Chy sau is one of the trademarks of the Chow Gar system. It is a partnered resistance-training and power building exercise, however, there is much more to it than meets the eye. Chy sau builds and tests your stanceworks, teaches you to release power without using the body, and is a form of sensitivity training.

Like everything in the Southern Mantis System, every detail has to be correct, any minor deviation can negate the benefits of the training, and can actually be harmful to your health. This is why it is important to train with an experienced Sifu, who will guide you and correct you, and who will take an interest in the well being of his students. It is this need for guidance, which enables us to present various aspects of this secretive style on the internet. Without guidance, you will never understand the aims and the subtleties of the art. In addition, we urge you to not be tempted to try these training methods without a genuine Sifu, as you may sustain injury.

Chy sau involves resistance along very specific lines, in a very specific way, in order to develop the tendons and the 'Chi' energy. The student works on developing power at a distance from the body, generated at the ends of the arms and in the hands. This is called the 'hanging power'. At first, there is no power at the end of the arm, and the student will be tempted to use the strength which he or she already possesses in the body. However, it is better to realise that you do not have the correct strength, and work hard to achieve it, than to cheat, and train an incorrect line for the sake of not appearing weak compared to your training partner.

Over time, the tendons surrounding the arm will become tight and strong, allowing you to generate piercing short-range strikes in various directions. This power is what makes Chow Gar Mantis such an effective and well-respected system. When delivered to a general area of the body, the power of these strikes is devastating. When delivered to nerve-points and vulnerable areas, as intended, the power can be extremely dangerous and possibly lethal. This is why a genuine Sifu will judge the character of his students over a period of time before, giving them the keys which allow them to unlock the Shock Power of the system.

If trained incorrectly, Chy sau will only result in the generation of large muscles in the arm and around the shoulder. Being an internal system, such muscles, although strong, are not effective in delivering short-range strikes. If the emphasis is placed upon building these, the Chi will not reach the hands, and the shock-power will never be achieved.