IMPERIAL EIGHT ANIMAL MARTIAL ARTS
八动物功夫​

The Imperial Animal Kung Fu styles are 8 combat level martial arts taught at Imperial Combat Arts school in Denver Colorado. These highly lethal and legendary Mixed Martial Arts are for a true elite class of martial artist, and require years of toughening and training to master. Each of the 8 Animal Kung Fu Styles is a complete martial art designed to fight multiple opponents with lethal intent. Therefore they contain the advanced systems of; hand toughening, ripping and gouging, nerve attacks, ground-fighting, Chin Na, grappling, tactical training, as well as historical battlefield weapons.
The brutal vital point attacks taught in the Animal Systems are not like desperate self defense moves taught to women and children. Highly trained Masters at Imperial Combat Arts demonstrate the true power of Animal Kung Fu, with their decades of extensive training experience. This level of toughening is for true life-and-death combat, far from wrapping the wrists and wearing gloves for competitive sport. 
Routine demonstrations are done in a variety of ways such as tearing the eyes and throats from pig cadavers in a second, striking with single digits through boards and rib cages, full force knuckle strikes against wood and brick, and kicking through bats and concrete. 

The Imperial Animal styles have direct lineage to the battlefields of China and teach fully immersive traditional battlefield weaponry and the highest levels of lethal hand-to-hand combat and toughening.

HISTORY OF THE EIGHT ANIMAL STYLES

​​The Animal Arts we teach are nothing new, we teach 8 well established Animal Kung Fu Styles (Tiger, Crane, Snake etc. Schools teaching these arts in various respects can be found the world over today. The only "newish" thing about our styles is that we teach them together surrounding a Bagua. This also is not that uncommon in Chinese Martial Arts, there are other 8 animal systems, with different animals from our own to represent the 8 Trigrams.

We can't really speak much to the ancient histories of most Animal Arts, but we can speak to when they came together as the 8 Animal System we teach today, back at least to Tong Sing of Macau in the mid 1900's who brought them to the U.S.
This Taoist Philosophy makes the Imperial Animals a complete combat system for any type of person that exists, from the most powerful and biggest, to the fastest and smallest. The most emotional raw power, to the intellectual and educated. The 4 Yang Animals are mammals representing emotion and physical power. The 4 Yin Animals are birds, insect, and reptilian representing the unemotional cold blooded styles. Also to varying degrees, for example one can see that Eagle was chosen as the combat art to represent the Sun Trigram. This position gives Eagle two yang lines in red, making it almost as powerful and aggressive as Tiger, yet also like Crane. 
There have been several schools outside of our own to apply 8 Animal Styles to the Pakua, many of them using different Animals from us, and from each other. Most of these 8 Animal Systems were developed in the late 1800's to early 1900's though the individual Animals Styles are much older.

IMPERIAL TIGER KUNG FU
虎式功夫

Tiger is a powerful and aggressive martial art that requires years of finger, arm, and whole body toughening to master. Tiger masters can power through the strongest defenses, killing with a single strike or grip, and can tear out the throat of an opponent. Tiger training is extremely challenging and requires the highest level of human willpower to master. With our direct military lineage Imperial Tiger is rooted in 5 different Tiger Styles. Enter Page> Tiger Kung Fu

IMPERIAL SNAKE KUNG FU
蛇式​功夫​

Snake style fighting is legendary for its blinding speed and incredible accuracy in combat. Unlike most snake martial arts Imperial Snake consists of five unique fighting styles each considered a complete martial art with their own master level toughening and training. One of the five is Python a massive system of powerful palm strikes, combat grappling, chokes, strangles, joint attacks, and throws. Also Cobra, Adder, Viper, and Asp. Enter Page> Snake Kung Fu 

IMPERIAL EAGLE CLAW KUNG FU
鹰爪翻子拳​​

Eagle Claw is a lethal combat art created by General Yue Fei in the 1100's for his elite combat units. This highly effective martial art was still being trained by elite guard in the Ch'ing Dynasty, and has been used in wars for almost 1000 years. Like General Yue Fei and his elite warriors, Imperial Eagle Claw is for powerful highly trained warriors capable of perfecting 100's of Chin Na techniques used in combat with striking and melee weapons. Enter Page> Eagle Claw Kung Fu

