AWCA Weblog

Lap-sau is known by two different terms. The first, “Grabbing-hand,” refers to the individual movement itself. When you grab the arm of the opponent, this is Lap-sau.

The second, “Deflecting-arm,” refers to a series of drills designed to take a practitioner through the basics of sparring while focusing on “offloading” their force. Hence, the “deflecting” part of this term.

While most schools will work Lap-sau in one way or another, some do not focus on it that much while others place a great deal of emphasis on it. Some feel that it “just happens” during their training and others will engage a purpose-driven curriculum built around it at a particular stage of training.

The AWCA prescribes to the latter in that the Lap-sau curriculum creates a variety of real-world scenarios, while simultaneously honing the Wing Chun skill set itself. For example, section 1 of Lap-sau teaches us how to respond fluidly with trapping and pinning, as well as how to come from underneath the opponent’s bridge arm in order to effectuate a powerful strike.

Further, it reinforces the concept that you should never (or rarely) have both of your arms in contact with just one of your opponent’s arms. If you do, then your opponent knows where both of your arms are, and if he/she is skilled in taking advantage of this, you have just given up your defense.

If we strive to take advantage of when both of our opponent’s arms are in contact with just one of ours, naturally we do not want to be in the same situation. Lap-sau teaches us how “not” to do this, but surprisingly, many schools actually “do” do this. And regularly.

So let’s examine how we train the Lap-sau drill here at the AWCA, and how it can improve your response time.

While many practitioners will be in a sideling position to their opponent and “arc” their punch in, we keep our centerline on the opponent and punch straight. Additionally, we never make contact with both arms of our training partner unless we are attacking or defending; instead, we replace the contact hand with the incoming attacking hand.

What does this do?

First, keeping our centerline on the opponent vs. being in a sideling position ensures that we have equal use of both arms at all times. Yes, being in a sideling position when necessary does have viable uses, but note that I said “when necessary” vs. “always.” Some prefer a sideling position because they think it makes you a smaller target, but in reality, you will not be much “smaller” when turned to the side vs. having your centerline on the opponent.

Juk-sun-ma, or “Sideling-stance,” has its place in Wing Chun, but we only assume it when/if the opponent drives in with so much force that our current position would be comprised if we stand our grand (i.e. force-vs-force). If we train to overcome force with our own physical, muscular power, then what happens when we get older? There will come a time when just simply getting older will remove (or severely limit) the muscular force we have in our youth, so training to capitalize on physical strength is temporary at best.

Instead, learning how to “borrow” the attacker’s force allows us to make use of it. And the Lap-sau drill’s concepts are directly related to that. It is here that we can put into practice these concepts and learn to make use of them is a controlled sparring environment.

Second, rather than keeping both arms on the opponent’s arms and utilizing an “arcing” type of attack, we punch as straight as possible.

We all know that the closest distance between two points is a straight line. That precept has been “drummed” into our brains since day 1. So if that is true (and it is), then why do so many arc their punches vs. punching straight and getting there faster?

I cannot answer that because I really do not know. What I do know, however, is that when working with those that “do” train Lap-sau in this manner, it was extremely easy to circumvent their attacks. When I turned them towards me, though, and they started punching straight? They were in position to defend without having to do anything extra.

From the basic Lap-sau drill, a variety of positive attributes are built, provided that the correct concepts from the foundation of Wing Chun are applied. Vary them, however, and it becomes the reverse: a myriad of bad habits result and your defense becomes replete with holes.

So, if one’s structure is in the proper place when working the Lap-sau drill, we can see immediate improvements:

1. Staying on the centerline vs. to the side keeps your arms at equal length, which allows either to do what is needed vs. one “having” to defend and the other “having” to attack.

2. Staying on the centerline allows you to respond to either side as needed, where being in a Sideling-stance means having to turn 90-degrees to the other side if your opponent happens to attack there.

3. Having just one arm on the opponent’s arm vs. both means that you are not “giving away” your arm position to the opponent (if he knows where your arms are, he knows how to proceed).

4. Driving straight in with your punches vs. “arcing” them means that they get there faster. They are harder to see, which also makes them harder to defend against.

