Ha ha, I was checking my traffic stats just now and it appears that someone found my site after searching in Google for "chi sau does what". That just cracked me up. To me, this sounds like someone who is completely perplexed by the whole idea of chi sau and just wants to know what its purpose is. I can imagine, and clearly see in my minds eye, someone watching me do chi sau with my partner, and wondering why on earth we aren't actually hitting each other properly. Well, for at least one  person out there, here's my take on Chi Sau Does What!

Chi Sau Is Not Sparring Or Fighting

Chi sau is merely an exercise in which you practise with the help of a partner to develop the following:

• correct technique (bong sau, tan sau etc). Yes, you may be able to defend against your partner's attack but what hand is that? Are you using proper hands?
• good footwork - you move around in response to your partner to adopt the best position.
• range. This could possiblybe linked with footwork. I had a wake up call recently when someone pointed out that although I'd laap saued them deftly and snapped out a precision perfect punch, I actually couldn't reach them. My fist was still a few inches short of their face, with my arm fully stretched and at the time I was thinking I'd been "successful". I realised that for a while now I'd been thinking I could hit my partner when really I was out of range. Duh.
• sensitivity - you must be able to feel accurately what your partner is doing and respond automatically, and quickly, in the most appropriate way. Obviously, automatic responses can only develop from much practise.
• softness. Strength is not usually the best response, at least not brute strength. Better to redirect your partner's force, which is especially important if your partner is stronger than you. It's very interesting to see what happens when you try and maintain your softness when practising with a partner who does use strength. I'm still finding it difficult, because, of course, my ego gets in the way! My ego will not let me appear to come off worse against someone who is "doing it wrong". Duh x 2. I need a mindset change. Every difficulty presents a learning opportunity, and in a case like this it's better to remove emotions entirely from the equation.

Chi Sau Misunderstood

I've seen chi sau competitions on Youtube. The 'competition' aspect comes from the fact that you score points when you hit your opponent. So the chi sau tends to degenerate into a wrestling match. I say degenerate, but actually it starts out that way.

The whole idea of "winning" by getting a strike in is contrary to the chi sau ethos. Yes, there is some value in sparring, or even full contact practise, but that is different from chi sau.

Not many tan saus in ths one: