Posted on

No Wrist Lock at the Courthouse

[headline_arial_medium_left color=”#000000″]No Wrist Lock at the Courthouse[/headline_arial_medium_left]

This morning, my wife and I had to look something up in the records section of the Lane County Courthouse. An “interesting little episode” occurred just as we were entering the building….

As I grabbed the door to one of the entrances and held it open for my lady, a man in a suit (looked like a lawyer) with a briefcase, entered the door to the left of me. The problem was that it was an exit, not an entrance. And at precisely the same, a “Paul Bunyon” type came out the exit.

The “suit” stepped a little to the side and said, “Oh, excuse me. I’m sorry.”

The logger guy responded with a loud yell of “F_ _ _ _ YOU!”

As he yelled his profanity, he turned toward the lawyer, which cause him to yell partially facing me. And I noticed that my fist had twitched just a little and started to raise as he leaned toward me. Then he continued turning to face the lawyer with his yell.

The lawyer sped up into the building. The security guards at the metal detector and scanner looked perplexed. The Hulk with the temper continued out into the lovely, sunshiny morning.

 

[headline_arial_small_left color=”#000000″]So, Why Is This Episode in a Wrist Locks Blog?[/headline_arial_small_left]

Because, once his body was again outside my bubble, my thoughts turned to a wrist lock. Paul Bunyon still had his hand on the door … perfect for a wrist lock, if he tried to attack the apologetic guy in the suit.

I didn’t mean to be ready; I hadn’t planned on it. I just noticed my personal, subtle reactions.

[features_box_green width=”75%” + border=”2px”]

Note: Just as I had noticed my wife’s fist start to raise a little, when two blocks before, another downtown businessman had rounded a corner of a building and was surprised by the two of us. Both he and Kate exchanged the polite “excuse me” remarks, but afterwards, Kate mentioned that an automatic reflex had almost kicked in.

I had noticed.

And our automatic reflex is not to block, but rather to hit first … a la Bruce Lee and The Way of The Intercepting Fist (JKD).

[/features_box_green]

[headline_arial_small_left color=”#000000″]Instant Fight Evaluations and Assessments[/headline_arial_small_left]

Do you make such instant evaluations when presented with a possible situation?

Do you know to hit, when a meanie advances on you? Does your brain change that hit to a joint lock, when the immediate threat turns away from you, and puts the attacker’s free hand out of range?

If you start with a practice partner squarely facing you, at what point of him pivoting to turn around, does your wrist-lock instinct kick in? Is it when he’s facing away from you completely, or simply when one arm or leg can’t reach you any more?

Could you devise an exercise where your partner, almost in range for a hit, pivots slowly, eventually turning around (180 degrees)? As he or she turns, you figure out the most appropriate defense to a particular attack, given your enemy’s current orientation to you.

I think such experimentation is useful for defining when you should and when you shouldn’t attempt a wrist lock as your first move.

Posted on

Grabbed-in-a-Fight-Practice

Instructors who teach practical self-defense have a major criticism of other martial arts styles.
Their gripe is partially founded, but they shouldn’t completely discount the the “unrealistic aspect of wrist-locks practice.”

[features_box_yellow width=”75%” + border=”2px”]Note: Follow the progression of this article to the end, and you’ll get a secret training tip. No kidding.[/features_box_yellow]

I’m talking about the unrealism of practicing wrist locks against a partner, while you both just stand there, facing each other. Most hand-to-hand combat instructors poo-poo this gentle, stand-there-passively mode of training.
As I said, they are partly right….

[headline_georgia_medium_left color=”#000000″]The Learning Stage[/headline_georgia_medium_left]
These instructors would have your partner put up a lot of resistance, as you try each of your moves. They’d make sure each time your training partner grabbed you, that you got shaken to the core with violent grabs, trips, and so on.
Great. There’s a time and a place for this type of training, and we’ll get to it, and more, in a minute. However …
When you’re first learning a lock, you don’t need the distraction, of resistance.
Did you get that?
I know that I’m going against popular thought, but I think you need a cooperative stage when first learning a wrist lock or joint lock. In fact, you need your partner to tell you when you’re causing pain.
This is a learning stage; how are you supposed to know the exact precision needed to find the most pain. You need a practice partner to help you.
The stand there and experiment phase is fine, as you are trying to learn the least force to cause the most effect.

