CRAB STYLE KUNG FU
蟹式​功夫​​​

Crab Style Kung Fu is a combat level martial art taught at Imperial Combat Arts school in Denver CO. Crab Kung Fu is a part of the vast ground combat system called Black Scorpion. In Black Scorpion the art of Crab Kung Fu represents being on your side and supine. From this position Crab is a powerful and dynamic ground style used to fight primarily versus standing opponents. 
Crab Style Kung Fu masters powerful leg breaking kicks, reaps, sweeps, and throws. Crab is also a posture used in most weapon training, leg vs leg Chin Na, and for anti-grappling.

CRAB POSTURE

Crab Kung Fu fights primarily on the ground with just a handful of standing techniques. This style consists of 22 dynamic maneuvers (not counting any maneuvers that transition into the other Black Scorpion postures) that give Crab the ability to move quickly in all direction vs multiple opponents and apply powerful kicks, reaps, and throws, or evade attacks. As the first ground style students learn Crab is drilled extensively vs. all manner of aggressive attacks including stomps, kicks, weapons, thrown objects, and attempts to mount or grapple.

CRAB TOUGHENING

To truly master Crab Kung Fu requires highly toughened shins and feet as well as full body conditioning. Instructors at Imperial Combat Arts demonstrate the true power of Crab by kicking through staves, bats, and concrete, all from a supine position. Using Crabs unique body dynamics the styles practitioners can kick as hard from the ground as the strongest standing kicks. High level body conditioning is required for many standing Crab techniques that capture with leg chin na, or kick with immense power while falling to the ground.

CRAB & WEAPONS

The addition of weapons changes ground-fighting and grappling significantly, and is the primary focus of Black Scorpion. The Crab posture is one of the most used postures of Kung Fu, from which to fight from your back with weapons. This training includes the dynamic use of swords, spears, bows, and almost any other form of weapon, which today also includes shooting firearms from the ground. Ending up on the ground in the fray of real battle is as dangerous as it gets, training to fight from your back is a must.

CRAB EXERCISES

When first beginning Crab students drill maneuvers, kicks, defenses, and evasion exercises to learn the style. Once students develop the strength and dynamic energy of the art, the basic exercises evolve into fast paced and intense drills vs moving targets, and multiple opponents. This high pressure training involves shouting, throw objects, specialized equipment, and all manner of attacks such as stomps, kicks, and strikes with training weapons. This punishing training helps ensure students can use their training in real combat situations.

CRAB SETS

There are several sets trained in Crab Kung Fu vs training partners. These two-man sets teach the timing of techniques, and develop skill in the style. Aside from this however most of Crabs kicks and throws cannot be trained on partners with anything near full force, because they're applied against vital points, or can break the legs. For these sets specialized equipment is used that allows students to work on techniques with abandon. 
​It can take a couple years of leg toughening to begin to use this equipment. 

CRAB THROWS

Crab Kung Fu has several scissor and pincer style throws it performs with the legs. These dynamic throws are fast, powerful, and often damage the knees, or break the leg of opponents. Some of these throws can be trained slowly with training partners, many cannot. Crab practitioners train these throws aggressively with the intent to quickly injure opponents. As such some throws are only trained with full force on custom equipment. There are several types of combat and weapon dummies at Imperial Combat Arts indoor/outdoor school. 

CRAB REAPS & SWEEPS

Crab Kung Fu uses a variety of reaps and sweeps in all eight directions of combat. These leg controls can be used to set up kicks, capture an opponent, or to bring them to the ground. Some of Crabs reaps and sweeps are tricky and unusual moves that lead into nasty leg breaks, or drop opponents into grappling and chin na holds. Training any of Crabs reaps, sweeps, or throws requires a partner well trained in falling, rolling, and break-falls. Untrained opponents could easily sustain secondary injuries from the ground impact.

CRAB CHIN NA & ANTI-GRAPPLING

Crab Kung Fu uses almost exclusively Ts'o Ku style Chin Na with the legs, and will transition into arts like Squid or Python for fully engaged grappling. This style of Chin Na allows Crab to keep opponents in kicking and throwing range if possible. A primary focus of Crab Kung Fu is anti-grappling, using its techniques to avoid becoming entangled with multiple opponents. If Crab is captured it transitions into other Black Scorpion or 8 Animal Styles that master the highest levels of combat grappling and chin na.

STANDING CRAB

In Crab Style Kung Fu there are a series of techniques performed from standing, or low realm positions. These techniques often capture opponents in scissor or pincer style throws/locks while falling, or kick during a fall. Additionally some of these moves are ways that Crab creates separation and hits the ground in favorable positions. These kinds of techniques are important if being thrown, or caught in grappling, so that Crab can free itself from grappling, and remain mobile versus multiple opponents. 

CRAB TRANSITIONS

Crab Kung Fu has numerous techniques and maneuvers that transition it into all of the other Black Scorpion ground fighting positions. These other styles and positions combine to encompass all aspects of combat ground fighting. Of all of these styles Crab Kung Fu represents one of the most important ground positions for fighting on your back with weapons, kicking, throws, and anti-grappling. Transitioning to different postures and positions is a big part of training combat martial arts, as its crucial to be able to fight from any position.

BLACK SCORPION SYSTEM

Crab is just one the many positions trained in Black Scorpion. The different animal sub-styles of Black Scorpion represent all possible ground-fighting & grappling positions the human body can be in. Together these styles create a powerful & complex ground combat system. This complete martial art contains the highest levels of; toughening, body conditioning, strength training, weapon training, striking, kicking, grappling, throws, chokes, strangles, joint locks, and chin na. The Black Scorpion System is trained for real combat vs multiple opponents and blends seamlessly with all standing martial arts taught in The Imperial 8 Animal System and Wu Tang Ch'uan. The Black Scorpion Ground-fighting system had been advertised and taught in the U.S. since 1962.
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