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護手 = protecting hand / guarding hand

護 = protect/ guard / defend / shield
(言 speech + 隹 short-tailed bird + 又 again)
手 = hand

In Wing Chun, 護手 referred to as "wu sau" is a protecting hand/guarding hand position.

The hand is held with palm facing out to the side of the body, fingers held together, thumb tucked close and overtime with training the hand and fingertips should point directly up to the sky.

In 小念頭 siu nim tau, when the 護手 wu sau approaches the body, it should only go up to a distance of a fist away and should not past that distance.

5.1.23 Day 22
In the 拉手 lop sau drill, it is important to get the 護手 wu sau hand up quickly and at a fist's length away from the body. The purpose of the wu sau is to protect the 心口 solar plex. In this case of the lop sau drill, the wu sau is a backup behind the 膀手 bong sau in case the bong sau fails and a punch comes through. If the wu sau is up right against the solar plex, it does not have the cushion of space to block a hit.

6.28.23 Day 37
The saan sau is a fighting position which includes two 護手 wu sau hands. One hand is a distance of a fist away from the body, fingertips point up toward sky. The other is held out almost like a taan sau arm but with a wu sau hand, fingertips pointing out and away from body, with palm slightly turned upwards (because it's more natural.

Date Added: 1/31/2023
Last Updated: 6/30/2023