IMPERIAL PREYING MANTIS KUNG FU
螳式​功夫​

Mantis is an art renowned for its speed and accuracy. This legendary art specializes in capturing opponents strikes and counter-striking with single or two-fingered strikes to vital points. Years of finger toughening and speed training are required to master this style. Imperial Mantis Masters demonstrate the true power of Mantis with one fingered strikes into melons, and destroy animal eyeballs held in moving dummies. Enter Page> Praying Mantis Kung Fu

IMPERIAL LEOPARD KUNG FU
豹式​功夫​​

Imperial Leopard is fierce, fast, cunning, and deceptive. As a master of feigns and deception Leopard often goes unnoticed and underestimated until they unexpectedly unleash years of combat training and vital point attacks with fast and highly toughened hand and body weapons. Leopard is a master of ambush and hit-and-run guerrilla style combat tactics. The Leopard Kung Fu Hand Weapons are legendary and kill with one strike to the throat. Enter Page> Leopard Kung Fu

IMPERIAL CRANE KUNG FU
鹤式​功夫​

Crane is a legendary Chinese martial art as renowned for its grace, agility, and balance as it is for its powerful highly toughened angular strikes. Crane masters train extensive kicking, leg controls, maneuvers and lower body toughening.
Masters of this fighting style will routinely demonstrate standing on one leg, evading multiple strikes while simultaneously countering with fingertip strikes breaking three or more inches of solid wood. Enter Page> Crane Kung Fu

IMPERIAL PANTHER KUNG FU
黑豹式​功夫​​

Imperial Panther is a hunter-killer with equal parts power and stealth. Imperial Panther Masters execute full speed forms, even diving and rolling, in almost complete silence. In addition to stealth Panther is intense and ferocious with powerful growls, highly toughened hands, and throat crushing grips. Panther Style trains body collision take-downs with flesh grips that spin opponents down into ground positions, chin na, and joint destruction. Enter Page> Panther Kung Fu

IMPERIAL WILD BOAR KUNG FU
野猪式​功夫​​​

Boar is an aggressive berserker style of fighting that toughens lethal thumbs and knuckles, and specializes in head-butts, elbows, knees, kicking and full body collisions. This fighting style toughens the entire body to ram through strikes, minimizing their own damage and in exchange landing killing strikes. Boars grunting growls, sheer animal rage, and willingness to exchange blows make it a force that invokes fear on the battlefield. Enter Page> ​Wild Boar Kung Fu

ANIMAL SUB-STYLES

There are numerous Animal Kung Fu Styles trained in Chinese Martial Arts, most people only know of the 5 or 8 most commonly practiced styles in mainstream Kung Fu, and even online research today will only produce minimal information on a handful more. Through our own unique martial history Imperial Combat Arts teaches numerous Animal Kung Fu styles as Sub-styles of the Eight Imperial Animals. 
The particular sub-styles attached to each Animal directly complement the main style, and share similar modes of movement, toughening, and weapons allowing masters to quickly learn additional martial arts styles that are similar in nature to their own. Of the arts tested in Beijing many others were powerful, but not enough to be the main representative of a Trigram, so they were retained as Sub-styles. Some of these sub-styles are very rare while others are famous and legendary in their own right.

TRAINING ANIMAL KUNG FU

To master Imperial Animal Kung Fu our practitioners develop the highest levels of hand toughening, leg toughening, and body conditioning. There are numerous challenging exercises, forms, hundreds of sets for strikes, kicks, throws, and chin na, and of course matching. In addition The Imperial Animals train all types of drills for combat, these drills make use of the usual martial arts mitts and bags, as well as numerous traditional and modern custom made devices. 

