Practical Joint Manipulation: For Fighting and Self-Defense 9798578726842

Table of contents :
Introduction
Myths and Realities
Key Concepts
Basic Rules of Joint Manipulation
Basic Rules of Joint Manipulation
Techniques
Lock Flow
Proper Training
Joint Manipulation With Weapons
Joint Manipulation With Weapons
Conclusion
About the Author

Citation preview

Practical Joint Manipulation For Fighting and Self-Defense By Chuck Callaway

Copyright © 2020 Chuck Callaway Cover and illustrations by Chuck Callaway Photographs by Bryan Callaway Technical assistance by Conner Callaway All rights reserved. ISBN: 9798578726842

Disclaimer and Warning The martial arts and self-defense involve the use of fighting skills and techniques designed to cause injury to an attacker. The practice and use of these skills can be dangerous and physically demanding. The improper use of any fighting technique could result in both criminal and civil action against the person responsible. The information provided in this book is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The author and publisher are not responsible and assume no liability for any injury that might result from the practice, use, or misuse, of the information contained in this book. One should always consult a physician before engaging in any physical activity. The information contained in this book is intended to document fighting techniques, skills, principles, and theory as studied and taught by the author to a select few students. While a tremendous amount can be learned from these pages, it is impossible to convey specific movement, subtleties and to correct a student’s errors in written form. The reader should seek out a qualified instructor to ensure safe and proper study.

Contents Introduction Myths and Realities Key Concepts Basic Rules of Joint Manipulation Techniques Lock Flow Proper Training Joint Manipulation With Weapons Conclusion About the Author

Special Thanks To Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris for inspiring a young kid to learn martial arts in 1979.

Bigger Thanks To The all the Sifus, Senseis, and Gurus that taught me my fighting skills.

Above all…Thanks To Those difficult people in life who forced me to put my knowledge to the test and made me stronger for it!

Introduction We often have moments of clarity or realization in life that shape our beliefs and change our future views. Although it has been over thirty years ago, I remember the day my thoughts on the use of joint manipulation for self-defense changed forever. It was early morning, and I was sitting in the bed of a military pickup truck waiting to be transported to my post. Other soldiers were getting their weapons from the armory and starting to climb into the truck around me. It was my lucky day because I had been the first in line to get my rifle and I had the best seat in the bed of the truck with my back against the cab for support. The ride to my post was long, but I would be comfortable. That’s when I heard him. “Hey man, I’m going to sit there, you need to move!” I turned to see one of my fellow soldiers who I didn’t know very well staring intensely at me. He immediately told me again that I needed to move because he wanted my seat in the truck. I politely responded that I was not going to move, but he insisted for a third time as he grabbed ahold of my wrist. “I’m going to yank your ass out of that truck”, he said, and he began to aggressively pull on my arm. I tumbled out of the truck but managed to land on my feet and instinctively seized the arm he had grabbed me with. What happened next surprised us both. I was standing over the obnoxious soldier, who was now on the ground in an armbar. Without thinking, I had perfectly executed an outside wrist lock followed by a step across move and I had him under control on the ground. I released the hold and allowed him to get up. Others who were in the truck and standing around started laughing and making comments which infuriated him. He said, “You want to fight?” as he took off his web belt and gear. I said, “no, I don’t want to fight”, and I got back in the truck which ended the incident. People would talk about what occurred that day for the remainder of my time in the military and the story eventually became exaggerated, but it was a moment of realization for me. I suddenly realized that the joint manipulation techniques I had been practicing for years in my martial arts training could be applied in a real situation against an aggressive opponent. Prior to this incident, I hadn’t focused too much on joint manipulation skills in my training. I had been studying the martial arts since the late seventies, and had achieved black belt level, but I was always more into the striking and kicking techniques. While I knew some basic

joint locks from my training, I never used them in sparring. This encounter caused me to re-evaluate that. Starting in 1987, I was lucky to study martial arts under Sifu Vic Butler. A significant portion of our training centered around joint manipulation techniques. Over the years I studied other martial arts that focused on joint manipulation such as Jiujitsu, Aikido, Kung-Fu, and Kali. My years of service as a police officer solidified my knowledge of joint manipulation techniques and further confirmed how effective they could be in real life encounters. Eventually, I became a defensive tactics instructor and taught joint locking skills to hundreds of police officers. The techniques in this book are the result of over forty years of martial arts, military, and police training. I know they are effective because I have used them on numerous occasions to subdue people who were resisting, control individuals who were trying to escape, and to protect myself against physical attacks. My goal is to provide you with a basic system of effective joint manipulation skills. I won’t waste your time with fancy untested theories or moves. We will cover the key concepts, techniques, and training that you will need to effectively apply these skills in a real self-defense situation. I hope you enjoy the book. Chuck Callaway November 2020

Chapter 1

Myths and Realities There are a lot of misconceptions and false assumptions in the martial arts world today when it comes to joint manipulation. On one hand, many practitioners believe that standing joint locks are useless. They think they are only for the movies and don’t work in a real situation. Others believe they can be used to easily tie up multiple opponents like a pretzel or to flip an attacker through the air with ease. Obviously, both beliefs are wrong. The fact is that joint manipulation techniques are extremely effective and can be used to end a fight quickly if properly trained and applied. In this chapter we will identify what joint manipulation really is and when it should be used. We will also discuss some of the myths and realities surrounding it’s use.

What is Joint Manipulation? The human body consists of numerous bones that connect throughout the skeletal system. The location where these bones meet are called joints. There are several types of joints that each have unique functions and ranges of movement. Joint manipulation is simply twisting and turning these joints in a manner that is contrary to their normal range of motion. When a joint is forced in a direction that it normally doesn’t move, it becomes locked or immobilized. By locking and immobilizing an attacker’s joints, a fighter can control or disable an opponent in a fight. One of the benefits of joint manipulation is the ability to subdue or control an opponent without hurting them. On the other hand, a skilled joint manipulator can cause severe injury or render an opponent unconscious if the situation warrants it.

Types of Joints All the techniques in this book will be applied to specific joints that fall into one of several different categories. Knowing how these joints operate is essential to understanding how to properly apply joint locking techniques. The four types of joints that are most commonly targeted for joint locking techniques are as follows.

Hinge Joint- Hinge joints are among the most common targets for joint locking techniques and include the elbows, knees, and finger joints. Think of these joints just like the hinges on a door. The normal range of motion for a hinge joint is from zero to around one hundred and sixty degrees. If the joint is manipulated beyond this range, it becomes locked or hyperextended. By hyperextending the opponent’s joint, we can temporarily immobilize him and control his movement. We will discuss hyperextension in more detail in a later chapter.

Ball and Socket Joint- Ball and socket joints include the hip and shoulder and provide a larger range of motion that includes movement forward, backwards, and side to side. Think of a ball and socket joint like the joystick on a video game controller. As with the hinge joint, forcing a ball and socket joint beyond its normal range of motion can tear ligaments, immobilize a person, and dislocate the joint. The shoulder joint is the most common ball and socket joint targeted for locking attacks.

Pivot Joint- Pivot joints are limited in their range of motion and typically allow for movement from side to side as well as very slight up and down movement. The neck is the primary pivot joint that we will apply joint manipulation techniques on.

Ellipsoidal Joints- An ellipsoidal joint allows for all kinds of movement including upward, downward, and side to side. The wrist joint is the main ellipsoidal joint that you will attack with joint manipulation techniques.

When Should Joint Manipulation Be Used? Knowing when not to utilize a joint manipulation technique during a situation is just as important as knowing when to use one. This concept is critical to the effectiveness of these techniques and it is very often overlooked by practitioners. The following are the situations most suited for applying a joint lock technique. 1) The opponent is grabbing you rather than punching or kicking. 2) The opponent has been stunned or injured by your strikes and now you need to control him. 3) The nature of your occupation requires the use of come along or restraint techniques, such as a security officer or a bouncer escorting an unruly drunk out of a club. 4) You don’t want to hurt the person who is being aggressive towards you. Maybe they are a drunken family member, an elderly person or a teenager who is in crisis.

Joint manipulation techniques should augment your other martial arts skills and not be thought of as a replacement to them. It would not be wise to attempt a wrist lock on a person who is swinging haymaker punches at you in a parking lot, just like you wouldn’t want to finger jab the eyes of a drunken man on the street who pushes you because you didn’t have a quarter to spare. The ultimate goal is to practice joint manipulation techniques until they become second nature to you, and you can apply them without conscious thought when the opportunity presents itself.

Standing Verses Ground Fighting The techniques taught in this book are focused on standing joint manipulation. Ground fighting skills are very important and there are many great resources available that teach the use of joint locks while on the ground. All joint manipulation techniques require proper practice with a training partner who is resisting, but it is more difficult to control an opponent who is standing and has full mobility. Due to this fact, many martial artists don’t take the time or put forth the required effort to become proficient in this skill. When you understand the proper use and correct time to apply these techniques, they can be just as effective as joint locks on the ground. In fact, once you have mastered the techniques in this book, you will realize how they can be adapted to grappling situations which will enhance your ground fighting skills.

