Hiya, Phil. Just to address some of your points...
PR:In my nearly 35 years of consistant training in WC I have seen MANY who a really good at chi sau but cannot fight.
Chisauking: Every one of us has the ability to fight -- the only question is how good can we fight. Also, our standard of chisau may differ. What may be considered good to you may be rubbish to me.
PR:I know because when I was training under Yoel Judah I use to spar with lots of WC people. I was better conditioned and could take a good hit. They couldn't. If you've never been hit really hard during sparring do you know if you'll be able to continue? I've seen the guys good at Chi Sau catch a good punch/kick to the head or body during sparring and then are unable to continue.
Chisauking: A tolerance to pain is obvously an important, mental fighting attribute, and I can assure you that anyone that purports to have reach a high level in chisau would have surpassed this mental stage.
PR:Chi Sau is a cooperative training tool. I've seen to many people who think because they "tapped" you a few times during Chi Sau practice they are also good at fighting as well. Chi Sau teaches contact reflexes. Many of the techniques in Chi Sau are not directly applicable in real situations. You need to transpose the principles you learn in Chi Sau into sparring against an uncooperating partner using FULL power from different ranges. Also, real fighting requires heart, conditioning, power, and maybe even luck. There are many good fighters who know nothing of Chi Sau but they do have skill training, conditioning and most important, heart.
Chisauking: Chisau is only cooperative at a basic and intermediate level. Once you have reached a proficient level, the only limit is your ability and ruthlessness -- in other words, how much do you want to punish your opponent. You may place limits and cooperation in your chisau, many other practitioners don't.
As regards to that "realistic training clip" many, many wing chun practitioners already train more realistic than that anyway. In fact, to me, it was VERY unrealistic and dead. Quick examples: Gloves and no shoes. Who do you know that fights with gloves and no shoes on the street? I spar with no gloves and wearing Dr. Martin shoes, and sometimes a freemeal in the hospital is provided courtesy of the NHS for some of the particapants. No big deal. How about the stick clip. How many people on this forum that's been in a full-out gang fight seen the fighters hitting out only once with sticks and iron bars? You will find in reality that people using sticks or bars -- any weapon for the matter -- will not stop until their opponent is down and out -- sometimes they will continue even when the guy is knocked unconscious! Why don't they -- in the clip -- train like that than if they claim to be realistic and alive?
At the end of the day, no matter how realistic I think I train, I can't match the realitity of training that occured at an earlier time by our wing chun ancestors. But unlike some on this forum pointing to that clip for reference, I don't delude myself otherwise. And I don't poke fun or ridicule others for choosing to train at a lesser intensity. As I have said before, your fighting may not be fighting.
One last time: Does anyone know of a prominant wing chun practitioner that's reach the "BEST" in chisau but can't fight?
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The criticisms were specific to what we saw in the video, unknown factors not withstanding. Speed can be a defect if it comes at the expense of other fundamental attributes, IMO.
