Quote Originally Posted by boxerbilly View Post
If you can find a video please post it. Id love to see that version. Here is a version I learned, similar ?

Im sure more relaxed . This is a rather hard version.

Another concept. Pigeon toe. Why ? A few reasons I know of.

That said, That open center guard . Thai's did real well with it. Also you Mantis dudes and Im sure all you dudes. Lots of arm break variations with your mantis hook hands and forearm smash that center draw allows. Motions the same variations abound. Or Arm trap and open side shots galore. Easier to see in the Uechi Ryu version for karate guys. Break structure. Uechi version shows you don't have to stay on line. You can circle to the side. Uechi likely created it to stop his students from staying on line. Avoid head on collisions. Ive always preferred Uechi versions as far as karate is concerned.
Traditional Thai guard is actually more open, as the elbows flare outward. That is done so That incoming round kicks have possibility of connecting with your elbow, damaging the opponent. The elbow down position seen here prevents the elbow from being used as a lever in chin na. The pigeon toed stance is for protection. The southern styles aren't kicking styles. When they do kick, they are below waist level and some styles only had one or two kicks - a front kick and a stomp kick. The stance protects the groin from that common front kick, much in the way the Thai stance elbow position protects against the roundhouse. The guard is closer how I learned it, but pretty much all San zhan / sanchin is similar. The stance is for protection and rooting, maximizing the amount of short power that can be easily applied.