The Myth That Joint Manipulation Techniques Don’t Work in a Real Fight In today’s world of high-speed internet, knowledge is available at the touch of a keyboard button. The problem is that knowledge does not automatically equate to skill and skill does not automatically equate to practical skill. Let me explain with an analogy of basketball. Imagine that a coach has every player on a high school basketball team practice the layup every day for a couple of years. Not only do they practice layup drills alone, but they also work on the technique in scrimmage matches against teammates who are defending. Soon every player on the team becomes very proficient with the layup and they are consistently winning games with it. One of the players on the team watches professional basketball games and becomes aware of the three-point shot and decides to try it. He practices the three-point shot on occasion when time allows but never uses it in a

scrimmage match. His focus continues to be the layup. As time goes by, the team ends up in a championship game and are losing by only two points. With seconds remaining on the clock, the player gets the ball and decides he will use the three-point shot to win the game rather than use a layup for the tie. With the pressure on and the reality of aggressive defensive from the other team, the player misses the three-point shot and his team loses the game. The coach, fellow team members, and the fans are all angry at the player for trying the three-point shot. They all say the three-point shot doesn’t work and that it is useless. They claim the player should never have tried it because it can’t be used in a real game. The player himself is confused because he was able to make the shot numerous times in practice. The belief has now been firmly established that the three-point shot doesn’t work, is useless, and should not be used in a real game. Obviously, this is ridiculous for several reasons. First, the three-point shot is simply a technique. It is the person that executes the technique that counts, not the technique itself. If Michael Jordan had been playing in the game, the likelihood that the three-Point shot would have worked is almost certain. The second factor is how the technique is trained. In this story, the basketball player only practiced the three-point shot on occasion and when he did practice, it was in a sterile environment with no one aggressively defending against it. The final component is proper application. In the story, the player gets the ball with only seconds left in the championship game. He has the option of executing the layup, which he is highly skilled at, to tie the game. Instead, he attempts a technique that he is knowledgeable of but hasn’t fully mastered which results in the loss. His mind was more focused on winning, rather than relying on his training and using the proper technique to accomplish the task. The key to making any fighting technique work in a real situation can be summarized in the following facts.

“Knowledge does not automatically equal skill.” “Skill does not automatically equal practical skill” 1) Skill of the person is more important than a style or technique 2) How you train is how you fight 3) Proper application is critical

4) Proper mindset is more important than physical skill alone

It’s the Skill of the Person That Matters, Not the Art or Technique It is true that some martial arts styles are more combative in nature than others. If I were teaching a platoon of military personnel hand to hand combat to prepare them for war, I probably wouldn’t teach them Tai Chi moves. However, if those same soldiers were already combat hardened warriors, they could take Tai Chi moves and adapt them to kill. How many times have we seen black belts with years of training easily defeated by a street brawler? At the end of the day, personal development of your mind and body come first before styles or systems. When your mindset, speed, power, focus, and other attributes are developed to a high level, you can plug in any style or art and make it work for you. The interesting thing is that in a life-or-death situation, style goes out the window. When every second counts, a kick to the groin or knee will look pretty much the same whether it comes from Wing Chun or Hapkido. Don’t get caught up in styles or trying to find the deadliest system. You will be searching forever. Instead, develop your core skills to the highest level possible, then styles become irrelevant.

How You Train is How You Fight How you train is how you fight. This is a phrase that I have heard countless times throughout my years in the military, law enforcement, and martial arts, and it is very true. When a real encounter occurs and your body resorts to the natural fight or flight survival instincts, your response to the threat will be directly related to how you have trained. If you have been lazy or sloppy in your training, then your strikes will be sloppy. If you have never taken a punch or tried your techniques against a training partner who is resisting, don’t believe that your response to an actual threat will be any different. Don’t fool yourself or cheat yourself in your training because in the end, it is you who will pay the price.

Proper Application is Critical Knowing the proper situation to apply a certain type of technique is just as important as actually knowing the technique. For example, you wouldn’t

use a hacksaw to cut down a tree, or a chainsaw to cut a steel pipe. Both tools are saws, but each job requires a specific type of saw to achieve the desired outcome. Joint locks and elbow strikes are both martial arts tools, but each situation will dictate the type of tool needed for the job. There is a time and place where each type of technique will work the best for you. If you recognize this and use it to your advantage, you will have the most success with your fighting skills.

Proper Mindset is More Important Than Physical Skill Proper mindset is more important than physical technique alone. You must have a survival attitude and be determined to win any encounter. As Mark Twain said so eloquently, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog”. I have heard stories about people who were shot and suffered non-life-threatening wounds, but they died because they had no will to survive. By contrast, others have suffered wounds that should have killed them, but they lived. Having a proper mind set is absolutely critical when fighting. Using the famous Maslow’s pyramid model, we can see how these components rank in terms of importance for self-defense and effective fighting skills. As you can see in the below diagram, at the bottom of the pyramid are techniques, systems, and styles. This is the area that most people focus on and believe is the most important. When you hear people arguing over which martial art is best or what systems don’t work, they are focused on this level. At the second level of the pyramid is proper application. All the techniques in the world are useless if you don’t understand their proper application. In fact, trying to apply a technique incorrectly can be very dangerous. After techniques have been learned, you must understand when and how to correctly apply them. Skill is the third level of the pyramid and it is absolutely critical for your art to be effective. Say you study Tae Kwon Do and you learn a roundhouse kick to the head. You know what the technique is and understand when to use it, but you can’t lift your leg above waist level. You have not stretched, trained, developed power, sparred, and developed the skill needed to execute the kick, so it becomes useless. Some techniques obviously require more skill to execute than others, but without training and skill development, techniques fail. Mindset is at the top of the pyramid. It is the most important factor in effective fighting and self-defense. If you don’t have the will to survive and a winning mindset, the rest of the pyramid becomes irrelevant.

Mindset is so powerful that it can stand alone. This is why we see black belts with years of experience fail to defend themselves, and people with no training defeat seasoned martial artists. If you take the time to develop all of the levels of the pyramid, you will have a fighting system that won’t fail you.

Pyramid Ranking for Effective Fighting and Self-Defense

Chapter 2

Key Concepts Posture Verses Stance Traditional martial arts stances are static and do not provide mobility needed to deal with an actual attacker. During a real fight, you and the attacker will be moving quickly on concrete, grass, rocks, or other surfaces. If you think in terms of posture as you move, you can maintain mobility and protect your vital areas. In the system of martial arts that I teach, we utilize a boxer’s posture and variations of that posture depending on what is required for the situation. In the boxer’s posture, the hands are normally closed in fists to facilitate striking techniques, but you will need to open your hands in order to grab the opponent to apply your joint locking skills. I recommend keeping the hands closed in fists until the moment you need to grab so you don’t telegraph your intentions to the attacker. The one exception to this is the preparatory or prep posture which is used before a situation has escalated to a physical encounter. The goal with the prep posture is to give a non-aggressive appearance while at the same time being ready to attack or defend yourself if needed. Let’s look at these postures in a little more detail.

The Boxer’s Posture- Once a fight begins, the boxer’s posture will be your primary fighting posture for attack and defense. The below photos show the boxer’s posture from both a front and side angle. The hands are kept up to protect the head, and your elbows are kept down to guard the rib cage and body. Keep your chin tucked into your lead shoulder to protect your jaw and throat from attack and stay mobile on your feet with your weight evenly distributed. From this posture, the opponent will assume that you are prepared to strike and will not expect a joint manipulation technique. When the situation dictates a joint manipulation technique, you can instantly open your hands and grab or secure a hold as needed.

Boxer’s Posture Front and Side

The Prep Posture The below series of photos show a typical transition between postures. The defender begins in a boxer’s posture as the attacker approaches. He throws a low side kick to the attacker’s knee and follows with a lead punch to his head which stuns him. Realizing that his strikes have temporarily stunned the attacker, the defender opens his hands from the boxer’s posture and grabs the attacker’s arm. He finishes the exchange by striking with another punch and then applying an arm lever. Again, the postures are not static and could change at anytime depending on what the situation requires.

Pain Compliance When a joint is twisted in an unnatural direction and significant pain occurs, the opponent will often submit and comply with any commands or direction you give them. This is commonly seen in mixed martial arts matches when one fighter is caught in a hold such as an armbar and taps out. There are two problems with relying on pain compliance. First, some people can tolerate an incredible amount of pain. They may suffer a broken arm and continue to fight. In addition, drugs, alcohol, and adrenaline can all increase your pain tolerance in a fight. Second, when a joint is locked or twisted for an extended period the nerves around the joint can start to get numb and any pain compliance is lost. Due to these factors, you should not rely on pain compliance alone for controlling an opponent.

Hyperextension As we discussed earlier, the joints of the body act as either a hinge, pivot, ellipsoid, or a ball and socket. When they are manipulated beyond their normal range of motion, hyperextension occurs. Not only is hyperextension extremely painful, but it also can damage the tendons and ligaments that surround the joint. Hyperextension also restricts the opponent’s mobility and provides an opportunity for you to control his movement. Continued hyperextension will break the joint causing possible loss of function of the limb.