“When” should the Lap-sau drill be introduced? Personally, I like introducing the drill after a student has first learned Chi-san-sau, or “Single-arm Sticking-hand.” Others, however, will introduce Lap-sau “before” any Chi-sau training.

Regardless of the “when’s,” keep in mind the reasons for the drill and what it is supposed to accomplish. Do not blindingly rush through it just to do something or just to get through it; instead, “listen” to what it is telling you about what you are doing and “how” you are doing it. Then you will be able to focus on where you can improve and how you can make your Wing Chun even more efficient.

Tan-sau, or “Palm-Up arm” (also called “Dispersing-arm” in some lineages), is one of those movements that creates a lot of controversy among the families.

Some will train Tan-sau with the hand in-line with the forearm while others train it with the back of the hand parallel to the floor. So let’s see some of the differences and why so many are adamant about their chosen positions.

Tan-sau is an action that allows for defense against straightline attacks. Because of the elbow position with the palm facing upward, the structure of the arm is such that it is not very strong against hooking punches. That is just the nature of physics when it comes to this particular position.

With the palm facing downward like in Fook-sau, the forearm rotates the opposite way, and this position allows for greater structure (natural strength), which in turn allows for competent defense against hooks or more angular attacks. But with the palm upward, this type of structure is removed; ergo, Tan-sau is best used for defense against straightline punches.

Next we have the hand angle itself. A simple test will show this “natural strength” I mentioned.

If you bring your Tan-sau hand forward, first put the hand in-line with the forearm so that there is a straight line from the elbow to the fingertips. Now have your training partner press on your forearm so that they are pushing the arm towards your chest.

In most cases, Tan-sau will have a tendency to collapse a bit unless you are extremely strong. That is just the physics of force-to-force in this position. The pressing force is generally more than than the defending force can sustain.

Now, flatten the hand so that the palm is facing upwards and have your training partner repeat the press on your forearm. In this position, you will find that your arm can actually withstand more of this force without collapsing. Why? Because the structure (natural strength) of the arm and shoulder has been increased, thereby allowing you to provide a stronger press to the opponent’s press.

Further still, and keeping the palm flat, angle the hand slightly outward now so that the fingers are pointed a bit to the outside. With your partner repeating this press, now what do you see? An even stronger defense in Tan-sau. 

In this position with the hand angled slightly to the outside, there is a bit of contraction in the forearm, which in turn provides more structure.

From all of this, we can see that while many practitioners might think that Tan-sau is an easy movement to defeat, it is actually quite competent when the correct position is assumed. If the palm is in-line with the forearm, Tan-sau can easily collapse with a very powerful attack. But with the palm flat and pointed upwards, Tan-sau becomes a formidable defense.

In your classes, play with the various hand positions to learn what Tan-sau is really all about, and then apply that same concept to other actions in order to experiment. Although the hand positions will vary depending on what you are training, it is essential to experiment with changing positions in order to learn how the body can provide a solid base of movement solely from where your “connection” is at in relation to the incoming attack.

And the more you experiment, the more you learn.

Many have asked “Of all the martial arts you’ve trained, why Wing Chun? What’s so special about it that made you stop your search?“

Good question. And for a while, I asked that myself. It is a weird feeling to actually “find” what we are looking for, and even when I did, I didn’t know it. Even when I realized first-hand how effective it is, there was still always that doubt of something being better.

Many of us have been involved in the martial arts for years, some even for generations. My own training started in 1976 with taekwondo and it is hard to believe sometimes that it has been over 30 years since that time.

Being in the military and having the opportunity of experiencing a variety of other fighting methods, you would also think that I would recognize Wing Chun’s effectiveness much sooner, too. I did, but at the same time, I was also conditioned to always look for the best, to never “settle.”

Well, after 20+ years, I can honestly say that with Wing Chun? There is no “settling.” I don’t have to look anymore because I found what I have always wanted in a fighting method: the tradition of a proud history, the “moderness” of being useful in today’s world, an art that is not afraid to change something so that it remains effective, and just an absolute blast to train!

