Training: Day of the Snake

TRAINING: 

DAY OF THE SNAKE

Preview:

The snake style is efficient, sneaky, and unconcerned with brute strength. It's about being in the right place at the right time and setting up your opponent. With a simple flick of the wrist, palm, or fingers, you can drastically change an aggressor's destiny. In addition, many snakes constrict and wrap, and some snake styles do just that. These snake stylists can wrap up a foe and break fragile sections of the frame. The snake forms are used with patience and control; the snake doesn't bite if you leave it alone.

My snake inspired workout emphasizes the snake fist, which is basically similar to the spear fist, or a palm with pointed fingers, but often held at an angle in relation to the wrist. The snake fist is used to hit precise targets, and it allows the hands to be quick, which in turn allows the hands to parry, block, or sneak up along the target's limbs to wrap them up. This is the secondary emphasis of this workout--a number of joint locks that can either limit the opponent's movement or disable them to the point where they are no longer able to attack.

The kicks in this workout are low and minimal, as seen in most snake styles.

Warmup:

Windmills: 

• Straight Fingered Palm

Hand Strikes: 

• Snake Strike (Snake Fist)

Leg Strikes:

• Snap Kick
• Side Kick

Practice:

Striking Drills:

1. Hand Redirect and Snake Strike
2. Double Hand Drop and Snake Strike
3. Reverse Step Snake Strike
4. Reverse Step Snake Strike (Inverted Fist)

Locking Drills:

1. Snake Weave to Shoulder Lock
2. Snake Weave to Double Shoulder Lock (End up behind opponent)
3. Snake Weave and Elbow Lock (Forearm as fulcrum)
4. Snake Weave and Inside Wrist Lock (Can lead to drop)
5. Snake Weave and Bent Elbow Drop (Similar to Four Direction Throw)
6. Snake Weave and Chicken Wing Wrist Lock (End Side by Side)

Conditioning:

Arms: 

• Judo Push-Ups
• Reverse Judo Push-Ups

Core:

• Cobras

Reflection:

This snake workout focuses on one of the most precise fists one can apply. The snake fist is meant to hit very specific targets effectively, but if used incorrectly it can be injurious to the practitioner. The key to using the snake fist is accuracy and positioning. The snake fist should not go against the target's force; rather, it should hit from off angles. In this respect, it is very similar to the leopard paw strike. Their main differences, however, are the leopard paw's broader and harder striking surface, which means it can hit more head on, and it's shorter range  The snake strike has longer range and an even more specific striking surface than the leopard strike, and is risky if the target is oncoming.

This snake workout also focuses on the crushing and constricting aspect of the snake. The ability to weave through an opponent's defense (similar to chi sau, or "sticky hands") is required to set up crushing locks that can crack an opponent's structure. This workout puts those skills to practice.

Overall, this is a manipulative style that uses accuracy, positioning, and sensitivity as opposed to brute strength. You don't even have to lift, bro. But you do have to practice.