Kwan Ying Dao Basic #1 -Arm Snakes / Arm Grabs

​Snake Turns Over (a.k.a-ARM SNAKES/ARM GRABS)

​In martial arts we learn that basics are the most important aspect of training. No matter what level you’re looking at, the basics meld and evolve with you as a martial artist, never part from them. Basic techniques lead you, when given the correct guidance, to principle based movement and free form application. Along your progression the principles will be made a part of your natural movement. As you progress it’s always good to continue the practice of basic techniques. In your art you’ll find that basic techniques will feel and function slightly differently as you evolve and progress as a martial artist. Internalize the practice and forever you will find it grows you into an ever changing, deeper and more apt individual.

In Kwan Ying Dao, Arm Snakes are the epitome of basic techniques. Their practice builds solid foundations that will help you with a wide variety of great martial attributes. Including but not limited to: breaking out of grabs, full body power at short ranges, stability and strengthening the wrist, grip strength, “wrapping” the body, power in the forearms for hard + strong blocks, sinking into and drawing power from the earth, and last but not least learning the proper kinetic chain and structure for the delivery of punches, grips, pulls, and exchanges.
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Arm Snakes are done in horse + 2nd stances keeping the bottom half of the body fixed and sunken into the ground while the top half of the body performs the movement. Though movement in the legs is not visible while doing the exercise, internally there should be movement and tension to guide the arms and keep stability in the stance.

​Arm snakes are generally done in temple horse as opposed to ko horse. In Kwan Ying Dao we have a ‘temple stances’ and a ‘Ko/Gao stances’. Temple stances are more suited for application whereas Gao stances are more for strength training and flexibility. Throughout the rest of this blog post we’ll dive into the particulars of horse and second stances, as well as the 7 parts and program of the snake turns over exercise.

Before we continue a deep and heartfelt thank you to Dave Cial for introducing me and urging me to practice this program, Ron Mohr for elaborating more deeply on it, and to Steve Encamp for sharing his lineage's practice of it.

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Horse Stance-

Horse stance (“ma bu” in Chinese), is a mainstay in all traditional martial arts forms. You will see this stance in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean martial arts at various depths and for various purposes. Throughout martial arts it is common knowledge that this stance is best for its side to side stability and rooting.

What is not so commonly known; is how it is an exercise for balanced strengthening of the legs. When done correctly you can work every part of the legs: adductors, abductors, rotators, extensors and flexors of the thighs, calves, ankles, even the stabilizers and the plantar muscles of the feet are strengthened with the correct focus. To train all these muscles it’s important to sink, spiral and counter these forces with opposite muscles within your body.

If you have a background in other martial arts you may have noticed our practice of this stance is a bit higher than most this is because our particular focus is on internal alignments, spiraled through muscular development.

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Basic alignments for Temple Horse Stance:

• Feet should extend slightly past shoulder width, measured by the opening sequence of toes 90°, heels slightly pigeon toed about shoulder width, toes 90°, heels straight, should be about 1 ½ shoulder width.
• Once the feet are properly positioned, sink into the stance, pushing the knees out above the feet.
• As you are pushing the knees out, counter that action by also pulling in with the inside of your thighs and use your pelvic floor and gluteal muscles to provide dome-like support for your upper body.
• It is important to grip the floor with the toes and heels of each foot; rotating inward and keeping the blade edge of the feet straight. This will strengthen the support of the muscles in the feet
• Once stance alignment is achieved, relax and sink the upper body into the horse stance. This action stretches the calf and builds structure in the legs.

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Second stance

This stance is very similar to the horse stance. The only difference is the upper torso is twisted to its farthest extent on one side. There’s one rule most Tai Chi and Xing Yi schools have, that the Kwa (hip crease) and shoulders should function as a unit. This stance obviously doesn’t follow that rule. It teaches us how to extend the spine while stretching the torso for greater torque and power by freeing up the waist and abdomen.
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While in second stance you should feel a slight stretch: 

• Diagonally from the back of the hip, on the rear shoulder side across the back, to the front shoulder
• Straight across the ribs in the midsection
• Diagonally from the bottom of the ribs to the opposite hip on both sides.
• The hips should remain facing forward to form an anchor for the rotational force.
• The spine should be kept erect as in the Horse, Wu Ji, and Hug Tree postures. This point is extremely important as you don’t want to injure your spine by loading a max amount of tension onto a spine that is angled/tilted out of alignment while being rotated.
• When doing training this stance alone outside of other basics, turn the head looking to the side you are turned to. 
• Keep your shoulders locked. Be sure to keep the arms taught back and not to collapse them because of the rotation. This will force you to be aware of your spinal rotation instead of moving your shoulders.
• The Second Stance contributes to the ability to hit forward while standing square; keeping you grounded. This stance builds power in your upper body by focusing on how to connect force across the body and along the same side. This ability is then easily applied to a fighting stance or any action. The isolation of the abdominal rotation is a great way to build the Middle Jiao (the section between the sternum and the bottom of the rib cage) that connects the lower Dan Tien to the upper body so power flows from the legs to the shoulders without being lost to misalignments of the spine.