Sure, some Wing Chun practitioners might be a bit “staunch” when it comes to what they do. They work their drills as they were taught and never break out of that. And sometimes what they do just really will not work in today’s world. But that goes without saying for all arts, too.

After all, look at the Shaolin methods. How many of them still cling to the notion that they will use their forms in real fighting, just “speeded up”? I even heard a well-known Shaolin master tell me point blank “We work our forms at full speed in real fights, and that is how we fight. If you look closely, you will see the form point-by-point, just in full speed. Regardless of what is happening, we work the form… and we win.”

The interesting thing is that later that evening (this was at a seminar) when we were demonstrating Wing Tsun (I was training in Master Leung Ting’s WingTsun at the time), we were asked to “have a go” for light sparring with one of their fighters to see how Wing Tsun would fair against them. Immediately after starting, the opponent started a fast version of the form he just demonstrated, and all I did was launch forward with steps and chain-punches. A few Pak-sau’s here and there, as well as a Gaun-sau, but the majority was nothing but advancing steps and chain-punches.

And the opponent dropped. Quickly. All he could do was cover up. Why? Because he was enacting techniques against something I was not even doing. He would throw an arm up for a side defense, even though I was coming in from the front. And as his form continued and he defended to the front, I had already side-stepped and was coming in from the side.

Needless to say, that particular school lost a lot of students that evening. They saw the reality of what someone “thinks” will work vs. what someone “shows” them.

I have also worked with many others from a variety of arts, including boxing, Thai boxing, jiu-jitsu, TKD, JKD, karate, Shaolin methods, aikido, and even other WC/ VT/ WT styles. I learned something from all of them, but I also learned that Wing Chun kept me on top. Is it because I was better? Was it because Wing Chun was better? That is something that I honestly cannot answer and it will be something that probably for the rest of my life I will think about.

But on those days, with those opponents, Wing Chun saw me through. It has kept me safe for the 20+ real fights I have had since opening the doors to the AWCA, too, so all I know is that if it did not work, I would have continued my search a long, long time ago.

And that has been Wing Chun’s legacy. This art is all about reality and effectiveness, but only if the practitioner approaches it from a real-world mentality. The drills in class? They are useless unless we get real about it. Light punches, “nothing” kicks, and training half-assed brings nothing but a false sense of security and half-hearted results.

But when approached with real use? When you work your concepts for what might really happen and in the way it is intended to be trained? You will find that Wing Chun is more than capable of protecting yourself.

Why Wing Chun? Because quite frankly I just do not need to look anywhere else. “Flavor of the month” arts come and go, and every ten years or so we see something new that everyone jumps on the bandwagon to learn. And then you hear the “experts” say that such-and-such art is the best, that if you are not doing this art, you are wrong.

If that is what you think, then good luck. Really. I hope you find what you are looking for. As for me? I found it. It is called Wing Chun Kuen.

One of the things I am asked most often is “What can I do for training on the wooden dummy, even if I am ‘not’ at that level yet?“

So before answering that, let’s go over what the dummy is actually for and when it is introduced to training.

The Muk-Yan-Chong, or “Wooden Dummy,” is a common element of Wing Chun that teaches us about advanced fighting concepts. Here we learn about more advanced stepping, how to generate force in smaller distances, uniting the upper and lower bodies, and overcoming rebound.

For most families, the formal dummy curriculum is only introduced after completing the three empty-hand forms (Siu-Nim-Tau, Chum-Kiu, Biu-Tze). For many, though, including the AWCA, we will work various drills on the dummy beginning with the final section of the Siu-Nim-Tau.

This is not the actual curriculum, mind you; instead, it is learning to use current drills from the forms and put them on the dummy in order to learn about angling and overcoming rebound at this stage of training.

Is it essential? Not at all. But does it help? Most assuredly. As long as you remember NOT to engage the actual curriculum until you are ready, and that you do not blindingly beat on the dummy without knowing “how” to use it, then there are very few problems that will result.

It is the “how’s” of using the dummy that confounds so many.