[headline_georgia_medium_left color=”#000000″]Resist a Little[/headline_georgia_medium_left]
In the next stage of wrist lock perfection, have your partner resist a little. Still, no need for complete a-hole resisting. You want to get the feel of effecting the lock while your partner grabs you a little tighter, winds up for a punch, and starts to wrestle you a little.

[headline_georgia_medium_left color=”#000000″]More Wrist Locks Resistance[/headline_georgia_medium_left]
Progress more and more. Have your partner try to shake you to the ground, trip you, grapple you, and completely rough you up. While all of this is going on, you are put on your most appropriate lock for the situation and position.
Now, remember how I said that you’d get a secret to practicing effectively?
The secret is to figure out exactly how your partner would grab and subdue you. Experiment to determine the kind and level of force that a real attacker would employ given the situation, and the positions.
Once you know exactly what level of intent and violence would be used, add an additional variable. Make it harder than a real situation.
If your attacker would try to grab and shake you, have your partner grab, shake, and trip you. Maybe have your partner try to knee you in the middle of the grab.
Just make it more difficult than normal.
The idea is that if someone really does attack you aggressively, and you decide at some point to lock, it will feel easy, because of your practice method.
One last thought: depending on the situation, you can make your lock easier by hitting hand kicking first. It’s easier to lock someone who has been “tenderized.” (Careful of any legal ramifications. This is a theoretical discussion, only.)

Posted on

pressure point nerve strike

by Keith Pascal

Even though we are about to discuss pressure points, this is really a discussion about nerve strikes. And even though this is a discussion about causing pain as you wallop the nerve, we’re still really in the middle of a discussion about wrist locks. Yes, wrist locks …

Are you ready to learn about a few spots that can be real fight enders … even though that’s NOT how I use them?

 

[headline_georgia_small_left color=”#000000″]1. Separating Two Sides of the Nerve Strike “Practice Coin”[/headline_georgia_small_left]

Anyone who has been a subscriber for any length of time knows that I always look at the “flip side” of any situation. And those very same subscribers have heard me explain this before.

Well, today, I’d like to present a different idea. Call it an experiment for you to try:

Instead of practicing both the wrist-locker’s punch response and the response by the person wanting to escape, one drill right after the other, try this change.

Today, whether your are the locker or the lockee, only have the person locking shooting for these lesser-known targets. Tomorrow, switch, and the person trying to escape the lock attempt will do the punching.

If you’re a little confused, now, don’t worry. As you contrast the difference between the two days, you’ll immediately see what I’m talking about.

I think the separation of drills into two days will do your skills good. In this instance, you’ll be able to use the strikes both in an attack and as a defense more effectively. It’s just a theory that I have … and that I want you to test.

Remember, lock-hit, today. Escape-hit, tomorrow.

 

[headline_georgia_small_left color=”#000000″]2. Ouch, That Hurt![/headline_georgia_small_left]

If I just say “glands,” half of you would click away.

I want you to think about this for a minute … think about your glandular areas on your body, behind the jaw, below the ear.  Ouch.

How about in the armpit?  Or just as bad, in front of the arm pit, toward the pectorals?

Do you know about the glands on the inner thigh?

What we are really talking about are your “Lymph Nodes.”

Got it?

These are important, but often overlooked, targets for martial artists.

Today, we’re going to use them a bit differently. Okay?

Think lymph nodes.

 

[headline_georgia_small_left color=”#000000″]3. Today’s Exercise Sequence[/headline_georgia_small_left]

Get a practice partner. One of you will be wrist locking, the other receiving. Are you ready? Here are the steps to practice:

a) Put a loose wrist lock on your partner; any lock will do. Don’t effect pain, yet.

b) While the one hand holds the loose lock, your other hand (fist) experiments to see which lymph nodes you can reach with a quick strike. Choose the best targets for this lock position.

c) While still holding the loose wrist lock, practice efficiently punching “to the node.” Careful; don’t actually hurt your partner. Those are tender spots. Do this for at least ten minutes.

d) Now, you’ll tighten your lock, for this exercise: You snap on a lock. As your partner feels pain, he or she resists. The instant you feel the resistance, you prevent the escape with a jab to the closest lymph node … the spot you practiced hitting so much, it now feels automatic to stop the escape attempt.

e) As a last step, set up a few realistic situations, where your response would be to go into this very lock. The minute you feel any resistance … “if” you feel the escape attempt … you respond without thinking. You “nudge” them back into compliance.

