The Wu Sau is a basic defensive position for many Wing Chun moves. If one hand is attacking then the other hand is usually going to be in the Wu Sau position. The Wu Sau not only serves as a back up block, it can also be turned into an offensive technique (punch, grab,chop, etc.) if the need arises. Understanding how to Wu Sau correctly is more important than you may think.

How to Wu Sau Correctly

The problem with the Wu Sau for many students, especially in the beginning, is the Wu Sau is not being performed correctly which will make the Wu Sau ineffective. The most common issue with a Wu Sau is that it is held too close to the body to be useful as either a block or an attack. When the Wu Sau is held close to the body, it is “collapsed” meaning if it was meant to be a block then it has no power to withstand the force of the opponent’s attack. If the Wu Sau was meant as a way to attack and its still too close to the body, then it is also going to be ineffective because the ability to produce any power behind a punch, paak, etc is going to be compromised because of its collapsed position.

Being sure your Wu Sau is in the correct position is not as difficult as it may seem. Be sure your Wu Sau hand is no closer to your body than the inside crease of your opposite elbow. Its also very important that the Wu Sau hand is pressing outward and the fingers are pulled back toward the body. The boney part of the wrist is what should be pushed outward. While the fingers are being pulled back, don’t forget to keep your fingers together and your thumb should not stick out.

Examples of How to Wu Sau

Below are some pictures that I hope will be helpful:

Hopefully this article was helpful in understanding how to Wu Sau correctly. Getting this form right can help in both offense and defense during a fight.

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