Leverage

Leverage is usually defined as having a position of advantage over something. By using a limb or other part of your body as a fulcrum, you can use leverage to control a stronger person’s arm or limb. Joint manipulation techniques typically rely on leverage and not the use of force against force. This means that when properly applied, a smaller and weaker person can defeat a much larger and stronger person.

Self Defense Verses Simple Control It is important to distinguish between a self-defense situation where you are fighting for your life, and a situation where you simply need to control someone. Security guards, bouncers, and police officers often must subdue a person or place them under control with the minimal amount of force necessary as part of their jobs. You may have to control a drunken friend or family member where you don’t want to cause injury. By contrast, the situation may require you to render a person unconscious quickly or incapacitate someone. The beauty of joint manipulation is that it gives you both options.

Flow Flow is the ability to move almost effortlessly from one technique to the next without interruption of motion. Being able to flow from one joint lock to another is a critical skill to develop. Often during a fight, you will attempt to apply a joint manipulation technique only to be countered by the opponent. In other cases, you start to apply a joint lock, but the opponent resists and can muscle out. In both scenarios being able to flow immediately into another technique can be crucial.

Sensitivity Sensitivity is the ability to feel and read your opponent’s intentions based on his movement and energy. This is an extremely beneficial skill to possess but it requires a significant amount of training to fully develop. The only wany to develop a high level of sensitivity is through constant practice with different types of training partners who offer levels of resistance. At a basic level, sensitivity can be described with the following scenario most people experience. You are driving down the freeway during lunch hour. Traffic is flowing well but there are a lot of cars around you. Suddenly you feel it in your gut that the car in the lane next to you is going to cut over

into your lane. You slow down and pay attention to the vehicle, and sure enough, he suddenly cuts over in front of you. How did you know he was going to quickly change lanes before he did it? You knew what the other driver was going to do because you have years of experience driving in heavy traffic. You have learned over time to process the subtle indicators from other drivers such as a slight turn of their wheels, their driving behavior, the head motion, or eye contact of the driver. In fact, you have gotten so good at this that you may have responded unconsciously while talking with other passengers in your car. Fighting and the use of joint manipulation are no different. After countless hours of training, sparring, and maybe a real fight or two, you will develop sensitivity that allows you to read the attacker’s intent based on subtle clues he gives you. The beauty of sensitivity skill is that it gets better with time, even as you grow older. We will delve deeper into how sensitivity can be developed in a later chapter.

CHAPTER 3

Basic Rules of Joint Manipulation All martial arts techniques are suited for specific situations and can be more or less effective depending on how they are utilized. For example, elbow strikes are best used at close range and kicking skills at long range. If you capitalize on the strengths and avoid the weaknesses of your fighting techniques, they will work better for you in various situations. In this chapter we will discuss some basic rules that when followed, will make your joint manipulation techniques much work more effectively.

Rule #1-Soften Them Up First As a general rule, don’t start your attack with a joint manipulation technique. Joint manipulation techniques rarely work against a fresh opponent who is aggressively resisting you with strikes. The primary reason that many martial artists can’t execute their joint locking techniques against a resisting opponent is because they are trying to apply them at the wrong time. Unless you are extremely fast, you won’t be able to grab the arm of an opponent who is throwing fast punches at you, but you might be able to grab an arm that is being used to defend against your attacks. When your attacker has been put on the defense, he may be trying to cover his head, or bracing against a wall after losing his balance. These situations provide you with the opportunity to grasp a limb and execute a joint manipulation attack. When the attacker is injured, he will move slower which opens up options for joint manipulation.

Rule #2-Don’t Seek a Joint Manipulation Technique This rule may sound strange at first, but don’t think in your mind that you will execute a specific joint lock. If the opportunity presents itself for a locking technique, you take it, but you never try to make it happen or seek it out. For example, planning that you are going to execute an outside wrist lock as an encounter occurs, is wrong and dangerous. The opponent will read your intentions and you will be too focused on trying to grab his wrist and executing the lock, resulting in tunnel vision. If on the other hand, you maintain a clear mind and respond to the actions of the attacker, you will

have success when the opportunity for a joint manipulation technique occurs.

Rule #3-Don’t Fight to Force a Lock Never struggle to force a joint manipulation technique on a resisting opponent. If you are attempting to lock an attacker’s joint and they start to muscle out of the technique, you must release the lock and execute strikes, or flow into another lock. While you struggle to maintain a hold or force a lock, the opponent has the opportunity to strike you and turn the tables of the fight. This is when sensitivity and training become critical to allow you to go with the opponent’s resistance and flow into another joint manipulation technique.

Rule #4-Use Distracts Joint locking techniques have a much better chance of working if your opponent is distracted. It is much more difficult for the human brain to focus on multiple things occurring than a single action. A distraction can be done with a strike such as a finger jab to the eyes, or a kick as you secure the lock. A simple pinch or pressure on a nerve can also serve as a distraction. Even glancing behind an opponent for a second can distract him into thinking someone is behind him. Grabbing the opponent can also be done in a striking fashion as a distract. For example, if you are executing a technique that requires a neck grab, slam the palm of your hand into the opponent’s ear or head as you grab his neck. All of these tactics will increase the chances that your joint manipulation techniques will be successful.

Rule #5-Where the Head Goes, The Body Follows Regardless of the joint manipulation technique you use, if you include control of the opponent’s head, you can direct where his body will go. For example, an outside wrist lock alone can be used to take an opponent down, but by simply adding a hair grab and pull along with the wrist lock it becomes much easier to take him to the ground. You will find that many of the techniques contained in this book use head control tactics to move the opponent’s body.

Rule #6-Don’t try to Grab the Opponent’s Wrist Most of the joint manipulation techniques we will cover in this book require you to grab the opponent’s wrist or arm. This can be very difficult against an aggressive opponent who is punching and moving quickly. When you attempt an arm grab, you should aim for the opponent’s elbow and then slide down the arm with pressure to grasp the wrist. In some cases, you can also target the shoulder and then slide down the arm to the wrist. The elbow and shoulder do not have the same range of motion and will not be moving as quickly as the hands. The below photos illustrate this concept. When the opportunity arises, the defender in black, checks the opponent’s arm near his biceps. He then slides his hand down the opponent’s arm while applying forward pressure. He secures the wrist as he executes a straight armbar using his forearm against the opponent’s elbow joint.

Another good time to grab the opponent’s wrist is when he is bracing against an object such as a wall or pushing up from the floor. Anytime the opponent’s arm is temporarily immobilized, there is an opportunity for you to seize his limb and apply a joint manipulation technique. In the below example, the defender evades a punch from the attacker by slipping to the inside. He then pushes the opponent against the wall. The attacker braces against the wall with his hands to try and slow his impact. The defender uses the opportunity to grab one of the attacker’s arms that are bracing and apply a straight arm bar/break with his elbow. If the defender had tried to grab the attacker’s initial punch, he more than likely would have failed.

Rule #7-Use the Environment to Your Advantage Always be aware of your environment and how it can be used to your advantage. When possible, drive the opponent into walls, shopping carts,

cars, or other objects. Low obstacles like a fire hydrant are excellent for off balancing an attacker. When the opponent is off balance, it is much easier to secure a joint lock. Being aware of your surroundings is also vital for your own safety. I once heard of an incident where a person was pushed in front of a train during a fight on the subway. The environment can also dictate the type of techniques you employ. You probably won’t be kicking if the encounter happens in an icy parking lot, or while waist deep in a public swimming pool. The environment can also supply you with natural weapons to use to your advantage. Outdoors, there may be rocks, sand, or other objects that can be thrown or used as a weapon to strike with. Indoors, you might have ash trays, bottles or other items that can be used to give you an equalizer. I once used the edge of a wooden table to dislodge a knife from someone’s grip. The environment becomes especially important when attempting to control an opponent with joint manipulation techniques.

Chapter 4

Techniques In this chapter we will look at the thirty most effective joint manipulation techniques that can be used to defend yourself and control an attacker in a real encounter. I know firsthand that these techniques are effective because I have either used them myself during my career in law enforcement, or I have witnessed them being used against a resisting opponent. As we break these techniques down, we will assume that the principles discussed in the previous chapters are being utilized. For example, if the technique requires the opponent’s wrist to be grabbed, he must first be softened up, distracted, off balanced, or stunned. For the sake of space and time, in most cases we will not describe these steps, but merely the technique itself. If you take the time to master these thirty techniques, you will have built a solid foundation in joint manipulation.

Technique #1- The Outside Wrist Lock The first technique we will look at is the outside wrist lock. This technique gets its name because you are turning and twisting the opponent’s wrist outward away from his body. Start by grabbing the fleshy part of the opponent’s hand near the thumb. Your other hand then comes in and grabs the knife edge of the opponent’s hand for added support. Both of your thumbs apply pressure to the opponent’s hand right below the center knuckle. You may cross the thumbs one over the other or keep them side by side. The closer you hold the opponent’s hand to your chest, the more control you will have. Don’t allow him to pull his hand inward like a biceps curl or you will lose leverage on the wrist. The drawing below shows the proper way to grab and grip the opponent’s hand.