And that’s enough for today.

Tomorrow …

 

[headline_georgia_small_left color=”#000000″]4. Tomorrow’s “Flip-Side” Sequence[/headline_georgia_small_left]

 

Obviously, you don’t have to limit the above practice to one wrist lock. You could do this every week for an entire summer, for example. Each week, choose a couple of different locks or controls. Vary which lymph nodes you punch.

Now, after you have given the above exercise a break of at least a day, you’ll try the flip side of the coin/exercise.

This time, the person being locked will use those lymph nodes to effect an escape … and turn around the situation:

a) Grab your partner in a loose lock, just like yesterday. No pain … yet.

b) This time, your partner will explore all of the reachable lymph nodes on your body. Which can ‘she’ (I’ll practice this with my wife) reach with a speed hit? Which spots have no impediments? Direct shots only. (Yesterday, you did the hitting; today, your partner hits, to escape.)

c) Have your partner practice those hits over and over, until boredom really sets in. You want those hits as automatic as possible. No pauses in between the start of the lock and the escape response hit.

d) Now, you tighten the wrist lock, simulating a real situation … and your partner escapes with a hit (careful in practice) to your lymph node. Do this repeatedly.

e) Have your partner practice variations on follow-ups after the lymph-hit. The person shunning the wrist lock needs to escape and then either run … or get control of the situation. Practice for this.

f) Be sure to practice both parts. You need a chance to try to escape, too.

 

Any questions comments additions, deletions, and or completions?

 

Keith

PS Right now, “Wrist Locks” (revised) is only available as a soft cover. Would you prefer that it stay that way, or should it be published on Kindle? Would you prefer Nook?

Opinion?

 

Posted on

The Security Guard Secret

[headline_tahoma_medium_left color=”#000000″]It’s Kind of Like …[/headline_tahoma_medium_left]

Imagine for a minute that you walked into a gourmet restaurant; you’re there, because you have heard of the reputation of the most incredible chef — really talented.

After sitting and opening the menu, you notice that there is nothing sauteed on the menu. Not one item.

When you ask the waiter about this, you find that the chef doesn’t know how to sauté items. No clue.

Stop!

Now, no matter how talented the cook claims to be, no matter how good his fried chicken tastes, I still wouldn’t consider him a “master chef.” (Decent cook, maybe, but not an expert.)

He lacks a skill associated with chefs; you can’t go to culinary school without learning something about sauteing. You can’t pour over recipe after recipe, without encountering sauteed dishes.

And the fact that he  hasn’t mastered this one, sometimes necessary skill, makes me doubt the chef’s overall skill.

Do you agree?

 

[headline_tahoma_medium_left color=”#000000″]What Does This Have to Do with Security Guards?[/headline_tahoma_medium_left]

As a self-defense writer and practitioner, I have met more than my share of security guards, in the last 30 years. And recently, I have been working with a bunch of security-guard websites.

And I have found a lack … the majority of these guys and gals can’t do the security-guard equivalent of sauteing. What am I talking about?

 

[headline_tahoma_medium_left color=”#000000″]Wrist Locks and Joint Locks[/headline_tahoma_medium_left]

Most of the security guards that I have met couldn’t do a wrist lock, finger lock, or arm bar if their lives depended on it. (And sometimes, their lives do depend on their ability to control an aggressor successfully.)

I don’t know if they are relying on weapons … pistols, batons, PR24’s, and flashlights … but don’t you think that depending 100% on a weapon is a little naive?

What if the perpetrator disarms the security guard? Hey, it could happen.

If they aren’t relying on weapons, maybe they think they’ll be able to use their striking skills — punches and kicks — from their martial arts training.

Wouldn’t you agree that there are times when it would be better to avoid hitting? For example, when there are bystanders witnessing the whole event.

Note: As a security guard, any time you have to hit someone, you’re going to have some explaining to do. Often, striking John or Jane Q. Public results in legal ramifications. At the very least, the red tape is more of a hassle, if you beat the criminal to a pulp at some point in the pursuit and apprehension of said criminal.

