How to Krump

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Last Updated: June 12, 2023

Krumping is a style of street dancing that's intense, spiritual, and takes some serious skill. It started in the streets of L.A. as an alternative to violence -- what looks aggressive and hypnotizing is really artistic expression that's quite spiritual and emotional. Wanna krump like Tight Eyez, Retro, or Mijo? See Step 1 below to get started learning one of the most powerful styles of dance there is.

Part 1

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Mastering the Moves

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1
Work on your balance. A huge part of krump is having an unwavering sense of balance, regardless of the strange positions you put your body in. Without even knowing the moves, you can work on your balance. Yoga is a great place to start!
- Practice balancing on all sides of your feet. Once that's easy, balance on one at a time. Throw your body around both slowly and quickly. Once balancing in one position becomes easy, work on transitioning from one stance to another, never wavering.
2
Work on your isolations. Just like in dubstep, isolations are key in krump. This means being able to move one part of your body without moving any other. The most important skill you'll have in this domain will be in isolating your chest, but you should practice isolating every part of your body. Start with your neck and work your way downward.
- Rotate each part of your body in circles, taking turns going both clockwise and counterclockwise. Your head should be simple enough, but your shoulders will be a bit more difficult. Make sure you don't move your core as your shoulders rotate. When you get to your chest, make sure you're not moving your shoulders or stomach. Practice going to the sides and back and forth, too.
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3
Begin with the stance. You're in a slight squat, bending at the knees -- kinda like you're playing D in basketball. Your balance is centered. This will be the position you always return to when in doubt.
- Even make your stance "buck." That's the slang term for being aggressive. If someone tells you your style is buck, that's a compliment! You're hitting your moves hard and on point.^{[1]
  X
  Research source} Keep this in mind as you learn the moves we detail below.
4
Learn the stomps. One of the basic tenets of krump is the stomp. There are three to work with:
- The lift stomp. Just like it sounds -- you lift your leg up before you bring it down to stomp. Generally, the knee stays bent at near a 90º angle.
- The kick stomp. Also self-explanatory -- bring your leg straight, kick it out, and bring it back down to a stomp.
- The slide stomp. You guessed it -- you slide out (either forward or to the side) and raise it up before finishing in a stomp.
Once you've got the isolations down, the chest pop will be a piece of cake. You simply pop your chest forward quickly and bring it back -- it's sort of like a pulse. Experiment with a stomp, followed by a chest pop. If that's easy, grab your shirt and pop like you're pulling yourself forward.
6
Add in arm swings. The origins of krump are clearly seen in the arm swings. They're aggressive yet under control -- think of them as Muhammad Ali jabs. They can be to any direction, just make sure they're quick and punctuated and not flailing all over the place!
- Your hands can take any position you'd like. They can be punches, your hands could form blades, be holding apples, however you'd like to do it is fine, so long as it fits your spirit and the music.
7
Travel. No, not to foreign lands. Travel across the floor. This is most often done in a slide or glide (also like in dubstep), but can be done in any way you can imagine.
- To glide, put all your weight onto one foot and point the other. Slide the pointed foot across the floor and switch your weight. Keep switching until you've traveled far enough. That's really all it is!
8
Add in tricks, syncs, puzzles, and the final kill-off. Once you've mastered stomps, chest pops, arm swings, and traveling, you're really pretty much done. Hard to believe, huh? The rest is where you and your character come into play. A trick can be whatever you want it to be!
- Syncs are really just a combination of moves, often done at once or in close sequence.
- Puzzles are movements (often many) done with your hands and arms.Think of a badass mime.
- A kill-off is when you demonstrate how you would literally kill someone. But it's dance-y and beautiful and thus not clearly violent. You might simulate a butt-kicking, but it only lasts a matter of seconds.
Also similar to dubstep, part of the "look" of krumping is hitting a beat fiercely (like in a chest pop) and then taking the next few beats slow or fluidly. Listen to the piece of music you're working with. What beats sound like they pop and which beats sound like they flow?