In the below photos, the defender grasps the wrist and hand of the attacker and twist to the outside to apply pressure on the wrist joint. He uses his body weight and pivots on the lead leg as he turns. Notice how the opponent’s hand is held fairly close to his body. In an ideal situation, the opponent’s hand should be pulled completely to your chest and your upper body used to help apply pressure to his wrist. When properly applied, the sudden twist and torque of the wrist prevents the attacker from striking you with his free hand. The opponent can be taken completely to the ground, or controlled with the wrist lock while standing, depending on what the situation dictates.

Variations of the outside wrist lock There are several variations of the outside wrist lock that can be used. The most common variation is to execute the wrist lock with only one hand as

seen in the below photograph. This obviously requires gripping strength in the hand to maintain control of the opponent and be successful. The benefit is that it frees up one of your hands to defend against any attack the opponent might try, or to launch your own strike.

Another variation is to use a forceful striking motion of your free hand to the opponent’s wrist as you secure the grab with both hands. This adds momentum to the wrist lock which assists with a takedown. An excellent variation that I have used numerous times over the years is to execute the outside wrist lock from a Wing Chun fook sao or bent wrist deflection. In the below series of photos, the attacker strikes to the midsection. The defender uses a fook sao technique to stop the strike and deflect it outward as he grabs the attacker’s wrist with his guarding hand. He uses the momentum of the deflection to flow directly into the outside wrist lock. This entire sequence happens very quickly in one fluid motion.

A final variation of the outside wrist lock involves driving the opponent’s wrist straight back and down rather than to the outside. This variation can be useful when the environment prevents you from turning to the outside due to a wall or other object.

Technique #2- The Inside Wrist Lock The inside wrist lock is an extremely effective technique that is the sister to the outside wrist lock. The inside wrist lock is executed by turning the opponent’s wrist to the inside in relation to their body. When properly done, the wrist, shoulder, and elbow joint will all be controlled with this lock. To execute the inside wrist lock, grab the knife edge of the opponent’s wrist with your thumb directly below the middle knuckle. This grip will cause you to reach over the opponent’s hand in most cases. After securing the grip, the hand is rotated inward so that the opponent’s fingers point directly upwards towards the ceiling. Your free hand then grabs the opponent’s hand on the fleshy part near his thumb to augment your grip. It is important that you keep the opponent’s fingers pointing straight upward for this technique. If you allow the fingers to tilt to either side, the opponent will be able to easily bend his arm and escape. Once you have secured the grip, apply pressure forward towards the opponent’s ear. This will cause him to bend forward at the waist. You can control the attacker’s movement forwards or backwards by pushing his entire arm towards his shoulder or pulling straight back in line with his shoulder. From this control position, a kick can be executed, or the attacker can be taken to the ground. The below pictures show the inside wrist lock being applied.

Variations of the inside wrist lock As with the outside wrist lock, there are a couple of slight variations to the inside wrist lock that you should be aware of. The first variation is to release your grip with the hand that is on the knife edge side of the opponent’s hand. You can then use this free hand to cup the opponent’s elbow for additional control, or to take him to the ground. Your grip on the opponent’s elbow should be very similar to the grip you would have on a soda can. You can also use the free hand to strike the opponent’s elbow with your forearm. Similar to the use of the fook sao technique, you can sometimes redirect and scoop the attacker’s hand into the inside wrist lock. In the below series of photos, the attacker pushes towards the defender’s chest. He immediately parries the attack downward and continues to maintain contact with the attacker’s hand. Simultaniously, he reaches across and grabs the attacker’s wrist with his other hand to apply the inside wrist lock. Notice how he pulls the attacker’s hand close to his chest for additional control. He then has the option of striking the attacker’s elbow joint with an elbow strike, or securing his elbow under his arm for more control. Securing the opponent’s elbow under your arm can be very helpful against a large opponent who is trying to muscle out of the wrist lock.

Technique #3- The Step Across The step across move is a transitional technique that allows you to maintain control of an opponent who has been taken to the ground with an outside

wrist lock. The outside wrist lock and the step across move often go hand in hand and should be practiced together when training. The primary goal of the step across move is to roll the opponent to his stomach where he can be controlled easier. There are two versions of the step across that can be utilized. The first involves quickly stepping over the opponent’s head at the moment he hits the ground. The second version relies on momentum to turn your opponent over to his stomach. In the sequence of photos below, the defender has just taken the opponent down with an outside wrist lock. At the moment the attacker’s body impacts the ground, the defender turns his wrist inward and steps over his arm first with his right leg, and then with his left. The stepping action happens very quickly and results in you facing the opponent who is now in an inside wrist lock on the ground. The defender completes the technique by driving the attacker’s arm forward towards his shoulder to force him to his stomach. You may place a knee on his back to help maintain control from this position. You also have the option to kick the attacker in the head as you step over with this version.

In the second version of the step across, the opponent is taken to the ground with an outside wrist lock but in this case, he falls hard with a lot of momentum. The defender pulls straight up on the opponent’s arm as he impacts the ground and uses the momentum of the fall to roll him to his stomach. The advantage of this version is that it doesn’t require the step over the opponent’s arm, however you must have the momentum in order for it to work. With practice you will be able to recognize if the opponent’s fall has generated enough momentum and respond with the appropriate step across technique.

Technique #4- The Spin Inside Arm Lock The spin inside arm lock can be a very useful technique to catch an opponent off guard and gain a position of control. It is executed by grabbing the attacker’s arm and slipping under it as you rotate inward to lock the arm in a vertical position behind the opponent’s shoulder. At first glance this technique looks risky because your back is towards the opponent during the initial movements, but when properly applied, it is very quick and effective. We will breakdown the details of this technique in the below series of photos. After an initial exchange, the defender secures the arm of the opponent. At this point he could pull him forward into a punch or other striking attack, but the opponent is stunned, and he chooses to execute the spin inside arm lock. The defender grabs the opponent’s arm with both hands and uses his upper biceps and shoulder to leverage upwards on his elbow joint as he turns inward. Notice that he does not have his back to his adversary at this point and he is controlling with an upward arm lever. As

the attacker tries to bend his wrist, the defender immediately spins around bringing the arm over his shoulder. This is a very tight movement, and the defender does not lift the opponent’s arm upward. Instead, he ducks his head slightly and keeps contact with the arm as he pulls it across his shoulder blades. The defender keeps his elbows out as he spins to maintain pressure and control of the opponent’s arm. He completes the motion with the opponent’s hand positioned near his shoulder. The defender can take the opponent to the ground by pulling his arm straight downward in a motion that resembles chopping with an axe or sword. It is beneficial to think of this technique as two separate movements. The first movement is the step in and locking out of the elbow as seen in the second picture of the series. If the opponent starts to escape or offers very strong resistance, the defender has the option to abandon the attack and strike, or flow into a different lock. If the opponent tries to bend his arm or offers little resistance, the defender can spin into the final part of the technique.

If you choose to take the attacker to the ground with the spin inside armlock, keep his arm in a vertical position and place the back of his hand flat on the ground. Your forearm helps keep the opponent’s arm straight and keeps him from moving it outward to escape. Be sure to keep your free hand up to protect your head since the opponent’s other arm and legs are free. Personally, I would not hold someone in this position for very long. It is usually best to roll them to their stomach with a leverage technique, or to disengage to strike or escape. The below photo shows the control position on the ground after the spin inside arm lock is completed.

Technique #5- The Spin Outside Arm Lock

The spin outside arm lock is very similar in function to the inside spin arm lock with the obvious exception that it is executed in the opposite direction. After securing the attacker’s wrist with both hands, you rotate his arm downward as you step in under his arm. After making a three-hundred-andsixty-degree turn, you end up with the opponent’s arm in a bent arm lock behind his back. Years ago, when I first learned this technique, I was taught to slam the opponent’s arm into his lower back as you complete the lock. In the below sequence, the defender secures the attacker’s arm and reinforces his grip with his rear hand. He twists the opponent’s wrist and applies an upward pressure towards his shoulder. This upward pressure locks out the arm and prevents a punch from the opponent’s rear hand. The defender feels the opponent’s momentum moving forward and takes advantage of that movement to slip under his arm and execute the turn. The turning motion takes place in a split second in conjunction with the opponent’s movement. He ends up behind the attacker with his arm slightly bent. The defender finishes the movement by slamming the bent arm into the attacker’s lower back.

Another option with the spin outside arm lock is to finish the technique with the opponent’s arm locked out straight. This gives you the ability to keep the opponent at a distance where a kicking technique can be executed. In the below photos, the defender turns and spins his body three hundred and sixty degrees to the outside as he maintains control of the opponent’s wrist. He finishes the attack with the arm held out straight and delivers a front kick to the attacker’s head.