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​Arm Snakes First Movement: Snake Leaves Its Nest

​In this first movement there are many things to pay attention to. First thing is to not allow the waist to collapse when performing the curl. Second is to be sure to use the Second Stance to power the movement. In phase 1 (noted in picture to the left) you should be in Second Stance. Bring the shoulder forward rotating the spine, without allowing the hips or the spinal structure to collapse. In phase 2 of the movement you come back to horse stance; keeping the tension and torque in the wrist.

The Second Stance is what powers the movement while solidifying your base in the horse stance. This first movement establishes the connection between the rotation of the body and the movement of the hand. The following movements need to have the same type of mechanic if they are going to have any sort of martial translation and effectiveness.

In “Snake Leaves Its Nest” we find a movement that resembles a curl that builds strength in the bicep, forearm muscles, shoulder, and chest. This movement has many muscular benefits. You also acquire a great deal of timing/ coordination skills. These skills are easily translated into a grab/wrap/block of an incoming strike/kick/grab of any sort. It also teaches exceptional mechanics for raising the arm in front of the body therefore covering and clearing the entire body for a block. Within this movement we are also training an uppercut. Make sure to keep the hand and arm tight and snug; again drilling in the power from the Second Stance.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to maintain Second Stance and proper structure within the rotation of this movement (The Snake Leaves Its Nest). Aside from a strength training regimen, Arm Snakes are also an exercise to help the chi rise up from the legs and Dan Tien. The chi spirals up the spine, opens the Ren + Du channels, and branches out to the arms. Physically, this translates to a realignment of the individual vertebra; bringing space and movement to the intervertebral discs. It also contributes to the retraining of the legs; relaxing them into their structure. This brings fluidity and connectivity to the movement of spine, scapula, elbow, wrist, and hand; in that order.
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At times you may find yourself pushing your head or spine forward when curling up. Be quick to correct it! If you do not, you will develop pain from poor alignment and this will eventually lead to severe injuries. The tension used in these exercises; when done with proper alignment, can do wonders for all sorts of joint malfunctions, ailments of various internal organs (mainly in the abdomen, but heart and lungs benefit as well), and muscular issues. Alignment is easily corrected but difficult to maintain and takes constant personal reminding. Starting off, practice beside a mirror and pause at different portions of the movement and check your alignment. This will help you keep your spine straight and your body relaxed into the legs.

​Arm Snakes Second Movement: 
Snake Looks for its Prey

These movements are simple ones, although in their simplicity I find many foundational principles are lost. Their difficulty lies in connecting the rotation of the spine with the minute rotation and extension of the hand.
From the first movement we learned how to connect the rotation with the curling up of the fist. In the second and third movements we work with the turning of the wrist and that same rotation. When you bring the hand down and rotate it forward as if the “snake is looking for its prey” you should be in second stance toward the opposite side. When bringing the fist back into extension “finding its prey” you should be in second stance toward the same side.
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This connection of the body to the rotation of the wrist is what builds immense power in the forearms and has many martial applications. When a wrist lock is being performed on you move your body in the same way as in these exercises and you will find it very easy to escape. With wrist grabs it is the same, joining the movement of the wrist with the body makes it very easy to manipulate someone else’s arm should they make the mistake of holding on; if you wish to break the hold this same mechanic can be used fairly easily.

​Arm Snakes Third Movement: Snake Finds its Prey

​As in the first movement, maintaining the structure of the second stance is paramount. Along with the second stance’s alignments of the spine, relaxation into the legs, rotation of the torso and keeping the hips in line with the legs, there is another attribute that I feel is important to address. The position of the shoulders, your shoulders should stay flat and not rotate independently or rise from their starting position. To let them rise is to build tension in the neck and break the connection of the scapula to the ribcage. This connection is the bridge of power from the spine to the arm. In these smaller movements this connection is very important.
The bottom line is that wherever you want there to be power, generate that power from the movement of your body. In Arm Snakes we are focusing on the rotation of the trunk, keeping stability in the legs. The power here comes from that second stance rotation. 
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Remember to practice all the movements of the Arm Snakes at a slow steady pace with tension. This tension will build proper timing and alignment in the long run. Don’t speed it up but flow within the movements. When you come to apply them later your movements will keep their timing and effectiveness. Nothing benefits from sloppiness. Take your time, build strength, then power will become second nature, without even trying.