In other words, if you can avoid hitting, so much the better.

 

 

[headline_tahoma_medium_left color=”#000000″]The Security Guard Training Secret[/headline_tahoma_medium_left]

Look, as a security guard professional, you should avoid physical contact, if possible. Control from a distance far enough that you can’t be surprised, but close enough that the suspect can’t flee, either.

You position yourself in the path of a clean escape, yet far enough away that you can’t be engaged in a scuffle of any type.

All of this happens in an ideal world.

Sometimes, people mess with any type of law enforcement. Some people consider security guards to be “wannabe police with no authority.” And some people will be put into desperate situations where getting away seems like the only option.

When someone puts his or her hands on you, wouldn’t it be nice to know that you have a secret weapon? You can control the situation without hitting.

You can subdue a criminal who grabs you … and keep this person locked until reinforcements arrive.

And if you have restraints, like handcuffs, thumb cuffs, or plastic ties, all the better. You can lock your attacker and then add further restraint.

And it all stems from having wrist locks in your bag of tricks. You don’t have to use them all the time; you won’t want to, as a true security professional. But just in case …

Posted on

Bad Ground Wrist Locks

[headline_georgia_medium_left color=”#000000″]Starting from a Bad Wrist-Locks Position on The Ground[/headline_georgia_medium_left]

I recently had a discussion with a grappler who maintains that once a puncher is down (grappled), it’s next-to-impossible to punch with a straight blast of punches and have any effect. He felt that the angles, leverage, and positioning was all wrong for someone punching.

To prove my point, we can even remove both the straight blast punches, and to mess up positioning completely, let’s start from a bad wrist locks position. Here’s what I mean….

 

[headline_georgia_medium_left color=”#000000″]Bad Wrist Locks[/headline_georgia_medium_left]

Let’s say someone knocked you to the ground and was now grappling with you. In an attempt to regain control, you grab his forearm and hand and tweak to a lock … but it doesn’t work.

Your positioning is all off. You’re a little discombobulated … the torque isn’t causing any pain to the wrist.

What’s worse is that your opponent is bending you like a pretzel into a grappled hold.

Is all lost?

Not by a long shot. Since this is about self-defense, where rules and restrictions don’t apply … you can hit, pinch, gouge, and kick … anywhere.

I bet you could reach eyes, groin, shins, joints, throat, and so on.

[headline_georgia_medium_left color=”#000000″]Practice Wrist Locks[/headline_georgia_medium_left]
It’s time to practice an ineffective wrist lock … on purpose.

No, no … don’t practice bad joint locks. Instead, let’s just say that the attacker on top of you starts trying to pin you down before you have the lock effected fully.

You’re being pinned AND …

Start from there.

Any questions?

Posted on

Wrist Locks Tweets

Are you on Twitter? What kinds of topics do you follow?

Or do you only follow people?

As you know, I have been Tweeting as of late … but I have NOT been using Twitter to market what I sell. Are you interested in knowing my results?

First, let’s talk about a fellow wrist locker:  I thought another wrist-locks expert was in complete juxtaposition with my “no-promotion-on-twitter” point of view. Whereas I have not sent people directly to sell pages, and preferred to educate with wrist-locks articles, I thought this master was pushing his wrist-locks DVDs on a DAILY basis.

[headline_georgia_small_left color=”#000000″]Who is this mystery martial artist?[/headline_georgia_small_left]

Alain Burrese.

But guess what! He isn’t pitching his video daily at all. Let me explain …

Every day, I saw a Tweet pointing to Alain Burrese’s DVD, Lock On: Joint Locking Essentials Volume 1: Wrist Locks.

Well, recently, I had my birthday, and surprise of surprises … Alain emailed me with birthday wishes. So, I asked him if his Twitter.com efforts were successful.

His response?

He had no idea what I was talking about. It must be an Amazon affiliate promoting his product.

It’s a good thing he’s in the dark, because I can’t imagine that that the affiliate’s selling a lot from that link.

[headline_georgia_small_left color=”#000000″]So, why am “I” tweeting?[/headline_georgia_small_left]

I’d like to make it easier for you to find information. So far, I have been using Twitter for the following:

• To help you find martial arts information
• To retweet interesting tidbits. Call it life-enrichment.
• Actual communication
• Updates about what’s going on with me … NOT what I am having for breakfast, but rather new book, site, and video projects.