Technique #6- Front Goose Neck Come Along The goose neck come along is an excellent tool for security officers, bouncers, and law enforcement personnel because it allows you to control an individual without hurting them and escort them to a different location. I used this technique literally hundreds of times during my career as a police officer. The technique works by trapping the opponent’s arm in the crook of your arm and applying pressure on the bent wrist to secure the lock. The name of the technique comes from the fact that the shape of the bent wrist resembles a goose neck. Both hands are used to squeeze inward on the wrist and the opponent’s elbow is held between your arm and body for support. The goose neck can be done in front of the attacker’s body, or behind his back. Once the lock is secured, you can control the opponent’s movement by walking forward, backward, or side to side. If he tries to strike you with

his free arm, you can quickly twist your upper body away from him which torques his arm, causes pain, and prevents the attack. He might also try to spin around, and elbow strike you. If this occurs, tuck your head near the opponent’s shoulder to avoid any type of blow. In the below photos, the defender grabs the opponent’s wrist as he strikes him in the face with a punch. He the drives his lead elbow straight into the opponent’s ribs as he maintains control of the arm. The elbow striking arm immediately curves inward and hooks the inside crook of the opponent’s arm, pulling it into the crease of the defender’s arm. With the opponent’s elbow tucked in between the defender’s body and arm, he shifts his grip to the outside of the hand. Using both hands he applies pressure inward on the opponent’s wrist to secure the lock. The entire series of moves takes place in about two seconds. In most cases, when the technique is locked in tight the opponent will rise up on his tip toes because of pain and pressure on the wrist.

Technique #7- Rear Goose neck Come Along The rear goose neck come along is executed in the same manner as the previous technique, but with the arm locked behind the opponent’s back. This is actually a more secure technique and is preferred to the front goose neck. To perform the rear goose neck, grab the inside of the opponent’s arm near the crease in the elbow joint. At the same time, your other hand cups the back of the opponent’s hand. Pull the opponent’s elbow towards you with one hand as you push away from you with your other hand on his wrist. Bring his elbow directly into the crook of your arm and secure it between your arm and body. Squeeze inward on the wrist with both hands to apply the hold. The below pictures show the technique being applied. Notice in the final picture that the defender keeps his head down and tucked against the opponent’s back to prevent being hit with any strikes or a rear head butt.

Technique #8- Straight Arm Bar The straight arm bar is a highly effective technique that can be used to simply control an attacker or to cause serious damage to his arm. Any time the opponent straightens his arm to push, attack, or grab, his elbow joint becomes a prime target for this technique. To execute the straight arm bar, grab the opponent’s wrist and pull forward to extend his arm. Apply pressure to his elbow joint with your free arm. There are many methods that can be used to apply pressure to the opponent’s elbow joint such as the palm of the hand, forearm, knee, and shoulder. In the below photos, the defender secures the opponent’s wrist and pulls him forward. He then uses his forearm to lock out the elbow joint. He may choose to strike the elbow joint with his forearm or to simply place the forearm on the elbow joint and apply pressure.

The following photos show two possible variations that can be used to lock out the arm. In the first example, the defender grasps the opponent’s wrist with both hands and uses his shoulder and upper body to apply pressure to the elbow joint. This option is very useful against a strong attacker because you are using your whole upper body against his arm which is much harder for him to resist. In the second example, the defender brings his arm over the attacker’s arm and secures it under his arm pit area. By squeezing in and bending forward, he can apply a tremendous amount of pressure to the elbow joint. From this position he can also transition into our next technique. You should practice all variations of the technique against different training partners until it becomes second nature to you.

Technique #9- Dropping Arm Lock/Break The dropping arm lock is a brutal old school Jiujitsu technique that when aggressively applied will break the opponent’s arm and dislocate his shoulder joint. From the straight arm bar, you bring your arm over the opponent’s arm and secure it under your arm pit area. Both hands secure the opponent’s wrist, and you squeeze inward with your arm to keep the opponent’s arm tight against your body. By keeping the opponent’s arm squeezed in tight, you will limit his mobility and have more control. You don’t want to give him any wiggle room to escape. From this position you will kick out your front leg and drop your body weight straight down to the ground. When done quickly with all of your weight, the opponent’s face and shoulder will slam into the ground with you landing directly over his shoulder joint. By arching your back and lifting your arms, you can hyperextend the shoulder and elbow joint further. This technique can also be done in a controlled fashion by lowering your body weight slowly towards the ground. Once on the ground, you can control the opponent’s movement from the sitting position shown in the last photo. As with all techniques, you must consider the environment and determine if going to the ground with the attacker is a viable option.

Technique #10- Upward Arm Lever Arm levers are very useful joint locking techniques that are easy to apply and flow well with other locks and attacks. To execute the upward arm lever, grab the opponent’s wrist and then use your forearm to lift up under his elbow joint. The forearm rotates to a palm up position as the lever is applied. As you lift with your forearm, push down with the grabbing hand to create the lever. When the upward arm lever is properly applied, the opponent should rise up on his toes. In the below photos the defender deflects a punch from the attacker with a wing arm deflection. This allows him to grab the attackers hand and execute the upward arm lever.

Technique #11- Downward Arm lever At first glance the downward arm lever might look just like the straight arm bar but there is a significant distinction between the two. The downward arm lever is applied with an inward rotation of the forearm against the elbow joint which results in the hand ending in a palm up position. This inward rotation stretches the ligaments behind the elbow joint and causes pain in addition to the lock. The straight arm bar is applied with direct pressure against the elbow joint. It is a slight difference in application, but it makes a big difference in the energy transfer of the technique, and the ability to flow into other locks in a seamless manner. In the below photos, the defender strikes with a punch to the opponent’s temple as he grabs the arm and directs it downward. He then slides his forearm down the opponent’s arm towards the elbow as he rotates his wrist over. The forearm contacts the opponent’s arm just below the shoulder and then slides to a position just above the elbow as it turns palm up. There are actually two distinct motions here that are combined into one. First is the motion of scraping down the opponent’s arm from the shoulder to the elbow, and second is the rotation of the forearm to a palm up position. In addition to locking out the elbow joint, these motions pull the attacker both down and in, at approximately a forty-five-degree angle.

Technique #12- Drop Elbow to Knee Lever Takedown The drop elbow attack originally comes from the art of elbow boxing and consists of dropping low under an opponent’s attack to deliver a painful elbow strike to his leg above the knee. Traditionally the elbow boxer would execute the strike and immediately rise back up and continue his attack with a flurry of elbow combinations. As elbow boxing has evolved, the knee lever takedown was added. As the elbow strike is delivered to the attacker’s leg, your rear hand grabs his ankle. The elbow strike is then used to lever the attacker down to the ground as his ankle is lifted. The impact of the elbow strike combined with the lifting of the ankle, locks out the attacker’s knee joint. The technique must be executed in an explosive manner with no hesitation to be effective. In most cases, the attacker is forced straight back to the ground, however the technique can be modified to take him down in a

circular manner if the situation or environment dictates. In the below sequence of photos, the attacker throws a punch which the defender ducks to avoid. He immediately executes a drop elbow to the knee as he grabs the attacker’s ankle. Without a break in movement, the defender drives with his elbow and lifts the attacker’s leg to force him to the ground. He finishes with an ankle lock to control the attacker. He could also choose to finish with strikes or escape from the situation. The ankle lock is executed by securing the opponent’s foot underneath your arm with a figure four grip and lifting up against the Achilles tendon to lock the ankle and cause pain.

Technique #13- Slip or Pass to Side Strangle The side strangle is a technique that when properly applied can end a fight very quickly. As the name implies, it is a choking technique that cuts off the blood supply to the opponent’s brain by compressing the Carotid artery. When the technique is applied, your arm will compress one side of the opponent’s neck, and the other side will be compressed by his own arm. Upon securing the opponent’s neck, the choke is locked in by grabbing the inside of your own arm with the hand that is around his neck. Your free hand then grasps the side of your head and you squeeze to apply the pressure needed for the choke. In the below photos, the defender slips to the outside to avoid a punch from the opponent. As he slips, he enters in and drives his arm straight across the opponent’s neck and shoulder. The deeper you enter and hook the neck, the better. The hooking arm immediately wraps around the opponent’s neck and grabs the inside crease of your other arm, near the biceps. With your free arm, you grasp the side of your head near your ear and squeeze to apply the side strangle. As you squeeze, expand your chest, and push your elbows towards each other to apply even more pressure. From this position you can take the opponent to the ground or drive him into a wall or other object.

When properly applied, this technique can render a person unconscious in as little as five seconds. If you continue to keep compression against the Carotid artery after a person has lost consciousness, permanent brain damage and death can result. Be very careful when practicing choking techniques and always monitor the condition of your training partner, or an opponent. Release a hold when the threat is over and it’s safe to do so. In most cases, a person who has been rendered unconscious with a choke hold will wake up on their own within a few seconds. If they do not recover within a few seconds, they will require immediate first aid such as CPR, and emergency medical attention. The moral and legal discussion of whether or not assistance should be provided to someone who has just

attacked you is outside the scope of this book and will be left to the reader to explore.