For most, getting a dummy for the first time usually sees repeated Tan-sau’s, Gaun-sau’s and Pak-sau’s without thinking about the angles, or the footwork, or body unity. Without this focus firmly in place, though, the dummy can actually create bad habits that will see you easily defeated by someone that “does” understand these angles.

And even if the opponent does not understand the angles, their sheer power can overwhelm a practitioner who has dummy training but did not understand how to use it.

So, what are some steps we can take for correctly using the dummy, regardless of level (but primarily at the SNT and CK stages)?

First, consider that the dummy’s arms and leg have a purpose. They are set in such a way that we can do what we do and in the way we do it. Rather than long-range actions, our fighting is close-range. So having the arms at such an angle and shortened force us to utilize closing the gap in order to get into range.

Second, because of the gap we are closing, we must be mindful that we are united in our body. This means that you must have a solid stance and balance, regardless of your position.

If you are in the Character “Two” Adduction stance (Yee-chi-kim-yeung-ma), then have a solid 50/50 weight distribution vs. more weight on one leg than the other. If you are in the Sideling-stance (Juk-sun-ma), then you must be in a correct Juen-ma. It doesn’t matter if you train in an 80/20 stance, a 60/40 stance, or a 100/0 stance; if you are in Juen-ma, then be in a correct Sideling-stance that your lineage trains in.

This means having the correct upper body alignment in relation to the lower body, as well as the shoulders not hunching, shrugging, etc.

Third, the focus of your training is not “just” about hand strikes. Yes, we “are” delivering hand strikes, but remember that your entire body is playing a role. You had to maneuver around the dummy to get to the correct position, so immediately this tells us that the body must always be looked at for correct posture vs. focusing solely on the hands. Doing anything less will cause rebound, and if you make real contact with a real opponent, a weak structure will toss you backwards before you even knew what happened.

Fourth, kicking should be real kicking, not these piddly little “touch” kicks we sometimes see. If you kick, then kick with power. The elbow extends our fist when punching, and the knee thrusts the foot when kicking. If you are snap kicking, this is not Wing Chun. And if it is not Wing Chun, then you should not be training it if your training “is” Wing Chun.

On the dummy, pretend that this is a live opponent, intent on doing you harm just like a real attacker would. Would you “touch” the opponent? No. You would slam into him/her. Well then, do the same thing with the dummy and you will see what is and is not competent (which in turn shows you what needs work).

Now, by saying that you should “slam” into the dummy, you must also use caution and slowly build up the power you use so that you don’t wreck yourself. Remember that this is an inanimate, unmovable object. And flesh on wood? Wood will always win. Therefore, use common sense and slowly work your conditioning so that eventually you can strike with full power into the dummy without injurying yourself.

But until then, work on precision, correct footwork, correct body alignment, and an overall use of the body as a whole to deliver your strikes. Do not get so wrapped up that you only focus on your hands, because this is a sure way to defeat.

For drills, work the same drills you already know. Tan-dar, Fook-dar, Gaun-dar, Pak-dar, etc., plus kicks and steps. Start in the front and go to one side only until things feel good and are competent. Only then should you switch to the other side.

To finish up, always tell yourself that this is not a race. Learning Wing Chun is a lifelong study and will take many different views along that journey. What you start with now will change many, many times as your skills grow and improve, so take it slow, analyze what you are doing, and use the dummy as a tool to help you grow.

All of us know that there is a direct link between proper nutrition and disease prevention, but the hard part is “what” to eat, as well as how much.

Nutritional organizations generally agree that the following ranges are what you should adhere to in order to get a sufficient intake of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. The recommendations are:

• 45% - 65% of calories should come from carbohydrates.
• 25% - 35% of calories should come from fat.
• 10% - 35% of calories should come from protein.

Personally, I have found that a “middle of the road” approach works well. Therefore I try to keep about 50% calories from carbohydrates, 30% from fat, and 20% from protein.

But another important question is “how many calories should I take in to start with?” Good question, and one that only you can decide, to be honest. It depends on your activity level, as well as a variety of other factors that you should discuss with your personal physician.