[headline_georgia_small_left color=”#000000″]So far, have my efforts been successful?[/headline_georgia_small_left]
It really is too early to tell, but I am enjoying the process.

A few people have clicked over to my articles on wrist locks and practical martial arts; in that sense, I am happy to be able to help.

Now, the question is … should I Tweet a link to THIS wrist locks article? 😉

Posted on

Weird and Unusual Joint Locks

[headline_tahoma_medium_left color=”#000000″]Weird and Unusual Joint Locks[/headline_tahoma_medium_left]

Why would a martial artist want to control with the really weird locks?

Don’t some of those wrist and joint locks seem all but useless? How could you use those in a real fight?

Are these lesser-known controls only good for removing a grab to your body?

In the book, Wrist Locks: From Protecting Yourself to becoming an Expert (revised), there’s a chapter that teaches you a 12-13 specific locks.

So, why did I want you to learn those particular locks?

Readers of Wrist Locks can understand some of my decisions:

• Readers practice all of the variations on the Basic Lock

• They find practical uses for revving the motorcycle

• They see how Step-Throughs fit into actual scenarios

• And they could even see themselves performing a nose control …

 

 

But how in the world can you make a Double Ninety or “The Weird Lock With No Name” practical?

 

[headline_tahoma_medium_left color=”#000000″]Especially “The Weird Lock With No Name!”[/headline_tahoma_medium_left]

One of the reasons I teach you these particular locks is that they present some very important principles for successful joint locking.

You learn just by practicing those particular locks. If you experiment with these controls enough, you will learn to generalize these concepts to other locks and controls that you may have to use for real self-defense.

 

It almost happens automatically.

 

Still, you ask, “Keith, why did you include some of those more bizarre locks?”

Some of these locks have very specific uses, meaning they don’t generalize well to different situations.

But they are perfect if you use them in their particular niches.

And you can learn by example. If these locks fit into particular places, are there other locks that could make your fighting more efficient, if placed in the right spot?

 

Here’s what I am talking about. Let’s take The Weird Lock With No Name as an example (pictured in the book photo towards the end of this article).

Why would you ever want one of your hands on the inside of your opponent on his or her biceps, while your other hand bends the opponent’s wrist in a control?

Could there really be a situation where this is useful?

 

Here are just a few possible scenarios for The Weird Lock With No Name:

You are against an opponent, and you’re standing to the side of him. You have his arm outstretched and your other hand is snaked around the back of his neck.

With a little pressure you will bend him over — maybe into a throw — maybe drop him down, flowing into another control…

But this guy resists your pressure. He has one mighty neck. He could have played the part of The Hulk.

Not only does he resist bending his neck, but he actually bends his arm in, not allowing you to ‘straight arm’ him.

What do you do?

You allow him to bend his arm and keep his neck upright, because his resistance, pardon the reference the The Borg in Star Trek, is futile.

Resistance is futile, because if The Hulk resists, he will pull you right into The Weird Lock With No Name.

It’s that simple.

 

 

In scenario number two, you want to put an arm bar on your opponent, but you find your arm is on the inside of her guard.

Do you take the time to pull your hand free?

 

[features_box_blue width=”75%” + border=”2px”]

Not a bad idea, if you trap the arm that’s in the way as you pull yours free. Also, only pull it as far back as needed to barely clear the obstruction. No cradling your fist back at your side.

[/features_box_blue]

Your hand can’t move forward — otherwise the efficient fighter in you would have already been hitting, right?

So, what do you do?

You move your hand in a direction where you don’t feel resistance. And bingo …

That direction just happens to be on her biceps. BAM — you have a chance to use The Weird Lock With No Name again.

Hmmm — Maybe this lock has more uses than previously imagined.

In fact, without brainstorming any more scenarios, you are able to generalize this lock to a principle:

When you have your arm on the inside of your opponent’s, and it is either right to left or left hand to right hand, you can do The Weird Lock With No Name — as long as you can put your hand on your opponent’s biceps without resistance.

Whew — that was a mouthful.

But I have something concrete to practice.

I can invent situations where my hand ends up on the inside. I can practice as many variations as I can think up.

