Is There a Martial Art Based on the Crab?
The propagation of animal systems and influences in the martial arts has inspired many to know more about crabs. Is there a martial art based on the Crab? If so, to what extent do crabs influence martial arts?
There is a martial art based on the crab known as the Crab Kung Fu. This type of Kung Fu employs the squat posture of the crab that transforms into a takedown. It also involves a ground escape system that claims to keep the practitioner protected from several assailants. Additionally, a new system draws its inspiration from older martial art styles.
This article will teach you about the most common, more recent Crab Kung Fu style. Furthermore, the article covers how Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu have influenced it.
What is Crab Style Kung Fu?
Unlike the crane and tiger style Kung Fu, you cannot trace Crab Kung Fu hundreds of years back. Instead, you will only see it in the more recent history, and the techniques utilized seem more ground-based wrestling in their focus. So, what is Crab Kung Fu?
There is a chance that Crab Kung Fu existed many years before. However, they base the few forms used currently on the present-day popular trend of ground wrestling. The system uses sweeps and leg takedowns like those used in Judo and guard-style defenses from horizontal positions.
As a result, crab-style Kung Fu’s focus differs from wrestling systems. It is an addition to other animal systems and focuses more on multiple attacker circumstances. Furthermore, it focuses on transitioning from the ground to different standing animal styles.
How does it Differ from Other Styles?
For example, if you watch Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners in action, you will see that one person is defending from their back most of the time. So, does the crab style copy this style?
Crab Kung Fu practitioners’ grappling style is slightly different from the controlled system called Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which originates from Judo. The Crab Kung Fu system is different but incorporates some Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to its style.
The main difference is that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu focuses on one opponent while Crab Kung Fu focuses on multiple opponents.
By the way, there may have been some earlier forms of the system. However, the masters did not record them, or they died out. On the other hand, they could have lost favor, and their master stopped teaching it. Nonetheless, its masters recently revitalized it, hence the new styles you see today.
Additionally, you can categorize the crab style as a rare martial art because it has few students and fewer instructors. Moreover, practitioners combine it with other animal systems to complete a well-rounded style instead of studying it independently.
The crab style idea features in the Kung Fu film: Heroes of the East. You can consider it a fringe movie, but it covers the Crab Martial Arts style. The film utilizes low stances of the system as seen today, but it is the outstanding style in the entire movie.
However, it is not easy to perform grappling on camera. Therefore, it is only incorporated in the film to provide a backstory to the movie’s storyline. So, it might not be the proper example of Crab Kung Fu, but it is hilarious!
The Crab Posture
Crab Kung Fu fights mainly fights from the ground with a few standing techniques. The style comes with 22 dynamic maneuvers that give you the ability to move swiftly in all directions versus several opponents as you throw potent kicks, reaps, and throws or dodge attacks. This does not include any maneuvers that transition into the other Black Scorpion postures.
Moreover, crab is the first ground style students learn; therefore, the instructors usually drill it extensively. As a result, they come up against all kinds of aggressive attacks, including stomps, weapons, kicks, thrown objects, and attempts to mount or grapple.
You can break down wrestling systems into two main categories. Some focus more on standing and employ takedowns and throws to debilitate your opponent. On the other hand, some utilize rudimentary takedowns. These martial art styles focus more on positions, joint locks, and strangulations on the ground.
Crab style uses some practices from the two systems creating a unique approach that moves to the ground then back up in the flow of a self-defense situation.
How to Toughen for Crab Kung Fu
To be a master of Crab Kung Fu, you must highly toughen your shins and feet. You also require full-body conditioning. Instructors at combat arts training institutions exhibit the true power of crab by kicking through bats, staves, and concrete, all from a recumbent position.
Utilizing crab’s distinctive body dynamics, the style’s practitioners can kick as hard from the ground as the most vigorous standing kicks. It would help with high body conditioning for multiple vertical crab techniques that capture Leg Chin Na or kick with enormous power while falling to the floor.
Crab Kung Fu and Weapons
The inclusion of weapons changes ground-fighting and wrestling massively, which is the main focus of Black Scorpion. The crab posture is one of the most popular postures in Kung Fu that practitioners utilize to fight from their back with weapons.
Crab Kung Fu training includes the dynamic use of swords, spears, bows, and any other form of weapon. For example, nowadays, weapons include shooting firearms from the ground. Ending up on the floor on the actual battlefield is as dangerous as it can be. Therefore you must train to fight from your back.
Crab Exercises for Beginners
As a beginner crab student, you will drill maneuvers, kicks, defenses, and dodging exercises as you learn the style. Once you develop the strength and dynamic energy of the art, the basic exercises will evolve into fast-paced and intense drills against moving targets and several opponents.