However, you should never go below 1200 calories, nor over 2400 calories (unless you are EXTREMELY active). If you go below 1200 calories, your body will start to go into what is called “starvation mode.” In effect, your metabolism will slow down exponentially in order to conserve every little bit of food coming in.

On the flip side, too many calories will be more prone to be stored as fat unless you are very active and always burning them off.

So, let’s go for a “middle of the road” approach again and use 1800 calories as an example of what you should be consuming per day. At 45% carbs, that would be 203g. At 20% fat, that would be 40g, and for men and women, your protein intake would be 75g and 60g, respectively.

A lot of hype still exists about protein powder, “muscle fuel,” muscle foods, etc. Personally? Don’t get sucked into all that hype. If you are a professional athlete? Yes, you more than likely need additional nutritional support in order to meet the demands you place on yourself. But for the average Joe? No, you don’t. Solid, healthy foods with the proper exercise are all that the average person needs.

Are their good products out there that can contribute to our gains? Yes, there are, and they’ve been shown to be quite effective depending on how you use it. At the very least, you will see increased energy, which contributes to you being more prone to stay active and eat better.

But is there a magic pill? A product that will melt the fat away and make you look like you are on the cover of GQ? No, there isn’t. And you should not be spending your hard-earned money on all that foolishness, either. I did, and for YEARS. I can’t tell you how many thousands of dollars I’m sure I’ve spent over the decades on that stuff.

But in the end, I realized that quality food, in the right amounts, and with a sensible, consistent exercise program has seen more positive results than all of that other stuff COMBINED.

Make 2008 YOUR year by learning about nutrition and proper exercise. It is the best thing you can ever do for yourself.

(excerpt from the upcoming “Volume 4: Biu-Tze“)

Throughout the lineages, you will hear various descriptions concerning what the Biu-Tze curriculum is all about. Because many deem it as ”emergency techniques,” conflicting accounts exist for what “emergency” actually means.

Some feel that it means we have lost the centerline and are in jeopardy of losing the fight. Therefore, Biu-Tze teaches to regain the centerline and place you back in command.

Others feel that “emergency” means a perilous life-and-death situation, such as confronting armed opponents. Rather than losing your life, we employ “emergency” techniques to address this armed vs. unarmed situation.

Even further, some have combined the theories into one collective, vieing to blend both of the above concepts into a harmonious union so as to satisfy both lines of thought.

So, I will relate what I was taught and what experience has demonstrated to me over the years.

First, consider the Wing Chun system as a “house.” A house is built on a solid foundation, with Wing Chun’s foundation being the Siu-Nim-Tau. Without this solid foundation, everything built upon it will crumble.

The next step is to build “walls” for the house, and this is illustrated by the Chum-Kiu. A solid, strong foundation, now with a solid defensive “barrier” around it, results by combining the Siu-Nim-Tau and Chum-Kiu curriculums.

But a house without a roof is incomplete, so the next step is the Biu-Tze. The Biu-Tze is Wing Chun’s “roof” and “seals in” the house, making it a finished, complete structure.

Foundation, walls and roof. Siu-Nim-Tau, Chum-Kiu and Biu-Tze. This is a logical, common sense approach to viewing the nature of how Wing Chun is structured, as well as helping to answer the question of “emergency” techniques.

Biu-Tze is not about regaining the centerline, nor is it about “blending” concepts in order to satisfy others. The Siu-Nim-Tau already taught us about the centerline, as well as the straightline and vertical midline principles.

When these principles were sound, we progressed to the Chum-Kiu where we learned to employ them at various angles. The lower body was brought into play, too, by way of turning, stepping and kicking in order to expand the concepts and to unite the body as a complete unit.

By now, this stage of training has already seen us learning about the centerline, how to maintain it, how to capitolize on it, and how to regain it if lost. Therefore, Biu-Tze is not about regaining the centerline, because this has already been trained. Having an entire form focusing on something that was already learned falls outside of Wing Chun’s common sense line of thought.

Instead, Biu-Tze’s purpose is clear simply by viewing its actions: the delivery of fatal attacks as quickly and efficiently as possible. It is the assumption that your life is in imminent danger, and to preserve your life, you must initiate a crippling or fatal attack.