And someday, if I ever feel that familiar feeling, that would make others panic, I can easily move just a few inches into an efficient lock.

The trick now, is to make all of this automatic. Any time, I feel my hand (fist) being trapped on the inside of my enemy’s arm, I want to bend his forearm directly into that weird lock.

 

[headline_tahoma_medium_left color=”#000000″]Last Thoughts on These Strange Locks[/headline_tahoma_medium_left]

You don’t have to own Wrist Locks or know The Weird Lock With No Name, to incorporate this principle.

If you do already own the book, you’ll find The Weird Lock With No Name on pages 77-79  of the revised soft-cover edition.

 

But as I said, you don’t need the book or that particular lock, to make this article worthwhile to you.

Pick any strange lock that you already know.

Put the lock on your partner.

Now back up one step. Ok, rewind two steps. Go back to where your hand is making ‘first contact’ (A Star Trek reference again?) with your partner in preparation for the lock.

Now, freeze action, right there.

Examine both of your positions — hand positions and body positions. Look at everything. On both you and your partner.

Now, the question becomes:

How many ways can you find to get to that unusual-lock position in a fight.

‘All roads lead to Rome‘ — and several of your hand encounters could lead to one particular joint lock.

If you do this with all of your ‘weird’ locks, you could really enhance your martial arts skills.

 

 

 

 

Posted on

Wrist Locks On Your Back

[headline_tahoma_medium_left color=”#000000″]Wrist Locks on Your Back?[/headline_tahoma_medium_left]

by Keith Pascal

No, I’m not kidding.

Choose any wrist lock that you can do standing up. Try it on a practice partner a few times.

Now, lie down on the floor. Have your training partner reach in to you for a grab or submission hold. Design the exercise in a way that allows you to respond with the same lock that you practiced in a standing position.

Even though it’s the same lock, it feels different, doesn’t it? (What? You’re just reading? You aren’t following along with training partner at your side? We’ll, experience the difference after you read this article, I suppose.)

The relationships of the angles to limbs is the same, it’s just that the orientation has changed. You need to get accustomed to effecting locks from this supine position. You need to learn the finesses that limit your enemy’s movements, even though you may be positioned below him or her.

 

[headline_tahoma_small_left color=”#000000″]Why is any of this important?[/headline_tahoma_small_left]

Could you imagine someone reaching down to you, as you sleep? You awaken to someone choking your neck from above. Of course, you’ll probably hit and kick, but a control … a lock … might be nice, to stop all movement, until you get your bearings.

After all, just seconds ago, you were asleep. Right?

 

[headline_tahoma_small_left color=”#000000″]Grappled, Again[/headline_tahoma_small_left]

If you think that sneaking up on you as you sleep is an impossible scenario, then what about a more likely one … what if you were knocked to the ground?

Of course, you want to get back on your feet A.S.A.P., but you might have to defend yourself from the ground for a second or two. Just maybe.

I’m proposing that you spend a portion of your training sessions practicing your wrist locks from a downed position. I know you won’t let it happen in a real-life situation 🙂 , but just pretend that you have been knocked to the ground.

Maybe you aren’t on your back; you could defend yourself from your knees, on your side, or facedown. The question is, how will you take your opponent’s grab into a wrist lock or joint lock?

And that is the question of the day … that warrants a little wrist-locks practice … on your back.

Posted on

unhand the security guard

[headline_tahoma_medium_left color=”#000000″]Security Guards’ Rules and Regulations[/headline_tahoma_medium_left]

 

by Keith Pascal

I know a lot of martial artists who mistakenly believe that if they become security guards they’ll have all sort of opportunities to practice their martial arts and self-defense.

This couldn’t be further from the truth.

 

[features_box_blue width=”75%” + border=”2px”]Note: In the early 1980’s, I did a stint for a year, where my duties included being night security for a hotel. I never had to use my martial arts, except to help the bouncer escort someone rowdy from the lounge, one evening.[/features_box_blue]

 

As an official representative of a security company or the corporation that employees you, you won’t be able to “go all whoop-arse” on any customer who doesn’t afford you the respect you deserve. You have rules, regulations, and … lots of limitations.

If you watch a store, for example, my bet is that you won’t often (if ever) find yourself shooting someone in the store. Nor will you beat them with an oversized flashlight. You’d also better nix carotid artery holds, eye jabs, breaking the knees, and so on.