This high-pressure training also includes shouting, throwing objects, specialized equipment, and many other forms of attacks such as stomps, strikes, and kicks with training weapons. Moreover, training helps ensure students can apply their training in actual combat.
The Trained Crab Kung Fu Sets
Crab Kung Fu training also includes several sets versus training partners. These are two-person sets that teach the timing of techniques and help trainees develop skills in the style. Apart from these, you cannot use most of the crab’s kicks and throws with partners with anything near full force.
This is because you apply them against vital points, or you could break your training partner’s legs. Therefore, you will use specialized equipment for these sets to enable you to work on the techniques separately. However, you might need several years of leg toughening before using the equipment.
Crab Throws
Crab Kung Fu also includes multiple scissors, and pincer-style throws practitioners perform with their legs. These vibrant throws are swift decisive and usually smash up your opponent’s knees or break their legs.
You can train some of these throws gradually with training partners. Additionally, crab practitioners often train these throws belligerently; they intend to injure their opponents as fast as possible. As a result, you have to drill some throws with full force on custom equipment. You will encounter a wide range of combat and weapon dummies at the Combat Arts training institution you attend.
Crab Kung Fu uses similar foot sweeps and leg scissoring takedowns that you will find in Jigoro Kano’s Judo. However, the Crab Kung Fu styles used today seem to draw their inspiration from Judo.
For example, even though they have prohibited Judo’s leg scissor-style throws in competitions, it may have found a new home in the Crab Kung Fu system. Although the masters may not have transferred them directly, there is enough evidence to influence the style.
Crab Sweeps and Reaps
Crab Kung Fu utilizes a wide range of reaps and sweeps in all eight combat directions. You can use these leg controls to set up kicks, confine an opponent or bring them to the floor. Unfortunately, crab reaps and sweeps are tricky and strange moves resulting in horrible leg breaks.
On the other hand, the reaps and sweeps can enable you to drop your opponent into wrestling, and Chin Na holds. Therefore, you need a partner to train Crabs reaps, sweeps or throws. However, the partner you choose must have prepared well in falling, rolling, and break-falls. If you select an untrained partner, they could easily sustain secondary injuries from the ground impact.
Crab Style Kung Fu Ant-Grappling and Chin Na Techniques
Crab Kung Fu uses Ts’o Ku style Chin Na with the legs almost exclusively and transitions into other martial art styles such as squid or python for fully engaged wrestling. This Chin Na style allows the crab to keep opponents in kicking and throwing range if achievable.
Anti-grappling is Crab Kung Fu’s primary focus. Practitioners apply their techniques to avoid multiple opponents from entangling them. Suppose opponents capture crab; it transitions into other Black Scorpion or eight animal styles that master the highest levels of combat wrestling and Chin Na.
There are multiple Crab Style Kung Fu techniques you can perform from standing or low area positions. Applying these techniques allows you to capture opponents in scissor or pincer style throws, kicks or locks while falling.
Furthermore, the crab uses these techniques to create separation and hit the ground in favorable positions. These approaches are essential if your opponent throws you or entangles you in a grappling. You can use them to free yourself from grappling and remain in motion when facing multiple opponents.
Crab Kung Fu Transitions
Crab Kung Fu has a wide range of techniques and maneuvers that change over into the other Black Scorpion ground fighting positions. These additional styles and positions coalesce to include all facets of combat ground fighting.
Of all the world’s martial arts, Crab Kung Fu represents one of the most critical ground positions for fighting on your back with throws, kicking, weapons, and anti-grappling. Transitioning to various postures and positions is a massive part of training combat martial arts because it is essential to fight from different positions.
What is the Black Scorpion System?
Crab is among the positions you train in Black Scorpion. The various animal sub-styles of Black Scorpion represent all the possible ground-fighting and grappling positions your body can be in. when you put these styles together, you end up with a powerful and multifaceted ground combat system.
This all-inclusive martial art contains the highest levels of toughening, body conditioning, strength training, striking, weapon training, kicking, grappling, chokes, throws, joint locks, Chin Na, and strangles. You train Black Scorpion for actual combat with several opponents. Moreover, it blends flawlessly with all standing martial arts.
The Black Scorpion ground-fighting system became available in the USA in 1962.
Crab Style Kung Fu in a Nutshell
While the crab style might have older roots, what you are seeing now is most likely a modern adaptation of something ancient. Alternatively, it could be an amalgamation of different grappling systems.
Its fighting system differs from other styles like Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It mainly focuses on using grappling to dodge multiple attackers rather than suppressing a single opponent.
You will find several online and other references to Kung Fu Crab or a Master Crab that span the gamut. For example, you will encounter businesses, memes, and references in movies. The notion of a crab doing Kung Fu seems legit to some, while to others, it is side-splitting.
Hopefully, this comprehensive guide on crab will help you understand martial arts in a truthful and upfront way. So, what are the best martial arts styles you know of?