Technique #14- Neck Twist Takedown The neck twist takedown is a powerful technique that will allow you to put an attacker down quickly. This technique can be very dangerous because you are violently twisting the opponent’s head and neck to control their body. Caution should be used when applying this technique, especially during training with a partner. To execute the neck twist takedown, grab the opponent under the jaw with your inside hand and by the hair or back of the head with your outside hand. Aggressively twist the opponent’s head to the outside and towards the ground to take him down. The neck twist takedown follows the rule that where the head goes the body follows. Once the opponent is down, a strike or ground fighting techniques could be used to end the encounter. In the below photos, the defender parries the attacker’s punch downward as he enters. He grabs the opponent’s chin with one hand and his head with the other and violently twists his head in a counterclockwise direction. The sudden twist of the opponent’s head causes him to lose his balance. The defender maintains his hold of the opponent’s head as he directs him to the ground. Notice how the cupping of the chin provides leverage against the opponent’s neck. It is possible to break the opponent’s neck with this technique so caution must be used. If you are forced to use this technique in a real encounter, at the very least the attacker will need a good chiropractor when it’s all over!

Technique #15- The Snake Shoulder Lock I first learned the snake shoulder lock while studying Filipino Kali and have used it many times over the years. It is a very reliable technique that can complement any martial art you study. The technique gets its name from the fact that when you apply the lock, your arm moves inside of the opponent’s arm like a snake slithers around a tree limb. To execute the snake shoulder lock, use your lead forearm to hook inside of the opponent’s arm, near the inner crease of his lower biceps. Rotate your arm completely around to the back of his arm near the triceps area. Then secure the hold with your free hand to lock the elbow and shoulder joint. From this position you can apply pressure downward against the shoulder joint. In the below pictures, the

attacker throws a punch which the defender deflects downward with the back of his forearm. Without stopping the flow or momentum, he snakes his arm around the attacker’s arm as he strikes towards his face with his free hand. The striking hand immediately reinforces the locking arm near the opponent’s shoulder. From this position, the defender applies pressure to the shoulder joint which bends the attacker forward. He finishes the attack with a knee strike to the head.

Once the attacker is controlled in the shoulder lock, he can be taken to the ground or you can release the grip with your supporting hand to strike. The below photo shows the defender attacking with a chop to the back of the opponent’s neck from the shoulder lock position.

Technique #16- Over Shoulder Arm Lever/Break The over shoulder arm lever/break is an excellent technique that can be used to quickly incapacitate an attacker. Due to the leverage involved in this technique, very little strength is required to hyperextend or break the opponent’s arm. To execute the over shoulder arm lever, you will secure the attacker’s wrist and pull his arm up over your shoulder with the elbow joint in front of the shoulder blade. Once the arm is held over your shoulder you will apply leverage by pulling down on the wrist and straightening your back. A forceful pull on the attacker’s wrist at this point can easily break his arm. When the technique is done correctly, the opponent will rise up on his tip toes due to the pain and hyperextension of his elbow. I don’t recommend staying in this final position for very long. Having your back to the opponent could be very problematic if the attacker happens to escape. You will want to transition to another technique quickly. The spin inside arm lock is always a good option from here because you are already halfway turned. In the below sequence of pictures, the attacker throws a strong punch to the defender’s head. The defender parries with an outside deflection, but the force of the blow causes him to turn slightly away from the attacker. He uses the opportunity and momentum to grasp the opponent’s wrist and slip his shoulder under his arm. He then cranks the wrist down and straightens his back to apply the arm lever. He has the option to break the attacker’s arm if the situation warrants it.

Technique #17- Wrap Around Arm Lock Anytime that you find the opponent’s arm underneath yours, there is an opportunity to apply the wrap around arm lock. This situation can be initiated by the attacker trying to grab you around the waist, reaching for your wallet, or striking your ribs. The other possibility is that you initiate an arm wrap during your attack. In either situation, the technique can be very effective for controlling the opponent and damaging his elbow joint. To execute the wrap around arm lock, circle your arm over the opponent’s arm, trapping his forearm under your arm pit. His forearm is held against the side

of your body with your arm wrapped around it tight. Your fist is tucked in close to your chest to prevent the opponent from pulling his arm out. The opponent’s elbow is just outside of the arm wrap. From this position you can grab your own wrist for support and twist your upper body to apply pressure to the opponent’s elbow joint. You can also arch your back and lift upwards with your forearm to cause pressure below the elbow joint. This technique can be very useful for forcing the opponent into a wall or other obstacle. In the below sequence of photos, the defender uses a dive entry to close the distance and deflect the opponent’s punch. He then wraps his arm around the opponent’s, trapping it against his body as he strikes him with palm strike to the face. The defender ends the attack by grabbing his own hand to re-enforce the lock and twisting his upper body to apply pressure against the attacker’s elbow joint. Notice that the torque of his upper body against the attacker’s arm keeps him from launching a second strike with his rear hand.

The below photos show an example of using the wrap around arm lock to project the opponent into a strike. The defender has secured the wrap around arm lock on the opponent and twists his upper body to apply torque on his elbow. This results in the opponent taking a step or two forward due to the leverage on his elbow. The defender strikes him with a round elbow strike to the face the moment his forward motion begins.

Technique #18- Shoulder Snap to Rear naked Choke The shoulder snap is a lighting quick technique that will catch the opponent completely off guard and immediately put him into a rear naked choke. The

beauty of this technique is that it is applied directly from the preparatory posture and the opponent never sees it coming. To execute the shoulder snap, start with your hands up and palms facing the opponent. Both hands must move at the same time without telegraphing your intentions. In an explosive manner, strike one of the opponent’s shoulders backwards with your palm as you strike the other shoulder inwards. Both shoulder strikes must happen at the same time. When properly executed, the shoulder strikes will cause the opponent to spin around right into a rear naked choke. In the below photos, the attacker is close to the defender pushing his chest and trying to intimidate him. The defender raises his hands palm up to protect his head against any sudden strikes, and to give the appearance that he doesn’t want any trouble. Instantly the defender strikes both of the attacker’s shoulders. The left shoulder is knocked straight back, and the right shoulder is knocked inward towards the centerline. These two movements executed together cause the attacker to spin around into a rear naked choke. To apply the rear naked choke, the opponent’s neck is held in the crease of your arm between the biceps and forearm. The hand of your choking arm grabs the biceps area of your other arm. Place your opposite hand behind the attacker’s head and apply compression to his neck by squeezing the arms together, expanding your chest, and pushing his head forward with your hand. As with the other choking techniques we have discussed, you should use caution when practicing this technique and using it in an encounter.

Technique #19- Figure Four Arm Bar with Elbow Strike The figure four arm bar and the round elbow strike go together like bread and butter. In fact, the elbow strike happens almost automatically when the figure four arm bar is applied. To execute this technique, grab the opponent’s wrist with one hand while you reach over his forearm with your other hand and grab your own wrist. This grip is commonly called a figure four hold in wrestling because the shape of your arms look like the number four. From this position you rotate the opponent’s arm outwards and away from his body. This motion bends his elbow joint and causes the lock to occur. In the below series of pictures, the defender grabs the opponent’s wrist and delivers a round elbow strike to his head. The elbow strike can be executed with intent to cause damage, or merely as a distraction to help secure the arm lock. Following the elbow strike, the defender reaches across the opponent’s arm and grabs his own wrist. With the figure four hold in place, he turns the opponent’s wrist and arm outwards. As the arm lock occurs, the defender smashes the opponent in the face with a round elbow strike. From the final position of the technique, you can take the person to the ground and control him with the arm lock or slam him into a wall or other nearby obstacles.

Technique #20- Horizontal Bent Wrist Lock The horizontal bent wrist lock is a painful technique that can be used to control a standing opponent or transition between other locking techniques. This technique is often seen in Aikido, Chin-Na, and traditional systems of Jiujitsu. To execute the horizontal bent wrist lock, grab the opponent’s hand on the knife edge side and twist inward. This initial position is almost identical to the initial position used to apply an inside wrist lock. As you twist the opponent’s wrist inward, grab his upper forearm near the elbow crease and pull his elbow towards you. This action brings the opponent’s arm to a horizontal position with his fingers pointed towards your face.

Immediately grab his wrist with your other hand so that both hands are controlling the opponent’s hand. Bend the opponent’s wrist towards his face so that his fingers point upwards. The pressure against his wrist joint will cause him to lower his body. Often at this point the opponent will drop to his knees due to the lock. To be nasty with this technique, you can bring both of your hands down aggressively in a motion similar to chopping with a sword. This will break the opponent’s wrist. In the sequence of pictures below, the defender secures the opponent’s hand to execute an inside wrist lock, but he bends his arm to avoid the lock. The defender takes advantage of the opponent’s bent arm and pulls it towards himself. With the opponent’s arm now bent in a horizontal position, the defender grabs his wrist with both hands and applies pressure forward and down to apply the lock. Notice in the pictures that the opponent is much taller than the defender, but in the final photo his head is below the defender’s head. This is due to the pressure from the wrist lock causing him to drop down to his knees. The horizontal bent wrist lock is an excellent technique to apply anytime you are attempting a straight arm lock and the opponent bends his arm. You can also flow into a straight arm bar if the opponent tries to straighten his arm to avoid the bent wrist lock. We will discuss the ability to flow from lock to lock in a later chapter.

