Snake boxing strikes with grace and power

"Back then, my father would use hemp ropes to make wooden posts and hanging rings for training, which laid a solid foundation for my basic skills," Fu Guogang recalls.

As he delved deeper into the martial art, he developed a better understanding of snake boxing while finding commonalities with other martial forms, such as tai chi, spearing and swordsmanship, and integrating their essence and philosophy.

"The idea was to enhance snake boxing's content and make its movements more distinctive while retaining its traditional features," he says.

To start with, a person's feet must be firmly planted on the ground and slightly apart while maintaining balance and agility with the body remaining upright and loose, Fu explains.

The snake boxing style is based on whipping or rattling power which travels up the spine to the fingers.

"The ability to move sinuously, essentially by compressing one's abdominal muscles, is very important," he emphasizes.

With a subtle twist of the waist, practitioners extend their arms forward in a striking motion. But, unlike the forceful straight punch used in other martial arts, it is quick and whipped, much like the sudden strike of a snake's head.

The hands flick out, with the fingers snapping forward like the fangs of a snake, while the body stays low to the ground, dancing with deceptive speed and precision.

"Every motion should be controlled, yet graceful," Fu says.