Jade Mantis

Nature: Defensive Origin: Kun'lao Flourish: Disarming

Jade Mantis is a martial arts style developed by the Mantis Clan, used to copy the movements of the praying mantis. It involves the use of deadly and efficient jabbing strikes, alongside the use of capturing enemy limbs and counter-attacking. It is a very influential style to both Kun'lao and Jipangu, with a variation of Shoto clearly being influenced by Jade Mantis.

Jade Mantis is primarily a defensive-based style. The Mantis Clan often use weapons, and as such Jade Mantis is intended for use if the user is disarmed. It often involves catching enemy attacks in hook movements before swiftly disarming them of their weapons as well. As such, Mantis Style's Flourish is Disarming.

Core Principles

There are a few key elements to those who practice Jade Mantis. These elements are central to the martial art's key concept: Catching and disabling opponent's offense before swiftly taking them down with piercing finger strikes and other quick offense.

• Master of Disarming: Jade Mantis is the most efficient style at disabling weapon specialists. The style teaches numerous hook movements with the arms that can be used to disarm opponents of their weapons. Fitting for a style developed for war, it is very focused in disarming soldiers of their weapons.

• Piercing Attacks: Jade Mantis makes use of numerous one-and-two finger strikes to pierce their opponent's body, possibly even going for the eyes if such a strike is allowed. Jade Mantis users will often train by toughening their fingers, increasing the efficiency of their offensive strikes.

• Master of the Counterattack: Jade Mantis users will learn to incorporate both elements of their style to quickly end fights. They will use a hook to disarm or catch an opponent's limb, before quickly taking them down with a two-finger strike, sweep, or powerful kick of some kind.

Weapons

Jade Mantis was meant to be used by Mantis Clan warriors in war. As such, it is taught alongside numerous other kinds of weapon training regimes.

• Sickles: The most iconic weapons used by the Mantis Clan are sickles. Jade Mantis users will oftenn duel wield sickles and apply the same kind of techniques they know unarmed to their armed combat.

• Sickle Halberd: A spear-like weapon with a sickle head, used for more medium-range combat, especially against armored foes. Typically, the same philosophy applies to the Sickle Halberd as well, Mantis users will catch limbs or strikes before quickly disarming them with the halberd before cutting them down.

• Changdao: An extremely long, two-handed blade resembling a Jipangu Katana. Considering Kun'zi's proximity to Jipangu and its history of fighting off the Holy Samurai Empire, it comes to no surprise that they would use a weapon resembling the Katana. Unlike the Katan, the Changdao is massive, often larger than a human being, and capable of enormous, wide slashes.