This may look like sparring, but the exercise is called Chi Sau, or 'Sticky Hands' in Wing Chun. The object is to find openings in your opponent's defenses while protecting yourself. The usual target area is the chest, but head shots can and will occur if the opening presents itself. You must not break contact with the arms of the opponent - in Wing Chun this makes you 'blind.' Wing Chun practitioners do not depend on their sight, but rather the touch (or sensitivity) in the arms.

In fact, Chi Sau can be done blindfolded, and in this demo film, I do have my eyes closed at times, or looking away. What your eyes see can be deceptive! It also takes longer to respond to what your eyes see, it is much faster to respond to what you touch; so Wing Chun people learn to trust and rely on their 'feelings.'

This form of 'Chinese boxing' has the distinction of being devised by a buddhist nun (Ng Mui) about 200 years ago. Her first student was a woman called 'Wing Chun' and the style was named after her. Wing Chun was made famous by Bruce Lee who briefly trained under the famous Grandmaster Yip Man in Hong Kong. For more information, see the East-West Wing Chun Kung Fu web site.