Yang Chen Fu, third generation Yang Style Taiji master doing Snake Creeps Down
Chen Man'Ching, most noted for his short form and his years spent teaching Taiji in the USA, also doing Snake Creeps Down.
Eventually, "good technique" seems to involve straighter legs and a lower butt.
When I hear someone talking about wanting to do a "more martial Taiji," this last picture is what they seem to be referring to. The thing is, no one fights like this. This last posture is for extreme stretching, which can aid martial ability, but is not for combat. The last picture has more in common with Yoga and dance than combat. A number of other martial arts like Aikido and Karate have adopted a more extreme Wu Shu type approach to form work - lower, wider stances, higher kicks, more jumping, more aerobics and gymnastics.
Most of the actual applications of Snake Creeps Down have more to do with Judo type throws, or a drop step. Some will resemble sacrifice throws:
While the movement in the form has a person stand up, this application has someone stay on the ground.
Chinna is possible with the handwork. You can lock the arm, or legs, or neck.
Just throwing this out there for people who want an actual martial idea of this movement. How come all the Judo pics? Any Taiji person who talked to me about these applications only described them to me - no one ever did this in push hands to me. This is how I have come to understand this movement.
More extreme postures can lend themselves to developing an aspect of martial ability, but that doesn't make them martial. People who actually used and discovered these applications were often wearing armor and on a variety of surfaces like mud or ice or uneven ground. The posture is now judged for it's aesthetic appeal, not for how the application would work.
Thanks to all the impressive martial artists who posted these pictures online.
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