Cobra style?

[red5angel]

I was talking to a guy this weekend who said he studied for a few years a couple of styles at a single school. One of the three he listed was Cobra? Is this an existing kungfu style? I had heard of the others he had mentioned but had never heard of this.

[David Jamieson]

yes, cobra is a style of kungfu.

cheers

[Stranger]

Kobra-Kai,
Never die!

[David Jamieson]

not quite the "karate kid" style :P

cobra is a style unto itself, but is often time refered to in place of the more generic term "snake".

however, as a style, cobra uses a full hand of fingers with the thumb tucked to make finger tip strikes to vital points and weak spots.

it also uses coiling and twisting arm movements to not let the opponent know exactly where the strike will eminate from when it is thrown.

there are snake principles in many form of kungfu.

wing chun is said to be a crane/snake based style.
hung gar has it's snake flavour built in
ha say fu has a snake set (two finger strikes instead of whole hand)
and "cobra style" uses a leopard paw(believe it or not) in many instances for it's vital point strikes.

it is what was once more codified and over time has been relegated to the village styles of kungfu. it's still around though althoughy i am uncertain about the "completeness" or what remains. But then, that could be said of any style really.

Snake is the key and the gate to dim mak in kungfu. be it whatever snake the kungfu was modeled after, the point is to strike quickly and to small regions or targets to inflict maximum damage.

cheers

[carly]

It will, of course, be rendered useless and defeated by...Mongoose style!

[ZIM]

Kung lek-
That was a really good description!
I was wondering tho, are you referring to any specific branch of cobra/snake?

I ask because you're describing it as primarily a striking oriented style, while I've heard of a style calling itself 'black cobra' that claimed to focus *solely* on maiming, killing, breaks, etc. I know very little about it tho, even whther its legit.

[ArrowFists]

Originally posted by carly
It will, of course, be rendered useless and defeated by...Mongoose style!

Riki-tiki tavi do!

[David Jamieson]

zim-

what i describe is based on principles employed when laying the template of snake over human form.

snakes have particular ways of going about things.

they strike small targets, they coil and release power from the coil and they constrict are a few of the obvious things they do that come to mind.

breaking would employ coiling and constricting, whereas pinpoint strikes would be more akin to how a snake itself strikes.

snakes also strike, then hang on.

all animal styles use the actual animal flavour in similar fashion and hence the idea of using "spirit" of an animal or "flavour" or "traits", et al.

the cobra hand form differs in that it is the whole hand and resembles a hooded cobra.

cheers

[red5angel]

thanks Kung Lek. I didin't want to dismiss the guy as a fake and we talked long enough for me to feel like he knew what he was talking about, but I had never heard Cobra style before so wanted to check.

[ZIM]

Yep. Understood that part. Thanks! and

[turbo76]

[shaolin kungfu]

If I didn't know what style turbo took, I'd think that was a joke.

[turbo76]

[apoweyn]

I think Burmese Bando has a 'cobra' style as well.

[Taomonkey]

I know for a fact that Quick Kick and Lady J would kick and Cobra's arse. Except for that ninja guy