I've been wondering about this.
In many fights, I'll use the second combat discipline to ensnare an enemy at some distance. Once hit, the game tells me the target has been ensnared. However, the very next time the creature acts, it charges multiple spaces and whacks a party member with melee.
I know that ensnare does work sometimes because I see monsters get held up by it, but I find it only affects a creature's next move around half of the time. Maybe less.
Are status effects checked for wearing off at the start of a creatures turn, thereby removing it before it can have any effect?