IMPERIAL ANIMAL TOUGHENING

Masters at Imperial Combat Arts demonstrate the highest levels of hand toughening to meet the demands of true combat. Unlike a technique, bone and joint toughening takes years to master, there is no rushing it, and if done improperly the hands can be permanently damaged. Imperial Combat Arts holds the ancient knowledge to truly and safely master these legendary Kung Fu hand weapons. Toughing involves the use of highly guarded herbal liniments. Enter Page> Hand Toughening

ANIMAL KUNG FU EXERCISES

There are several levels of complex exercises required to develop the unique way in which each of the Eight Animal Styles moves and fights. These exercises are done both standing and on the ground with some of them more difficult than high levels of weightlifting, yoga, or sprinting, and while moving full speed. Unlike sport or fitness training these exercises are directly related to combat techniques and require high levels of willpower to master.

IMPERIAL ANIMAL FORMS

There are forms taught in each one of the Animal Styles, some are complex and intricate, and others absolutely intense and powerful. An 8 minute form in Tiger is more challenging than sprinting for 8 minutes. Our forms are not like the flashy acrobatic forms you may see in popular modern form competitions. Our forms are combat practical, and train students in brutally effective techniques, that transfer directly to life and death.

IMPERIAL ANIMAL SETS

Sets are a primary way that Masters pass on ancient knowledge to the next Masters. To train sets with an Imperial Animal Kung Fu Master requires extensive arm and leg toughening, most people would bow out after the first crossing of arms. Sets are practiced with training partners to develop the muscle memory, reflexes, and skill of the technique for combat. These include sets for striking, kicking, counters, chin na, grappling, throws, evasion, and weapons.

IMPERIAL ANIMAL DRILLS

Combat drills are an important part of all Imperial Combat Ats classes. Drills are used to incorporate strikes, techniques, maneuvers, etc. into the body as a second nature reflex, as is required for battle. Imperial Animal Kung Fu drills are done vs partners, mitts, and bags as well as a series of custom training devices and machines that are unique to Imperial Kung Fu alone. Some of our equipment requires years of toughening to even begin to use. 

ANIMAL MATCHING

Animal Kung Fu mastery requires a lot of matching. Matching is done vs multiple opponents and often times on with only one arm, blindfolded, on posts, and on uneven terrain. There are no rings, gloves, or pads used in Animal Matching. The Animal Styles match themselves and the other Animal Styles, which gives them experience against all types of high level fighters. Animal practitioners rely on their indomitable defenses, and body toughening to match each other.

THE ANIMAL MIND

Mastering an Animal Kung Fu Style requires development of a predatory mind and the spirit of the Animal Style. Masters at Imperial Combat Arts are forged through sheer willpower, discipline, toughening, pain, exercise, and meditation. Everything about an Animal Master emanates their Styles power. Everything, the way they live, think, stand, move, fight, stare, growl, hiss, strike, and kill. This tempered combat mind is trained for real combat, for victory, or unto a fearless death.

BATTLEFIELD WEAPON MASTERY

Imperial Combat Arts Animal Styles also master melee weapons for combat. The weapons of choice for each Animal directly complement their martial art making use of the same techniques and body development they've already mastered with the empty hand. Each Imperial Animal has its own unique ancient weapons, favored battlefield weapons, and each of the Animals masters their own series of weaponry for ranged combat, long weapons, and for close quarters combat.

MODERNIZED TRAINING

It is the sworn duty of each Imperial Master to not only preserve and guard our powerful martial arts system at its full combat level, but also to adapt and expand it with the advancement of humanity. Our past Grandmasters have served in many wars, wars in ancient China, WWII, several served in Vietnam including a Green Beret Officer and military Instructor, as well as an Instructor today with Desert Storm era military training.
Our school has been teaching firearms and special forces weaponry to police and servicemen since the 1960's and continues this full modern integration with our extensive Firearms Curriculum available exclusively to the Imperial Combat Arts student body. With the skills and mastery of body control, awareness, speed, weapon training, and maneuvers, our adept animal practitioners excel quickly in the study of tactical firearms. The reality is most gun deaths occur at close range and today warriors are realizing the sheer importance of training close quarters combat and effective hand to hand fighting systems with their firearms.