CHI GERK, in Cantonese, means ‘sticky legs’ and is a training drill used by Wing Chun Kung Fu practitioners. The drilling methods train the legs to respond to changes in pressure and direction, and strengthen the hips and stance. As Wing Chun is a sensitivity based system with chi sao, or ‘sticky hands’, being the test of skill between practitioners, it follows that drilling methods for the legs should be an integral part of its syllabus. Not all schools or instructors teach chi gerk as part of their regular training curriculum. Even the great Grandmaster Yip Man reportedly only taught applications of the legs in defence and attack. No formal drilling in chi gerk existed in Yip Man’s schools (This information was given to the author by two personal students of Yip Man). While combat application is always necessary to hone one’s fighting skills, the value of predetermined drills cannot be overlooked. Such drills enable the practitioner to do many repetitions over a relatively short period of time. And constant reputation is what makes a response instantaneous. Over the last 10 years I have had many discussions with senior Wing Chun practitioners, who all agree that the value of chi gerk drilling, along with fighting applications, provides the best preparations for real combat. There are many variations of hand positions to provide both stability and opponent control in chi gerk used throughout the world. The accompanying photographs clearly show one of these options… Chi gerk leg positions mirror the basic hand positions of chi sao, these being bong gerk, tan gerk, and fook gerk. The basic drills are performed both parallel- and cross-legged, with deflection and redirection being the goal. This redirection of the incoming force ensures the practitioner a clear path to counter-kick.
