Snake Range
written by Marc “Crafty Dog” Denny
(Copyright Dog Brothers Inc. If you wish to share, please direct people here and do not post elsewhere)
As Juan Matus has pointed out, seeing what is not there as well as what is powerful--in life as well as in stickfighting. I often see doubt or the “BS alert” expression in people’s faces when they hear that Snake Range, the first range of DBMA, is defined as “before contact is made”. To most people, if no hitting is going on, then nothing of importance is going on. Yet the idea of Snake Range is that what is done in the absence of hitting in order to define the moment of impact (and its continuation) is one of the most important parts of fighting.
So what are the elements of the Snake in DBMA? First there is “the skill of moving your stick to protect your hand, hide your intent, create your opening, and mask your initiation.” Second, there is the analysis of your opponent’s psychological type. Third, and closely related, there is the analysis of his strucure which we call “The Theory of Chambers”. Fourth, there is a specific theory of footwork. Fifth, there is using this range to AVOID contact, which includes both ST. FOOM (an acronym for “stay the fornicate off of me”) and the specific footwork theory for avoiding engagement. And sixth, there is the theory of the skirmish (multiple versus one, and many versus many where numbers may or may not be equal)
The first element we will leave for another day. For now we will note that Top Dog’s distinctive circling of the stick we call “the clock” and that a fighter seaoned in the Attacking Block Drills will be able to use a Upward 8 in a similar manner.
Lets turn to psychological types and games that one should recognize in Snake Range. Here, in no particular order, are some examples:
a) "Mongo" (after the Alex Karras character in Mel Brooks's "Blazing Saddles": Mongo looks to smash anything and every thing that comes at him.
b) The Stalker: he lumbers after you, often with step and slide footwork.
c) The Evader: evades and looks to counter hit
d) The Blocking Counter Hitter: he presses forward and looks to counter hit after blocking your strike.
e) The Posturer: he doesn’t really want to fight. Typically Posturers strut and posture just out of reach in the hopes you will overextend yourself due to impatience.
f) The Salesman: uses the stick deceptively hoping to trick you into exposing yourself.
g) Three Card Monte: a variation of the salesman done with double stick. It mixes the chambers of each stick (e.g. holds one high and one low) and tries to hit you with the one at which you’re not looking.
h) The Speed Merchant: not much power, but he scores and moves.
i) The Troglodyte: doesn’t care much if you hit him, he’s going to hit you.
j) The Linebacker: comes after you like a linebacker blitzing a quarterback. He wants to crash and take it to the ground.
There’s more of course and these types can be combined. For example, a swatter can be a stalker or he can be a retreater.
The Theory of Chambers is the analysis of the physical structure of the man in front of you. From where does he throw? Some examples:
a) From above the forehand shoulder is “the Caveman”.
b) Does he finish this swing with his elbow in centerline? Then he is “elbow fulcrum”.
c) A “backander” prefers to throw from the backhand side.
d) A “slapper” has bad form and tends to swing horizontally.
e) “Off-lead” is a righty with the left foot forward or vice versa.
f) Low Chamber is a low forehand position. This sometimes is in an off-lead.
g) Siniwali Caveman is with the caveman strike in the rear, and the front stick is a jabbing/shielding position (a.k.a. “paw and pow”).
h) Double Caveman is with each stick above its respective shoulder.
i) False lead is left shoulder and right foot forward, right stick in right hand or vice versa.
These are but some examples. For each of these structures you want to know what are the strengths and weaknesses and have solutions.
In addition to the snakey stick, there is also “the snaky foot”, which of course is an oxymoron because snakes don’t have feet?but never mind that. There is a specific theory of footwork for this distance which we will leave for another day.
And in the street you may not want to engage and may want to keep the jackal(s) away. ST. FOOM is moving your feet and swinging your stick so as to create a bubble around yourself into which no one wants to step.
And the Skirmish is all the skills you need for multipe situations. This is more tactics and strategy than particular technique. Technical competence is already assumed, thus it is usually covered later in the training. If you can’t fight one, you may not be ready to think about fighting more than one.
All of these are elements of Snake Range in Dog Brothers Martial Arts.
Woof,
Guro Crafty