Now, each person must weigh the “why’s” of what would be considered life-threatening, but that is not Biu-Tze’s concern. Its purpose is the efficient delivery of that choice, not the why’s behind that choice.

The March Video of the Month on AWCAOnline is now available, as well as the March updates for our companion site, AWCA Graphic Solutions.

More updates coming soon for AWCA Notes and eBook upgrades, so stay tuned!

The sport of mixed martial arts has, without a doubt, caused a renewed interest in the communities, as well as introducing the martial arts to a brand new audience. Personally, I love the UFC and what it is doing to promote it to the masses.

And while some of you might think that since this article is titled “Wing Chun vs. Jiu-Jitsu” will attempt to “trash” Jiu-jitsu, you would be wrong. In fact, far from it. Jiu-jitsu has more than proven itself both in and out of the ring, and even if it didn’t, those that know me already know that I have a great respect for all martial arts.

Instead, articles such as this are merely to educate the Wing Chun practitioner in arts they might be unfamiliar with.

In that light, let’s take a brief look at how a Wing Chun fighter could approach a jiu-jitsu fighter. Note that this is only a “possible” scenario, since anything can and usually does happen in the real world. On the flip side, this is not the ring and there are no rules. So if something here pinches a nerve, take into consideration that there are tons of “what if’s” out there.

First, let’s consider a jiu-jitsu fighter’s preferred method to fighting. Striking is not out of their realm, but their primary goal is to submit you, to lock a joint to the point that if you don’t give up, you’ll never use it again. In addition to this, you can quickly get choked out without even knowing how they did it (and yes, they’re that fast).

So how does a WC fighter contend with this? Number 1, NEVER EVER grapple with a grappler. Let me repeat that: NEVER EVER GRAPPLE WITH A GRAPPLER. You wouldn’t box a boxer, and you wouldn’t kick fight with a kicker. Fight YOUR fight, not the fight of the attacker.

Possible responses are:

1. Against shooting in, drive your elbows into the back of their head or the back of their neck. Immediately continue with chain-punches and drive them into the ground.

2. Another response to shoots is to immediately start slamming your fists into their face, head, neck, throat, etc. Wallbag and dummy training condition your fists and limbs to withstand a great deal of punishment like this if trained correctly.

3. Remember section 2 of the Siu-Nim-Tau? Or most of the Chum-Kiu? Many think that Wing Chun does not have anti-grappling movements, forgetting that the art was created to defeat the Shaolin methods (many of which are grappling, takedown and fighting methods). Yes, Wing Chun DOES have anti-grappling and anti-takedown movements. In fact, the first and second movements of the wooden dummy are exclusively for that very thing.

Some will vie to “sprawl out” against an incoming shoot, and at first it doesn’t sound like a bad idea. But if you sprawl out, then you are going to the ground. The ground is the last place you want to be, particularly with a grappler.

First of all, the ground is the grappler’s preferred environment. It is there that he/she works best and is in their realm. Second, our art’s preferred environment is standing up. On the ground we are very limited, particularly in the real world when the attacker’s buddies are coming in to join the fray.

Ground work for the ring is essential, but in the real world where cowardice runs rampant (and is usually followed with “whiskey muscles”), your odds of having to contend with more than one attacker are greater than ever.

Do you really want to be on the ground where you have limited mobility and you are at the bottom of a dog pile? No, you don’t. So increase your odds by doing everything you possibly can to stay off the ground.

One other possible response is to utilize knees into the face, coupled with driving your palms down on the back of the head, adding a double force to the effect. It is not as easy as many think it is, but it “is” a viable response if trained.

Now, nothing can truly beat working your skills against a willing jiu-jitsu practitioner that wants to experiment working with you. At first, you might find yourself in situations that you never thought you would be in. But don’t look at it as a “bad” thing; instead, keep it a learning experience and always stay positive by examining what works in Wing Chun against these types of attacks.

Work the concepts, and work them to competence. Don’t just do a few drills and think “I got it.” No you don’t. It takes thousands of repetitions to create a nerve pathway so that something happens automatically without you having to think about it. And that’s how many times you have to work every concept of Wing Chun to make it automatic.

