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Ish
07-29-2001, 01:36 PM
does anyone train in or know much about snake style kung fu. I am interested in learning about it. are there any good books or videos on the subject.
Any info would be much appriciated

Furious Tiger
07-29-2001, 03:28 PM
Check out the internet first. Tons of info. That is how I got my feet wet with Hung Gar. By magazines. Go to any local kwoons. ;)

Furious Tiger

Ish
07-29-2001, 04:31 PM
I have looked at a lot of stuff on the internet i just wanted other peoples opinions. such as is it effective. I've heard it is quite simmilar to wing chun. do any of you train in both?

GeneChing
07-29-2001, 06:31 PM
We just finished a video with Helen Laing, inheritor of the Emei Snake Fist. Click the topmost banner when it comes up MartialArtsmart.com, then search it on the internal engine.

Gene Ching
Asst. Publisher
Kungfu Qigong Magazine & www.KUNGFUmagazine.com (http://www.KUNGFUmagazine.com)

Dark Knight
07-29-2001, 09:41 PM
Green Dragon has a nice form on tape. you might want to look into them

dunbarj01
07-30-2001, 03:27 AM
Hi there,

I've done a tiny bit of snake KF and it's fantastic. Can't tell you much about it but it seems more like a "soft" style. Not a lot of hard force but more evasive hand movements.

Cheers

Ish
07-30-2001, 10:08 AM
does it have many forms or any weapons forms

xian_witch
07-31-2001, 08:34 PM
from what i understand, snake is an advanced soft style based on the concentration of chi flow to the finger tips(and such)to strike key pressure points? also, it is for smaller physiques, for it is not based on muscle mass? i heard this style, due to its complexity, was one of the more later styles to be taught at shaolin?

harmonize the forces of heaven, earth, and hell.

Kung Lek
07-31-2001, 09:58 PM
breath,coiling power, speed, point striking and using the fingers as the striking tool.

coiling power and speed are key, point striking is something you will learn at advanced levels of any animal style.

my sifu taught me a snake set and it feels very good to do. Requires a whole different kind of energy expression than tiger, crane or leopard, probably imho most similar in flavour to dragon.

The set I learned was southern, but i have seen a northern snake set and it shares many similarities.
I believe this has to do with the driving principles as stated above.

peace

Kung Lek

xian_witch
08-01-2001, 01:03 AM
does coiling power then come mostly from the shoulders and hip(as with most strikes)? i believe the only true way to acquire speed is through the queiting of the mind, a development of yin fluidity. i am no where near being taught snake, though i highly aspire to. i have a calling towards it. i believe the spirit of these animals determine the link an individual adopts as a style.

harmonize the forces of heaven, earth, and hell.

Gargoyle again
08-08-2001, 12:32 AM
I've learned a few snake forms so far. I don't know if they're specifically northern or southern though, I'll ask my sifu. Anyway, they have a very unique flow and feel to the movement. Very short and snappy motions, focusing heavily on centerline, but the techniques instead of being linear (like Wing Chun for example) are more quasi-linear ;), using very subtle circular motions for just about everything.

Defense is primarily based on evasion and parrying, not being there when a strike is coming, as opposed to block and counter of aggressive parrying (like tiger or crane would do).

Heavy use of spear hands and knife hands. Kicks are low and snappy. Motion through stances is low and stable. Most strikes are to vital areas, neck, bladder, eyes, groin, throat. There are a couple of interesting subtle arm locks and throws that are pretty cool.

I love snake :D

As for weapons forms speccific to snake, I don't know of any and haven't heard or seen of any

"You should never, never doubt what no one is sure about."
--Willie Wonka

Ish
08-08-2001, 11:10 AM
Thanks for all the info :cool: i'll check the internet for a good forms video. If any one knows one that would be good for a beginer i would like to hear about it. If any one knows any where I could learn it in the north east i would like to hear even more.

Crimson Phoenix
08-08-2001, 11:14 AM
Emei Snake?? Cool! I got many questions
Does Helen Liang have anything to do with Liang Shou Yu, since he also is a practicionner of Emei styles? Maybe it's his father, or uncle or he has nothing to do with her?
Anyway I wonder, is the video available for european format?
and..uuhhh...some other questions that I hope you can reply here:
since I don't know much about Mrs Liang, what do you think of her (I mean, her martial skills hehehehehe)...and what did you think of the video (quality of techniques, form etc...)
I'll understand if you don't want to answer some of them :-)
Thanks in advance anyway!

Phoenix

GeneChing
08-08-2001, 07:07 PM
Liang Shouyu is Helen's father. He supervised the shooting and production of her new snake video. He directed the applications personally.

We can provide this video in PAL format for a minor covnversion fee - click the topmost banner when it comes up MartialArtsMart.com and search "Helen" for more info.

To be honest, I haven't sat down and watched her snake video from beginning to end - I was only minimally involved in that project. But I've watched Helen move, and she has got to be one of the slinkiest masters I've seen. Between her water boxing and her snake, it's like she's got extra joints. Her snake form received international acclaim - I think there is even some footage of those demos on the video. She would be really hard to hit because she is small, fast and very sneaky. Actually, she would probably hypnotize your with her cobra eyes or lull you to sleep with her fine british accent before you could even think about hitting her. Her photos do not do her justice at all. I've seen many male masters crumple before her.
;)
Honestly, she is very sweet and gracious, and a top level martial artist. I'm sure you'll enjoy the video.

Gene Ching
Asst. Publisher
Kungfu Qigong Magazine & www.KUNGFUmagazine.com (http://www.KUNGFUmagazine.com)

Lost_Disciple
08-09-2001, 02:45 AM
Sounds like Gene's got a crush. :rolleyes: :p :D

Just some thoughts from an ignoramus.