Technique #21- Bent Wrist Lock from Wrist Grab The bent wrist lock is a simple technique that can be used anytime an attacker grabs your wrist. To execute this technique, simply trap the opponent’s grabbing hand with your free hand. Then rotate your hand that has been grabbed over the opponent’s wrist and apply downward pressure. This will immediately cause the attacker to bend at the waist or drop to a knee depending on how much his arm is bent when the lock is applied. Several factors should be considered when using this technique. When an attacker grabs you, it is usually to pull you into a strike, or to apply some type of hold on you. He will almost never grab you and just stand there. Because of this, normally you should not go directly to the bent wrist lock when your arm is grabbed. Instead, you should strike the opponent with your free hand or a low line kicking technique and attempt to pull free. If the opponent still has a hold on your wrist after you have hit him, then you can transition into this technique. In the below example, the attacker grabs the defender’s wrist and prepares to punch. The defender immediately throws a rear cross to the attacker’s jaw and secures the grabbing hand. He then rotates his hand up and over the attacker’s arm to apply the bent wrist lock. From this position he can kick the opponent or take him to the ground.

Technique #22- Elbow Up Bent Wrist Lock The elbow up bent wrist lock can be a useful technique when you are attempting to apply an arm lock and the opponent tries to turn his upper body and bend his arm to escape. To execute the technique, grab the thumb and fingers side of the opponent’s hand with both of your hands and twist the wrist inward. The opponent’s fingers should be pointed towards his body to lock the wrist. His elbow will naturally rise, and he will come up on his tip toes when properly applied. In the below series of photos, the defender contacts the attacker’s hand and secures a wrist grab. He then grabs the opponent’s hand with his free hand and adjusts his grip to secure the hand on both the thumb and fingers side. The opponent’s hand is squeezed and twisted inward towards his body to lock the wrist.

A variation of the elbow up bent wrist lock can be done with one hand holding the opponent’s wrist and the other hand gripping the knife edge of his hand. Notice in the below photo how one hand is held higher and is used to secure the wrist. The bottom hand grips the opponent’s hand and applies the inward twist. From this position the opponent can be forced to move in different directions by applying pressure to the wrist joint.

The below photo shows a close-up view of the elbow up bent wrist lock. Notice the grip on the inside knife edge of the hand and the direction of rotation for turning the wrist.

Technique #23- Arm Lift Neck Lever The arm lift neck lever is an excellent technique to add to your arsenal of fighting skills. A variation of this technique is commonly taught in Filipino Kali and Indonesian Pentjak Silat. The arm lift neck lever is very versatile technique that can be used to take an opponent to the ground or to pull them into knee strikes. To apply the technique, hook the back of the opponent’s neck and pull his head down as you lift up his arm. The opponent can be forced to the ground by continued downward pressure on his head and upward torque on his arm. In the below photos, the defender deflects the opponent’s punch downward as he reaches in and hooks the back of his neck near the base of the skull. The downward deflection transitions into a catch and lift of the opponent’s arm. These movements take place simultaneously. Once the neck and arm are secured, the defender lifts the opponent’s arm upward and drives his head downward causing his upper body to spin around as he falls. The opponent lands face up on the ground

as the defender maintains control of his wrist and executes a dropping knee strike to his head. From this position the defender can execute the step across move to secure the opponent on the ground. Notice that in the fourth picture, if the opponent tries to pull his body back to avoid falling, the defender can execute a knee strike to his head and flow into another lock or striking technique.

Technique #24- Bent Arm Lever to Head Butt and Elbow Sometimes the principle of softening up the opponent first happens during the application of the technique. In this technique, your forearm is used to aggressively strike into the crease of the opponent’s arm which levers him forward. The momentum generated from this technique combined with the energy from the opponent can result in a very quick and devastating attack. The series of photos below show how this technique is applied in an encounter. The attacker grabs the defender’s shirt with the intent to punch him in the face. The defender instantly intercepts the attacker’s punch with his own strike to the face which causes his head to go backwards. The defender then drives his forearm into the crease of the attacker’s arm as he secures his hand against his body. As he does this, he lowers his head so that the top of his head faces the opponent’s face. The aggressive forearm strike into the attacker’s arm causes his body to propel forward and he runs into a headbutt from the defender. As the opponent reacts to the headbutt, the defender immediately hits him with a lead elbow strike to the face. He finishes the exchange with a combination of elbow strikes. This whole sequence takes place in about a second. It is extremely important to lower your head as you execute this technique, or you will be struck in the face by the attacker’s head as his body is propelled forward from the arm lever. You should always keep in mind that these techniques are not set-in stone and can be adapted as the situation dictates. For example, you might be able to drag the opponent straight to the ground with the initial arm lever. In other cases, the opponent might release his grip as you strike his face or be

knocked out from the headbutt. You must be able to take all of these techniques and adapt them for any situation that might occur.

Technique #25- Standing Kimura Lock The Kimura arm lock has become very popular in mixed martial arts and Brazilian Jiujitsu because of its effectiveness on the ground where it is often used to end a fight. On occasion it can be seen being employed in a fight from the standing position. The Kimura is an excellent technique to use when an attacker has grabbed you around the waist from behind. The first thing to consider when you are grabbed from behind is the high likelihood that the opponent intends to pick you up and slam you on the ground. You should immediately drop your body weight to make it more difficult for him to lift you. If possible, drive backwards and slam the attacker against a wall or other object. Once your base is stable, grab the attacker’s wrist with one hand and peel away his grip. Wrap your other arm around his arm and grab your own wrist in a figure four hold. After the figure four hold is in place, bring your thumb of your grabbing hand around to the same side as your fingers for a better grip. Turn your upper body towards to opponent in the direction of the arm you have grabbed. Once facing the attacker, you can lock his arm by moving his hand across his back and towards his head. It is ok if the opponent straightens his arm because the lock can be applied with the arm bent or straight. Your arm that is wrapped around the opponent’s arm applies pressure near his shoulder for added control. The below photos show this technique being applied on the attacker.

Technique #26- Straight Arm Bar on Shoulder Sometimes opportunities to use joint locks present themselves during a situation. During and exchange of strikes or while grappling, the opponent’s arm might be placed over your shoulder as he tries to head lock you. Knowledge of how each joint is manipulated along with constant practice will give you the ability to capitalize on these situations when they occur. The straight arm bar on shoulder is one technique that often presents itself during a fight. Anytime the opponent’s arm is straightened with his forearm near the side of your neck, you can apply this arm bar. To execute the technique, use your forearm to apply pressure against the opponent’s elbow joint with his lower arm secured on your shoulder. In the below photos, the attacker throws a lead punch which the defender slips. As the punch misses his head and travels over his shoulder, the defender enters and wraps his arm over the opponent’s arm to trap it against his shoulder. Using his forearm, the defender applies leverage to the attacker’s elbow joint which forces him to bend forward. From this position he strikes the opponent in the head with an elbow attack. Knee strikes can also be thrown easily from this position.

Technique #27- Foot Trap and Hip Crease Takedown Stepping on the opponent’s foot to trap it during a fight can be a very useful strategy. It temporarily immobilizes the opponent and limits his footwork. It can also open up targets such as the knee for attack. The foot trap and hip crease takedown are prime examples of this strategy. The below series of photos shows the technique in motion. The attacker throws a lead punch at the defender who ducks under the strike as he steps in, on top of his foot. He then drives a spear hand directly into the crease of the opponent’s hip which causes him to fall. Because you are standing on the opponent’s foot

when he falls, it is quite common for his ankle to be sprained or broken. It is surprising how well this technique works, and you should experiment with your training partner to see for yourself how easily the opponent can be forced to the ground. Even if the attacker doesn’t fall down when the technique is applied, he will be off balance and vulnerable to follow up strikes or locking techniques.

Technique #28- Neck Crank/Guillotine Choke The neck crank and guillotine choke are finishing holds that can damage the attacker’s vertebrae or render him unconscious. The opportunity to execute

this technique often occurs when the opponent lowers his head and tries to shoot in to grab your legs. When this occurs, wrap your arm around the attacker’s neck and grab your own wrist with your other hand. Arch your back while you squeeze and apply pressure against the neck. To transition to the guillotine choke you must have your forearm under the opponent’s chin and against his neck to compress the Carotid artery. If the forearm is against the attacker’s windpipe, his airway could be blocked and there is risk of the Trachea being crushed. In the below photos, the attacker swings a haymaker strike at the defender who covers his head and drives a straight elbow strike to his face. From the elbow strike he wraps his arm around the attacker’s neck and grabs his own wrist to secure the hold. With his forearm under the attacker’s chin and sunk into the neck, he arches his back and squeezes with his arms to choke the attacker.