​Arm Snakes Fourth Movement: Snake Strikes Out

​This Fourth Movement is done right after the “snake sees his prey”. As if opening the mouth of the snake forcefully and slowly open the fingers. Outstretch the fingers not only by extension but also by spreading them out as far as you can. There should be whiteness spread along the palm from the stretching of the hand. While spreading out the hand you should push out at a 45⁰ angle to the opposite shoulder. Keep the elbow snug and rubbing against the body during the push out. At the end of the movement the elbows should be down and the push should be up at a 45⁰ angle.

The important thing to pay attention to stance and structure wise is that you should feel a pull from the shoulder that is pushing forward to the opposite hip. This is important because it is a sign that you are stretching and opening the back to perform the push. Same thing as in all the other movements the spine should be kept erect and the rotation should be from the second stance.

All parts of Arm Snakes are important for different reasons but the first and fourth are very important. I say this because they show the basic functions and timing for blocks (1st + 4th movement) and strikes//pushes (4th movement). This fourth movement besides teaching proper striking alignment also gives one the ability for uprooting someone.
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To uproot is a term we use in Tai Chi and Kung Fu practice which basically means to cause someone to lose their footing or in other words disrupt their balance. This uprooting action comes from the angle of the push. The angle from the shoulder to the hand should be 45⁰ upwards. The push is also 45⁰ off the shoulder to the opposite side. This is so that the power can be drawn from the foot of the same side or the foot of the opposite side. Ultimately you can draw the power from either leg with enough practice.

​Arm Snakes Fifth Movement: Snake Bites its Prey

Snake Bites its Prey is an extremely important exercise when it comes to building grip strength in the hand and opening up the hand, wrist, and carpal tunnel. In order to do open all these areas it is important to spread the fingers out as wide and as long as they will go before performing the grip. On gripping it is also very important to go slowly; grip from the outside knuckle inwards keeping all other knuckles and parts of the hands extended out and back. In doing this you open the muscles in between the metacarpals and thumb. Besides helping to open the joints and deter arthritis this also has an important martial art application. When you are gripping someone it is important to grip suctioning the palm of the hand to the person through the fingers. The action of Snake Bites its Prey trains this full palm contact through clawing. Gripping like this is what makes the difference between clawing as opposed to grabbing.

If you see a snake bite onto something and drag it into its mouth its teeth act as levers that pull the prey into its mouth this is the same mechanic we are training with this grip. Similar to when a cat paws at its bed to soften it up we're stretching the hand to allow for more range of motion in the fingers. In exercise science it is well understood that by actively stretching a muscle in the right manner you can and will have more explosive power by rebounding off that contracted stretch. Stretching in a loose manner has the opposite effect. Prolonged static stretching destabilizes the joints which is why it is never recommended to do static stretching prior to any heavy lift.

​Arm Snakes Sixth Movement: Snake Swallows its Prey

​The gripping of movement 5 should be joined half way through by movement #6 Snake Swallows its Prey. As a snake swallows its prey you see a ripple go through its body as to move it down the digestive tract, using the body to push//pull the prey into itself. This is the same mechanism you should be using in the sixth movement.

After gripping the prey, rotate the elbow in toward the centerline this will fortify your grip and put you in a better position to pull and “Swallow” whatever you are grabbing.

​Arm Snakes Seventh Movement: Snake Returns to its Nest

​To further secure your grip and pull, drag the elbow back along the center line and rub the ribs straight back into the chambered position. This completes the movement of Arm Snakes and is 1 full repetition.
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On returning to the nest when you drag the elbow back along the ribs be sure not to raise the shoulder. Raising the shoulder would sacrifice all the power you’re trying to maintain. Instead keep the shoulder low and allow the shoulder to remain stationary by rotating the spine while keeping it erect.

When you do this the force is directed along some of the most powerful muscles of the body. It travels down the back using Latissimus dorsi, the lower back stabilizers, obliques and legs to anchor it to the earth. Rather if you allow the shoulder to raise you will only be relying on the rear deltoid, trapezius, and neck muscles for the pull. These muscles have nothing to push off of as your head isn’t pushing against anything, this also leads to lots of strain on the rotator cuff and all the problems associated with that. When pulling and pushing, always move toward the centerline and rub the ribs on returning or shooting the hand to the final position by keeping the shoulder low.

In the next blog post we'll be diving into applications... follow the Arm Snake Program and your body will be well prepared for applying them.

Arm Snake Program-
30 arm snakes for 30 days...
Add 1 till you reach 100...
then practice 100 for the remainder of 6 months totaling 183 days of practice.