Chi sau is a drill. It has a few key purposes. It is a drill in which we continuously practice the three key blocks - bong sau, tan sau, and fook sau.
Chi sau is a drill. It has a few key purposes. It is a drill in which we continuously practice the three key blocks - bong sau, tan sau, and fook sau.
It is a drill which we use to teach our hands, bodies, and mind how to properly react to different pressures. Properly implies efficient, effective, relaxed, well timed, fluid, coordinated, and structured as well as the other attributes of a ving tsun technique.
The technique should not use muscle, strength, or crash with another technique (if your technique goes "clunk" against another technique then the technique was likely too strong or was mistimed).
In this drill, bong sau is one of the techniques that are practiced. Bong sau has some weaknesses because of the way it's performed in the drill. One weakness is that it does not protect the head or throat. But why should it protect the head or throat? In this drill, the head and throat are not valid targets. They are invalid targets because they are too easy to hit during chi sau. Reducing the amount of skill required to perform a technique ultimately results in reduced skill. Why would I do a drill that actually reduces my skill? Because it's easy and feeds my ego by proving that I can easily hit somebody.
Try doing chi sau without using any attacks to the head and neck. Having some trouble hitting the other person? Could it be caused by a lack of skill?
After training this way for a while you will be able to control the opponent and hit them wherever and whenever you want. Wouldn't that be nice!
The other thing about training that neck chop is that most people will not immediately give you their hands (especially bong sau) when in a fight. This takes away the gap that was being exploited in chi sau. Am I saying that chop will not work in a fight? No, anything could work - but the chances are much lower. And if your only/best ving tsun technique is one where your elbow is out, there is an exposure and risk.
What do you do after the chop? The elbow out neck chop leaves you with no follow up technique since there was no control required to make it hit. Since the chop is not powered by the elbow it may not have the power to win the fight. Now you're in trouble.
One may ask, well why don't we attack the head in chi sau. Chi sau is supposed to teach the techniques needed in a fight. This is true and is a good point. Chi sau teaches the techniques and relaxed mentality needed in a fight. If the chi sau becomes too much like the fight (such as when people attack to the head), it is very difficult to teach proper technique or mind. Once the techniques and mentality have progressed, the mai san jong drill is used to see if the techniques and mentality will stand up in a real fight. During mai san jong, you do not start by touching so the immediate advantage of a partner doing bong sau is removed. You start at a distance, close the gap, and attack. In this drill, go ahead and punch to the head as much as you want.
The 4 Stages of Competence
In kung fu (and psychology) there are four stages of competence that a person will follow when gaining a deep level of skill.
If the techniques don't hold up in mai san jong, it's back to safe chi sau to improve them. If the mai san jong drill causes anger, it's back to safe chi sau to calm the mind.
Often you will find that the person who is better at chi sau while adhering to all the rules will also be better at mai san jong and the fight. It's the natural by-product of having the superior technique and mentality taught learned in chi sau.
Techniques and Tutorials 
Chi sau is a drill. It has a few key purposes. It is a drill in which we continuously practice the three key blocks - bong sau, tan sau, and fook sau. 
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