Crimson Phoenix
08-09-2001, 11:23 AM
wow...thanks for the reply, Gene, it was more than I expected...can you have ANY video converted in PAL (don't tell me yes, or my wallet will suffer heeeheheheh).
As for H. Liang, judging from the arts she practiced I was almost sure she wasn't just bearing the same family name as Liang Shou Yu...
And how could I even envisage sparring with such a sweet creature heheheh
Or maybe it would be time to learn some grappling? :rolleyes:
Thanks anyway, I already checked the video, it sounds just great...and the cover is nice too, I like it when videos have a professional look...

Phoenix

GeneChing
08-10-2001, 01:38 AM
Actually, I think I'm the only male in this office who doesn't have a crush on Helen (don't go for Asian women, personally). In fact, that's probably why she got such a good video cover - it inspired our graphic artists. But I fully respect why guys fall for her.
But none would dishonor Helen, not just because of her own fighting skills, but imagine crossing her daddy...
Also worthy of note, she has a sister. In fact, the two have performed snake together. That's like out of some Kungfu movie, the snake sisters...

As for PAL conversion, we can only convert those that are TC Media produced. When you go to MartialArtsMart.com, you can tell which are which by the code number. TC Media videos begin with TC, ie, TC-LH002. The others are usually PR as in PR-GS101.

Gene Ching
Asst. Publisher
Kungfu Qigong Magazine & www.KUNGFUmagazine.com (http://www.KUNGFUmagazine.com)

Lost_Disciple
08-10-2001, 02:07 AM
I got a couple mags with the Liang family in it. I thought the little sister looked cuter, but probly way too young.

Back to the original topic though, I've been real curious about snake too. I've seen some Hung Gar forms with snake and those guys play it anywhere from really tense and strong to really fluid and quick. Jackie Chan does a bunch of snake in a bunch of different movies, but you can never tell how legit it is or how movie-fied it's been made. I used to train Green Dragon (got the details on it in my "history" posts) and that's a 5 animal style. In Green Dragon snake was all fluid and had a ton of ground techniques (flying leg scissors, rolls, etc). I'm curious about the styles out there that spend more time fleshing out their animal styles and increasing the number of techniques for each- more than say Hung Gar. I can't wait to see Hung Fut. I'd also like to see Ha Say Fu. I saw a southern shaolin snake form that someone taught my lil kung fu sister. It reminded me a lot of the hung gar form- the way it was played; but the techniques were different. I also think it's interesting that Omei has a snake, as I've always been real curious about animal forms in the north.

I guess what I want to know most is if snake is supposed to be played all fluid, with quick darting hands; or if it's supposed to be the way some people play it- all hard, tense, using power, quick but not stressing fluidity. I wonder if there are any Fukien snake players around?

Sorry to just keep babbling.

Just some thoughts from an ignoramus.

honorisc
08-10-2001, 06:10 AM
Snake and Crane Arts Of Shao-Lin--Jackie Chan

Five Deadly Venoms--(?)Shaw brothers (?)Golden Harvest

manuals:

* Striking Snake Maneuvers

Snake, Cat & Crane

Two videos, two books, these should cover how snake can be used~ Wu-Shu Snake is very flexible at least.

One becomes more flexible with practicing a snake style (Shao-Lin, Choy-Li-Fut, Heung Family, Wu-Shu...). Also, breathing improves (A, if not the attribute, (related to the aspect of human development of the Five animals, Dragon, Snake, Tiger, Leopard Crane)).

Snake is more than side to side as is Dragon. Snake includes forwards and backwards. Yet some might say there is no retreating in Snake.

Powerful, relentless, tenacious~, my say.

Very some such, perhaps might have been, likely say some, some not.

Lost_Disciple
08-10-2001, 09:08 AM
No_Know
Thanks for the info.
Just curious, you woulnd't consider Snake in Eagle's Shadow a good Snake movie as well?
Ian, my friend from Taiwan, specialized in Snake at his old hung gar school. His snake is real fluid with a lot of bobbing and weaving, almost a bit like a smooth boxer. But other people I've seen do Hung Gar, in videos, movies, demos, etc haven't done it as fluidly; almost like tiger with different hand positions & strikes. Maybe that's because they didn't specialize in it. I dunno; an interesting style

Just some thoughts from an ignoramus.

honorisc
08-10-2001, 07:08 PM
I would consider it good for getting an idea of what Snake can be like. Yes Snake in Eagle's Shadow is not only a good This is Kung-Fu video. It would also be good to get an idea of what Snake can be like. Snake in Eagle's Shadow II might also be good for that.

Very some such, perhaps might have been, likely say some, some not.

Snakey
08-16-2001, 07:07 PM
First off I would like to say snake and other animal styles are often misunderstood.snake is a southern art it uses 20 percent legs 80 percent hands.I recently read a post on how jiang jian ye
snake boxing is garbage and all his vidoes in general are garbage.These slack jawed hicks dont know what there talking about first jiang jian ye
videos are the best and most expensive instructional videos on the market all his vidoes
average two hours where as panther and other only go for an hour.His videos are clear and very detailed.He teaches you very slowly and does not put advanced techniques and forms in his videos beacause he knows people wont follow it.Someone also said that he does not know any applications
of the forms that he teaches on his tapes.This is again the ramblings of foolish poeple.I have his tai chi single fan and his snake boxing video.On
his snake video he verbally goes through all the techniques and also explains that each snake posture has many applications which is true personally you dont need him to show the applications because if your smart and talented like me you can figure all of them out.Without his snake video it would be impossible to learn
snake boxing because all the other snake video on the market are not in depth.I wanted to learn a begginer snake form and only with jiang jian ye videos is that possible.The people who bad mouth instructional videos are simply not talented enough to learn from them.