The key to being a security guard is to exhibit professional restraint.

[headline_tahoma_small_left color=”#000000″]When Can You Use Martial Arts in Security Work?[/headline_tahoma_small_left]

Of course, you need to obey the law. And you need to obey any specific laws that may relate to security-guard work.

Next, you need complete mastery of any rules, regulations, and specific guidelines mandated by your employer. Also, if you work for a retail outlet inside a mall, you need to know the law of the land — mall rules.

Once you take all of the above into consideration, we can talk about …

[headline_tahoma_small_left color=”#000000″]Security-Guard Self-Defense[/headline_tahoma_small_left]

If the original question was, when can a security guard use martial arts in his or her work, then the obvious answer should be … for the purposes of self-defense.

If you have to defend yourself or someone nearby, then you might have to use your skills.

So, how do you defend yourself AND obey all of the limitations imposed by official agencies and employers?

Answer: By using the minimal amount of self-defense possible.

In other words, don’t haul of and pull a Bruce Lee on the perpetrators, unless you really, really … really have to. Realize that no matter what, you’re probably going to have a lot of explaining to do. It’s easier to rationalize a wrist lock than a broken knee cap.

Wrist lock?

Yes, a joint lock is sometimes necessary to gain control of a situation. (Remember those guidelines and regulations.)

Stop the aggressor without hitting, kicking, poking out, or breaking. Ah … the elegant wrist lock!

[headline_tahoma_small_left color=”#000000″]When Should You Effect a Lock Control?[/headline_tahoma_small_left]

There are probably many answers to the above question, but the easiest answer is … you can lock, when someone grabs you or attempts to grab your weapon.

Look at it this way, if you lock from a grab, then you aren’t slowing down a punch to effect your wrist lock. This is a plus.

This also means that you will probably be able to snap on your lock without hitting your lawbreaker.

Taking a grab into a non-breaking lock is probably easier to explain in a court of law than busting up someone’s face and breaking bones. Wouldn’t you agree?

[headline_tahoma_small_left color=”#000000″]Final Thought on Security Guard Joint Locks[/headline_tahoma_small_left]

My ultimate goal would be to deal with, and survive, any encounter without touching the suspect. This means that I consider avoiding a wrist lock to be a success … a win. I lose if I have to use self-defense, even a wrist lock.

Sure I protected myself or someone else with a joint control, but I still had to exert force. In this case, winning is losing. Right?

But if the choice is your safety or controlling with a wrist lock, then …

Posted on

Don’t Forget the Kick

In the last blog post, we dealt with a gridlock scenario where both you and your opponent respond with a punch during a wrist lock.

You punch because she’s resisting, and she punches because you are effecting a lock as a control.

So, you both punch at the same time.

Problem?

[headline_georgia_small_left color=”#000000″]Counter the Wrist-Locks Resister with a Kick[/headline_georgia_small_left]

I gave you several options on how to avoid a simultaneous, double knockout. One option that I didn’t discuss was a low-line kick.

I have developed a lot of drills, and you should too, where I kick low the instant I feel wrist locks resistance. These kicks could aim for the shins, knee, or inside of the leg.

Note: I also am partial to a scrap with my instep down the opponent’s shin … or a solid, stomp to the part where the shin and foot “connect.”

Demolishing the ankle in a real, life-threating emergency is an option, too.

 

[headline_georgia_small_left color=”#000000″]Escaping The Wrist Lock[/headline_georgia_small_left]

Of course, since you should always look at the flip side of a coin, I also have a lot of drills where I kick low in response to someone else trying to wrist lock me.

So, are we just creating another “both-gunslingers-draw-at-exactly-the-same-time” situation?

Instead of punches, have you just created an impasse with kicks?

Actually, now there is some variety: While you lock, you feel resistance … so, you have a choice of either kicking or punching immediately. (I suggest you practice both, for automaticity.)

And on the receiving end, you have a choice to use a punch or a kick to escape the lock.

This turns it into a real game … kick-n-kick, kick-n-punch, punch-n-kick.

So far, all of this can be practiced in the context of a regular, martial arts class. There’s nothing magic or really special about any of these moves, right?

In the next post, I’ll show you how to make this very same scenario into a higher-level, advanced martial-arts, training session.