guo Sau method. Developed and refined in China decades ago, this systematic approach offers a clear pathway to mastering random flow. All that's needed is an open mind and a skilled instructor to guide the learning process.