Simple derivation of general Fierz-type identities

General Fierz-type identities are examined and their well-known connection with completeness relations in matrix vector spaces is shown. In particular, I derive the chiral Fierz identities in a simple and systematic way by using a chiral basis for the complex 4 X 4 matrices. Other completeness relations for the fundamental representations of SU(N) algebras can be extracted using the same reasoning. (c) 2005 American Association of Physics Teachers.