Remember that this is just a basic look at the “what if’s.” There are tons and tons of things that “could” happen, so think about this as you work your drills and learn more about the concepts that makes Wing Chun truly effective. In this way, you continue learning more about something in a different light that was right in front of you the whole time.

For many, the terminology of Wing Chun/ Ving Tsun/ Wing Tsun can become very confusing. What one lineage uses for their terminology can differ so much for someone else that it looks night and day. This is especially true when we consider the various stages of Chi-sau training.

Let’s take a moment to examine some of these stages and see how their terms differ.

Chi-sau is “Sticking-hands” (what some refer to as “sticky” hands, as well as “Clinging-arms.”) The concept here is to remain “stuck” to your opponent only long enough to feel the direction and force of the attack, which then directs you to the appropriate response. We do not want to stay “stuck” the opponent at every moment, though, because then we would never be able to strike; instead, we stay stuck at the beginning so we know what he/she is doing, and then we know how to respond.

Lap-sau is “Deflecting-arms.” As a movement, Lap-sau means “Grabbing-hand” but as a drill it means “Deflecting-arms.” Not all families perform the Lap-sau drill in the same way, just like they don’t train Chi-sau in the same manner, either. On the whole, however, Lap-sau refers to “deflecting.”

There are two thoughts to Chi-sau and Lap-sau. Some training single-arm Chi-sau (Chi-dan-sau), then Lap-sau drill, then double-arm Chi-sau (Chi-sheung-sau, Poon-sau, Luk-sau, etc.)

Others train Lap-sau and then single-arm Chi-sau, and still others do not train single-arm Chi-sau at all; instead, they go right into double-arm.

Personally? I was taught single-arm, then Lap-sau, then double-arm. I have also seen the same organization start out a few years later teaching Lap-sau, then single-arm, then double-arm. I still pass on what I learned and how I learned it, but after experimenting with how the arms seem to learn best? I like the idea of working the Lap-sau drill first, then going into the Chi-sau curriculums.

With Lap-sau, you get a sense of more realistic contact during this crucial phase of training. You get used to the “bangs” of contact and how your body responds, as well as how to take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves when the opponent opens up. And once a practitioner has a feel for Lap-sau, Chi-sau seems easier to learn because they are already used to the contact.

So where does Lat-sau fit in?

Lat-sau is a fighting drills curriculum, usually not seen in the same way with all families. Although all of the lineages “do” have the curriculum in one fashion or another, it is generally not structured in such a logically progressive fashion as we teach it. And since our training stemmed from Master Leung Ting’s WingTsun, that is what we continue to pass on (although we are no longer a part of Master Leung’s organization, we have the utmost respect for him and all of his practitioners).

For those unfamiliar with Lat-sau, think of it this way.

You have learned Pak-sau and punch, which is Pak-dar (Slap-hand with simultaneous attack). Where Lat-sau is concerned, we want to put this drill into as realistic a scenario as possible. 

We begin by stepping further away than usual, somewhere in the area that you might really be prior to a real fight. Then, we engage the opponent. In addition to “just” Pak-dar, we have to work our explosive stepping, our body positioning, and also engaging an opponent that won’t “let” us do what we want.

Just like a real opponent.

We work through the Pak-dar drill until competent, then we add side-steps. Then the opponent punches with hooks, responds with kicks, etc., pretty much anything they want.

Now we work Tan-dar, Fook-dar, Gaun-dar, and the other drills learned throughout our Wing Chun training so that we can gain valuable fight training without killing each other. In this way, we break out of the “stoic” and sometimes “dead” drills that can lead to a false sense of security, and replace it with “live,” ever-changing situations that keeps us fresh and always learning.

The stages of Chi-sau, Lap-sau and Lat-sau training vary from school-to-school, but on the whole, everyone is teaching basically the same things (just not in the same way or at the same time). Some think that various schools are “lacking” but this is from an uneducated view; on the contrary (and at least from the years that I’ve seen other methods), there are more similarities than differences.

You just have to keep an open mind and LOOK for them vs. automatically assuming that it isn’t there.