Part 2

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Getting Inspired

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Krumping is a manifestation of your inner self. If you are silly, aggressive, or stylish it should show in your dancing. It will become your character and determine your original style. Make up your name and start practicing tailoring your moves to your character. No two people should krump the same!
2
Look to the pros. If ever there was a purpose for YouTube, it was now. You can even watch competitions by the pioneers of krump -- along with some pretty inspirational documentaries about the lives of those its improved. And, of course, tutorials on how to do it!
- Any video with Tight Eyez, Retro, or Ruin will be worth your while. Also look at the Krump championships and at how battles are structured. EBS (European Buck Session) has tons of stuff, too. Maybe you could go to next year's finals!
- If you live in a big city, it's possible that there are classes on this style of dance in your area. Krump isn't something that should be done alone! The positive, unstoppable feeling it breeds gets magnified in a group.
3
Keep practicing. If you watch yourself in the mirror when you first start, it'll be easy to get discouraged. You'll just end up thinking, "Geez, I look like a mentally handicapped beached whale compared to the videos." While it's easy to suck at krumping, it'll come with time. You gotta experiment and fail to get better. In fact, that's the only way.
- Try recording yourself or coming up with a routine at first. Eventually you'll want to be able to do it off-the-cuff, but for now you need structure. Doing the same moves over and over is a necessary part of the learning curve.
- Use your krumping to say something. Think of your message -- it'll help cue you as to what moves feel right.
4
Look within yourself. Since it's all about the spiritual, your freedom, and your inner motivation, this dance is a reflection of you -- and if you don't know what you're feeling or what you embody, your dance will reflect that. So find a part of you that you want to let out. Look inside to bring it to the surface. It'll make your dance that much better.
- And that much more unique. It doesn't matter what you do -- you just gotta do it with purpose, conviction, and, most importantly, passion.
If you're part of a "fam," you'll be able to get into battles pretty quickly. The more you win, the higher level of krump you'll be able to achieve. You can even change your name as you get more victories under your belt. Though battles aren't necessary to krump, they are an integral part of the scene.

Part 3

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Understanding Krump

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1
Know its history. Krump stands for "Kingdom Radically Uplifted Mighty Praise." It was started by Tight Eyez, Lil C, Big Mijo, Slayer, and Hurricane.^{[2]
X
Research source} Though on the outside it looks incredibly violent (heck, you have moves showing the other person how you would kill him), its proponents are actually actively non-violent. It is a spiritual form of dance with Christian roots and most of those who krump see it as a means of getting closer to God, whoever or whatever that is to them.
- Because of that, you'll never see booty dropping', grinding, or other overtly sexual movements that would deface the krump name. It's about expressing yourself, sure, but it's more about praise and feeling a universal connection to the spirit of the music.
2
Know its purpose. Krump was started for those who needed an alternative to violence. It's a spiritual outlet that allows its artists an escape, a means of expressing themselves, and a means of being free. Krump is hope, life, regeneration. Krump is transformation from the self to the spirit. It breeds positive excitement and energy. Krump is passion. Krump takes you from your body and turns your spirit into a warrior. It's so much more than arm swings and stomping.
- Krump keeps kids off the streets. Now there's a slogan for you! Its purpose is much greater than what meets the eye. It's a way of living, a way of thinking, and a way of being.
It should go without saying that in order to krump, you kinda gotta be able to hear the tempo and feel the rhythm. It's essential that you not only can carry a beat but also feel the build up, the crescendo, and sense when to use your power and when to keep it brewing. Find a piece of music you really like and get to know it like the back of your hand.
4
Be part of a family. Part of the beauty of krump is the family mentality that it inspires. If you get in a group where you all get it, that bond can't be broken. You and those with you create your own safe haven based on self-expression and artistic freedom. You'll watch other, not judging, but seeing the passion fill them as they dance.
- Because of that, it's not really about skill. If you feel it, those around you will be able to tell. Even if your moves aren't all that, it doesn't matter. If you get it, it'll show. If you feel better afterward, that's all that matters.

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Who is the creator of Krump?

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Krump was created by Ceasare "Tight Eyez" Willis and Jo'Artis "Big Mijo" Ratti.

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How do I Krump like a pro in only 3 easy steps?

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Remember to crisp up your pops, and keep everthing crisp and fast. You also need to practice a lot.

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What do you mean by your "core"?

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The "core" refers to the muscles used to help you stand upright and keep your balance. It is the stomach/abdominal area.

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Tips

Aggressive and exaggerated moves look good.

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Stay confident in front of the crowd!

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Just express yourself and have fun! Once you start having fun and develop your confidence you will enjoy krump even more!

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Warnings

Don't perform moves you haven't practiced. It will result in a M.A.M. or "Mid Air Mistake."

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Don't do anything that might scare the people that are watching you krump. You don't want the police there.

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Make sure the other guy knows you're krumping. Otherwise someone might end up covered in bruises and blood.

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Some girls don't like krumping. Keep that in mind.

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