淺談「黐手」What is Chi Sao to you?

葉問宗師和其徒李小龍黐手 Grandmaster Ip Man and Bruce Lee

在我的學習和練習詠春拳的過程，絕大部分時間都花在黃淳樑/林文學系統與梅逸系統。不過，我最初學習的是梁相系統。（梁相是葉問宗師在香港的大弟子。）另外，我曾經也有機會短暫地學習過其他詠春拳，包括非葉問系統。透過這樣的學拳歷程，我學會了保持開放的心態去聽取不同的觀點或不同理解。然後，分析我所聽到的並吸收有用的或者是有道理的。

提到上面的原因，是因為黐手可能是詠春拳中有最多不同的觀點和爭議性的議題。黐手是幾乎在所有詠春學校都應有的一個非常普遍的練拳方法。但似乎每個學校都有不同的黐手定義及不同的練法。有人把黐手只當作一個靈敏度或手感的練習。有些人視它為自由對打或用它來模擬真實的格鬥。有些人認為當在練黐手，練習的雙方應該是要彼此配合的。不過，有人持相反的觀點。對我來說，只要它是由合格的教練或師傅教的，各師各法沒有對錯。我對黐手的觀點是它是一個非常有彈性的訓練平台; 其強度和訓練重點可隨時進行調整。它可以是和訓練夥伴百分之百的配合訓練。它可以是完全不配合盡可能接近實戰的訓練，只要它是在不傷害到彼此的前提下進行的。聽說近來國外有些詠春門人甚至認為黐手在實戰上用處不大，主張直接做過手或自由對打。這是一個有趣的想法。現在讓我們來想一想。對我們練詠春的人來說，應該都會同意這是一個非常聰明和簡單而直接的門派。如果黐手和實戰只有很少或根本沒有關係，那麼為什麼詠春拳的創始人發明了黐手？兩三百年前我們的祖先練詠春致力反清復明活動，如果黐手不是很重要，為何要浪費時間在黐手上？在許多武術，如空手道，在學習完套路和及其應用後，如果他或她想了解在格鬥時如何應用該門派武術，學生就可以直接進入到自由對打。為什麼在詠春拳不遵循相同的步驟？其次，聽一些前輩說葉問宗師的第一代弟子除了套路外主要就是練習黐手。然而，他們可以從黐手直接到外面去比武或街頭打鬥，沒有任何問題，為什麼呢？

就個人而言，我深信黐手在學習詠春拳的過程佔了一個非常重要和不可動搖的地位。我認為我們需要在黐手上有了非常堅實的基礎後，然後才開始做過手或自由對打。如此，詠春拳的特點比較可以在過手或自由對打時更加突出地體現出來。對我來說，練黐手的目的是為了要先練好以下的項目。（注意：這並不是一個完整的清單。）

1.步法

2.手法 (尤其是詠春三大支柱 - 攤手、膀手、伏手)

3.身法結構

4.應用詠春概念或心法 (如「朝形」)

5.聽勁

6.「埋踭」

7.習慣於黐手/短橋距離

8.衝氣

9.適當的反射動作

On my journey of learning Wing Chun, I have spent almost all of my time on Wong Shun Leung/Gary Lam and Moy Yat systems.  However, I started out with the Leung Sheung lineage. (For those who don’t know about Leung Sheung.  He is the first disciple of the Grandmaster Ip Man in Hong Kong.)  Also, I had opportunities to learn other Wing Chun, including non-Yip Man system, as well.  Through this path, I have learned to keep an open mind and to listen to different points of view or different interpretations of the art.  Then, analyze what I heard and absorb what are useful or what mak sense to me. 

The reason that I’ve mentioned above is because the subject of Chi Sao is probably the most divergent and controversial one.  Chi Sao is a very common practice in almost all Wing Chun schools, yet it seems everyone defines it differently and practices it differently.  Some treat it as a sensitivity drill.  Some use it to simulate real fights.  Some people insist when practicing Chi Sao, both partners should be cooperative with each one. But, some have an opposite view on this.  To me, as long as it is taught by a qualified coach or Sifu, they are all probably correct.  But, what you get out of Chi Sao has a direct link to how you practice it.  My current view on Chi Sao is it is a very flexible training platform; its intensity and training focus can be adjusted depending on what phase of training the student is in.  You can be 100% cooperative with your training partners or you can go as hard as you want with a resisting partner to make it as close to real combat as possible, if you both have agreed to before the practice and as long as it is done under the prerequisite of not hurting each other.    

Recently, I heard some Wing Chun people even think Chi Sao isn’t very useful and claim we should skip Chi Sao and go right into Gor Sao or sparring.  That’s an interesting thought.  Now, let’s think about it for a second.  For us who practice Wing Chun would all agree it is a very intelligent martial art that is simple and direct.  So, why the creator of Wing Chun invented Chi Sao, if it has little or no use to real combat?  Remember hundred years ago, our ancestors practiced the art to overthrow the Qing Dynasty, why would they want to waste their time on Chi Sao, if it is not important?  In many martial arts, such as karate, after learning the forms and their applications then the students can go right into sparring, if he or she want to learn how to fight with the art.  Why not do the same thing in Wing Chun?  Lastly, by all counts, the first generation student of the Grandmaster Ip Man mainly practiced Chi Sao besides the forms.  However, they could go from Chi Sao training to challenge fights or street fights without any problems, why?

Personally, I deeply believe Chi Sao has a critical and unshakable position in developing Wing Chun skill.  I also believe we need to have a very solid grounding in Chi Sao before we start to do Gor Sao or sparring, thus the characteristics of Wing Chun can be expressed more prominently in sparring.  To me, the purpose of practicing Chi Sao is to train following areas of the art.  (Note: This isn’t meant to be a complete list.)

l          Stances and Stepping

l          Body Structure 

l          Techniques (Especially the “Three Pillars of Wing Chun” -Tan, Bong, Fook)

l          Applying the Wing Chun principles (for example, “Facing”)

l          “Listening” Ability

l          Elbow Down 

l          Forward Energy/Forward Intent

l          Proper Reflex

l          Accustom to Chi Sao range