Go-Sao Seminar | 3. + 4. September 2005 in Ottweiler During september seminar Si-Gung Blech introduced the meaning of Go-Sao. Go-sao means “free hands”, but we must not believe it represents a fake fight: through the Go-Sao pretty different skills are built and improved. First Si-Gung asked the partners for a demonstration of their idea of Go-Sao but we were just attacking on and on: nobody felt the simple need of defending nor stepping backwards. Through the Go-Sao we can study and perceive our partner's movements and will: we have to keep the right distance in order to be out of his reach. Only then can we decide how to move. In this way, without being aggressive or forced by an impulse, we make our own decisions so that we become familiar with the partner's arms. Most of all, we become familiar with our own body: we learn how to move. Several times Si-Gung Blech said we were acting due to precise schemes during the exercises, while they required smoothness and synchrony, particularly when the arms had to move in opposite ways. It was clear that the body couldn't follow the brain's commands if it was not used to (without sufficient training). Personally, but I think my friend would share my opinion, I found brilliant the chance of stepping back while absorbing a movement, keeping the right balance and creating the correct situation for a counter-attack. In this way our movement can be much more precise and effective. During the training I had to deal with a number of guys coming from many european Countries, whose Wing-Chun was always different: it was so exciting to find myself trying to face both strong and weak arms, slow and fast movements, smooth and heavy pressures. Anytime Si-Gung gave us a new exercise the same principles were present: the dim dim chen (every technique must point at the opponent's centre); the lat sao chek chun (when the path is free, choose the shortest distance) and most of all the fon son: we have to stay smooth and relaxed and avoid any tension in the body. Obviously it doesn't mean we must be evanescent: the positions must be kept, but with the minimum amount of strenght required. This behaviour is quite important to learn such a difficult discipline. The stage was very good: a two-day training gave us a huge number of tips and ideas and the atmosphere was firendly and relaxed: it was possibile to work with no stress and this is always fundamental. Eleonora Mattina