How do you beat snake style? (Nam Pai?)

Discussion in 'Kung Fu Resources' started by Alistair Sweeting, Jun 29, 2020.

  1. Xue Sheng

    Xue Sheng All weight is underside

    I was thinking the same thing.

    I got thoroughly trounced by a southern Mantis guy and an American Kenpo guy way back in my youth....and the Southern Mantis guy was the coolest beating I have too; :)
    Also lost, decisively, to one of my Xingyiquan Shifus. We were sparing and he said, I don't feel like I'm sparing if I don't get hit...so I hit him, twice....he said better...and then thoroughly trounced me...that to, to me, was rather cool. And all 3 were excellent learning experiences.
     
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  2. Flying Crane

    Flying Crane Well-Known Member

    Biggest eye-opener that I had was in college. I was a Kenpo guy at the time and my Kenpo teachers liked to badmouth Tae Kwon do. They both had some experience with it so I believed them and assumed their prejudices.

    When I went to college, I met a student from Mexico who was trying to get into the Mexican Olympic TKD team. We got together for a sparring session and I assumed he wouldn’t have much to give. In truth, he walked all over me. It was no contest, he was just much better than I was.

    I still have no interest in studying TKD, it’s just not my thing. But I can certainly respect the skill a fellow can develop from studying it.
     
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  3. El Medico

    El Medico Valued Member

    Not sure what a snake style stance is,guess it would depend on whether it was a Hung snake,a CLF snake,a Northern snake system snake,etc.

    But since you were only a Karate brown belt at the time it may simply have been that you were simply too "rigid" relative to him. You stated

    so the direct/hard thing may really have been a greater detriment than you realized at the time.

    When I was coming up my stablemates and I often got over on people with more experience (like brown belts) just because they were too ....stiff,rigid,whatever.And I don't just mean things like excessive muscular tension,I mean footwork,flexibility in tactical shifts,etc.

    Seems he was just better than you,and possibly your own manner of execution,techniques,strategies,options,etc learned previously added to his advantage.

    Out of curiosity,what was the structure of this particular system representative stance?

    EDIT-this should be in the regular forum,not the Resources part.
     
  4. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    Yes and No. If someone's good in punching range (like a boxer) then you'll probably be best trying to stay at a longer range (kicking) and/or a shorter range (entering to grappling).
    If someone's a good kicker again you probably want to be completely out of range or inside kicking range (punching and grappling).
    This was one thing the Gracie's knew very well and took advantage of that to spring board BJJ and grappling into the mainstream of martial arts.
     
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  5. Flying Crane

    Flying Crane Well-Known Member

    I would agree with you on this with the caveat that you need to be able to force the other guy to play your game. Because it can go in the other direction too: if YOU are a good kicker and HE is a good puncher, then he would be better to get in close where it is harder to use your kicks.

    Whoever is able to control the encounter on that level will have a definite advantage.
     
  6. Pretty In Pink

    Pretty In Pink Moved on MAP 2017 Gold Award

    And don't forget all the folks that can kick better, punch better and grapple better than you. Nightmares they are.
     
  7. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    I hate those people.
     

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