The Dokusan of Chi Sau

Dokusan, translates as ‘going alone to a respected one’ is a private interview between Teacher and student in the Buddhist Zen tradition.

This is held in a one to one basis, within the zendo, this is usually a very small candle lit room.

During Dokusan, it is one of the few times a student in the somewhat austere practice, can fully open themselves up fully and freely to their teacher.

During these meetings an examination into their practice is often conducted, to give guidance and encouragement where required, for more experienced students they may be working on a koan, so this would be investigated.

As this is an open talk and discussion, they can become emotionally charged, often tears are involved, I once heard of a teacher being physically attacked during Dokusan.

During my time in Zen Buddhism I attended Dokusan twice with Zen teachers, it was sometimes useful to get advice from the top people, sometimes receiving grounded practical advice, at other times being given a somewhat mystical answer. Overall the general principal is what happens in Dokusan, stays in Dokusan.

So what does this have to do with Chi Sau, and Wing Chun Kung Fu?

Well one of the principles of Dokusan, is that you’re sat with your teacher (a one to one basis), your teacher did the same with his teacher, and so on and so forth, back through the generations, until two thousand years ago (or there a bout’s) a student sat down with the Buddha in a one to one meeting.

This meeting of minds, is one of the principles of Dokusan an unbroken lineage back to the Buddha sitting with his student.

So thinking about Chi Sau (sticking hands) I roll hands with my Sifu, who rolled hands with his teachers, who rolled hands with Ip Chun, who in turn rolled hands with his father, Ip Man.

Like Dokusan Chi sau gives us this lineage between teacher and student on a one to one basis, so this action of touching hands with my Sifu is part of my heritage linking my current practice back through time to the late Grandmaster Ip man.

Thinking back to Zen, one of the main outcomes of Dokusan meeting, is for the student to feel supported, encouraged and possibly challenged (that leads to growth and strength in their practice) this is the same with Chi Sau, which is a great way to have a (literal) hands on assessment of the students growth within the system.

Also a student should leave feeling encouraged but also challenged to again encourage growth and development, if you have a good Sifu.

So I think the keywords to take from both Dokusan and Chi Sau, is encouragement and challenge.