Review of Austin Goh's Wing Chun Chi Sao Basic DVD

Date: May 18, 2016

Customer/3rd Party Review: This review was done by a customer/3rd party and is listed here for you reference only. The views and opinions of the reviewer are not those of Everything Wing Chun and do not necessarily reflect EWC's views or opinions on the subject matter. It is posted, like all customer reviews, to give you more info on the product and to give you different opinions on a product so that you can make the best decision for yourself about its content. The review is NOT by an EWC employee or contractor and EWC cannot stand by anything said in any customer/3rd party review. Enjoy!

Reviewer: George Hernandez
Date: February 7, 2011
DVD Bought on: Everything Wing Chun and is also available for download on Everything Wing Chun Instant Access

Technical Specifications:

Title: Austin Goh, Wing Chun Chi Sao Basic
Format: PAL DVD-R
Language: English
Region:All Regions
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 - 1.78:1
Number of discs: 1
Length: 38:31 Minutes
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
DVD Release Date: 24 July 2006

What It’s About:

This DVD covers the basic training associated with Chi Sao practice, which includes single and double hand movements. Chi Sao Ring Training, basic hand techniques, with attack and defend applications, as well as showing fundamental movements of Chai Sao leg techniques known as Chi Gert.

Comments:

There is much criticism associated with the Sifu Goh, Wing Chun Wing DVD training series, some of it is warranted and in others it’s not. Most of the Chi Sao techniques demonstrated in this DVD are done by his students…at times it appears their application of Chi Sao, is not all that polished in its execution. The danger with this is, is that the beginning student might establish bad habits in their practice, which could make the techniques ineffective.

However, if you want to learn the fundamental sequences associated with Chi Sao training then this DVD will provide it, as well as the opportunity to learn the Cantonese terms for the hand and leg techniques. Learning the terms associated with the system will help one acquire a better understanding of Chi Sao principles, while adapting the practice in its applications with a partner. This should give one the means to discuss a particular movement, with your Sifu or partner when a technique is done improperly or when you have questions regarding a specific application.

In that being said, one should not practice the Chi Sao, with some kind of internal verbal dialogue to remember one technique or application to the next…that would be a big mistake…which would effectively reduce sensitivity and the ability to respond swiftly. I do however, wish that Sifu Goh, had participated more in the demonstration of the basic forms and applications of the Chi Sao practice.

In a review, I had read about this DVD on a website of a well-known book seller, Sifu Goh’s, Chi Sao was called “sloppy”. The reviewer had based his criticism, on claiming he has been in the martial arts for at least twenty-five years. From reading his review, this person apparently has studied in just about every known Chinese martial art system you could think of! If that is the case, usually, the person knows very little about any one of them. One might say in Chinese, that his cup is too full. There is a common thread which runs through all of martial arts…it takes a real master, one who is keenly aware of this most basic principle. At the very least, any martial artists, should show some humility about what they think they know.

I feel that the criticism given by the bookseller reviewer, is unjustified and that he does not possess the necessary insight or experience in making an adequate judgment of Sift Goh’s, skill. The bookseller reviewer and his so called years of experience, is notwithstanding. To really know, one would need to experience Sifu Goh’s hand in Chi Sao, then the criticism could be based on what was experienced. I remember so time ago from an article in “Black Belt” magazine asking various well known martial artist, if they could beat Brue Lee, in a fight…the responses, were that they could have defeated him…well certainly, that is easy to say, after the guy has died! The Bookseller’s review, is in the same realm of conjecture…there is no direct experiential basis for it.

So…Sifu Goh’s difficulty is not in his WC skills, but in the production process of his DVD series, which is an entirely different problem! For example, he has different narrators participating in this DVD, which breaks up the production’s consistency. That being said, Goh's Wing Chun Kung Fu, Chi Sao series, does have value, if approached from the stand point of what you might learn from it or how it could be improved.

Content Over View: Austin Goh, Wing Chun Chi Sao Basic

Introduction

- Purpose of the Basic Chi Sao Training system
- Brief Free Hand Chai Sao Demonstration by Sifu Goh

Basic Demonstration

- The Main hand techniques used in Chi Sao
- Double Hand demo by Sifu Goh and Senior Student
- Explanation of the Three Basic Chi Sao hands
- Explanation of the Bong Sao and Lap Sao
- Explanation of the Lap Sao and the five associated hand changes
- Explanation of the Double Hand Showing the Right and Left Side
- Explanation of Huen Sao Training

Basic Hand training of the Chi Sao Training Applications

- Applications shown demonstrated
  - Lap Sao Technique
  - Front Chuan Technique
  - Upper Cut Technique
  - Chopping Technique
  - Tan Sao Technique

Chi Sao Attack and Defend Techniques

- Demonstrated Techniques
  - Tan Sao – Pac Sao
  - Lap Sao – Back Fist
  - Lap Sao - Front Punch
  - Lap Sao/Pac Sao/ Elbow
  - Inside Pac Sac/Front Punch
  - Gong Sao/Fat Sao

Basic Chi Sao Attack/Counter Techniques

- Demonstrated Techniques
  - Lap Sao/trapping hand/Back Fist
  - Lap Sao/Pac Sao Punch
  - Fat Sao Block/Elbow
  - Trapping Hand/Fat Sao
- Demonstrated Counter Attack
  - Fook Sao/Elbow
  - Pac Sao/Front Punch
  - Jam Sao/Double Fat Sao
  - Pac Sao/Trapping Hand

Chi Sao full Speed Demonstration