Technique #29- Finger Lock Downward/Upward Finger locks are extremely painful and often easy to apply. When the attacker grabs your clothing or reaches out to push you, the fingers are prime targets for attack with a joint manipulation technique. One of the best finger locks is the downward/upward finger lock which is done by bending the opponent’s fingers backwards. As the name indicates, if the fingers are bent back towards the ground it is a downward lock. If the fingers are bent back towards the ceiling, it is an upward lock. The one disadvantage to the finger lock is the lack of control over the opponent. Because the fingers are small, the opponent can sometimes wiggle out or escape from the hold. The fingers can also be easily broken with this technique. On the positive side is the fact that the finger lock can be used to transition quickly into other techniques. In the below example, the attacker is harassing the defender and poking him in the chest. When the opportunity presents itself, the defender grabs his fingers and applies a downward finger lock by bending them straight back and down. The defender can flow into the upward finger lock by rotating his hand clockwise to a palm up position while maintaining the bend of the opponent’s fingers. The last photo shows a close-up view of the upward finger lock.

Technique #30- The Thumb Squeeze The thumb squeeze is the last joint manipulation technique we will cover in this chapter. It is a sneaky and very painful locking technique that can be done with very little effort. When the opponent is grabbing or has his hand closed in a fist, use one hand to keep his hand in place and the other to squeeze his thumb between the inside of your palm and fingers. The motion your hand makes when squeezing his thumb is identical to the motion used when exercising with a hand gripper. The below photos show the technique being applied from a chest grab. The locking of the thumb joint along with pain compliance will allow you to control the opponent’s movement and keep him from striking you with his free hand. Take a look at the

illustration below the photos to get a better idea of where the lock is applied. After a little practice with your training partner, you will see how easy and painful this technique is.

Chapter 5

Lock Flow Mastering the thirty techniques in the previous chapter is the first step in developing a solid foundation in joint manipulation skills. To take your knowledge to the next level, you must learn to transition seamlessly from one lock to another when the opponent resists, escapes, or muscles out of a technique you have applied. The smooth transition between techniques is called a lock flow. In this chapter we will look at a number of examples of how to connect joint locking techniques and flow from one lock to another based on the actions and movement of your opponent. As you study these examples it is important to keep in mind that they are possibilities only and not set-in stone. In order to master lock flow, you must experiment, use your imagination, train consistently, and develop your own combinations.

Lock Flow #1 Upward arm lever Downward arm lever Rear goose neck come along During an attack contact is made with the attacker’s arm. The defender grabs the opponent’s wrist and hits him with a round elbow strike to the jaw. He then executes an upward arm lever. The attacker tries to bend his upper body forward to resist the lock, so the defender rotates his arm inward, down, and around to transition into a downward arm lever. Notice how his upper forearm maintains contact and pressure on the attacker’s elbow joint throughout the transition. From the downward arm lever, the attacker tries to bend his arm to escape. Rather than fight to maintain the arm lever, the defender goes with the attacker’s movement and flows into a rear goose neck come along.

Lock Flow #2 Figure four arm lock Over shoulder arm lever/break Spin inside arm lock In this lock flow sequence, the defender deflects a punch from the opponent and captures his arm as he delivers an elbow strike to his face. From the elbow strike he applies a figure four arm bar but the opponent resists and straightens his arm. Rather than fight to force the figure four, the defender allows the arm to straighten. He slides his shoulder under the opponent’s elbow and executes an over shoulder arm lever/break. As the opponent tries to bend his arm to avoid damage to his elbow joint, the defender goes with his energy and transitions into a spin inside arm lock. He finishes the sequence by taking the opponent to the ground with the arm lock to control him.

Lock flow #3 Inside wrist lock Elbow up bent wrist lock Shoulder snap to rear naked choke The opponent pushes towards the defender’s chest and he deflects the attack downward and into an inside wrist lock. Before he can secure the lock, the opponent bends his elbow and starts to rise up. The defender adjusts his grip on the attacker’s wrist and bends his hand inward to transition into an elbow up bent wrist lock. From this position the attacker tries to lower his elbow to escape the bent wrist lock. The defender goes with his motion, releases the wrist lock, and uses his forearm to drive the opponent’s arm towards his body. He then moves straight in and executes a shoulder snap into a rear naked choke.

Lock Flow #4 Downward finger lock Upward finger lock Shoulder lock Neck crank/guillotine choke This lock flow starts with the defender grasping the attacker’s fingers and applying a downward finger lock. He transitions into an upward finger lock by rotating his wrist clockwise when the attacker tries to raise his body. From the upward finger lock he inserts his free hand in under the attacker’s elbow and releases the fingers as he applies a shoulder lock. The attacker tries to muscle out of the shoulder lock by bending his arm in and standing up straight. As the defender starts to lose the shoulder lock hold, he wraps his arm around the attacker’s neck and applies a neck crank/guillotine choke.

Lock flow #5 Straight arm bar Neck lever arm lift Step across move Inside wrist lock on ground The opponent throws a lead punch that the defender deflects with a vertical limb destruction parry. He then grabs the opponent’s arm and executes an elbow strike to his elbow joint. The defender maintains contact with the opponent’s elbow, using his forearm to apply a straight arm lock. At this point the opponent has been softened up with the limb destruction defense and the elbow strike, but he still tries to bend his arm to escape the arm bar. The defender releases his hand and scoops his arm downward as he hooks the opponent’s head. Maintaining a circular motion, he lifts the opponent’s arm and pushes down on his head to take him down with a neck lever arm lift. When the opponent hits the ground, the defender uses the momentum of his fall to execute a step across move and roll him to his stomach. He finishes by controlling the opponent with an inside wrist lock on the ground. The limb destruction defense comes from the Filipino martial arts and employs the concept of attacking the opponent’s attacking limb rather than simply blocking. This is an excellent technique to soften up the attacker prior to applying joint manipulation techniques. When the attacker hits an elbow every time, he throws a kick or punch, he becomes hesitant and moves slower. This provides more opportunity to secure one of his limbs.

Lock Flow #6 Thumb Squeeze Outside wrist lock Bent arm lever/headbutt Shoulder lock In this lock flow, the opponent grabs the defender’s chest with a tightly clenched fist. He secures his hand and executes a thumb squeeze lock. As the opponent releases his grip, the defender flows into an outside wrist lock as he strikes him in the face with his palm. The opponent tightly clenches his fist and tightens his arm to avoid the wrist lock, so the defender transitions into a bent arm lever. The force of the arm lever causes the opponent to be jerked forward into the defender’s headbutt. He immediately strikes with his elbow and scoops his arm under the opponent’s arm to

apply a shoulder lock. He finishes the opponent by reinforcing the shoulder lock with both hands and executing knee strikes as needed.

Lock flow #7 Front goose neck come along Spin inside arm lock Straight arm bar Figure four arm lock In this example of a lock flow the defender deflects a punch and redirects the opponent’s arm downward. He cups the opponent’s hand and hooks the crease of his arm near the biceps. The defender then pulls the opponent’s arm into the crook of his arm to secure a front goose neck come along. The opponent is able to escape by lifting his elbow up and out of the crook of the defender’s arm. As he is escaping the come along hold, the defender secures his wrist and transitions into a spin inside arm lock. The opponent resists the arm lock and tenses his upper body to avoid going backwards. The defender releases the lock and checks the opponent’s arm near his elbow. He slides his hand down the opponent’s forearm to secure a grip on his wrist as he uses the back of his forearm to apply a straight arm bar. The defender then rolls his forearm over the opponent’s arm and delivers a round elbow strike to his head. From the elbow strike he moves directly into a figure four arm lock. As he applies the arm lock, the defender can deliver another elbow strike if needed.

Lock Flow #8 Inside wrist lock Outside wrist lock Bent arm bar behind the back Rear goose neck come along Rear naked choke In this lock flow sequence, the attacker throws a lead punch which the defender parries downward with his lead hand as he counter strikes with a cross. The defender uses his parrying hand to grab the opponent’s wrist and apply an outside wrist lock. The attacker straightens his arm to resist the outside wrist lock, so the defender adjusts his grip by maintaining his hold on the thumb side of the opponent’s hand and scooping his wrist down and around almost three hundred and sixty degrees to transition into an inside wrist lock. The attacker tries to turn away and bend his arm to avoid the inside wrist lock, so the defender drives his fist into his lower back, maintaining a bent arm bar behind the attacker’s back. This movement also prevents the attacker from spinning completely around with a strike. Next the defender moves in closer to the attacker and transitions into a rear goose neck come along for better control. Due to the attacker’s level of resistance, the defender chooses to release the goose neck and flow into a rear naked choke to end the encounter.

Lock Flow #9 Inside wrist lock Horizontal bent wrist lock Foot trap/hip crease takedown Side strangle In this final lock flow series, the defender attempts an inside wrist lock. The attacker manages to bend his arm, so the defender flows into a horizontal bent wrist lock. Unable to maintain control, the defender abandons the bent wrist lock and steps in on top of the attacker’s foot while he strikes the hip

crease to off balance him. As the attacker attempts to regain his balance, the defender rises up and hits him with an upward elbow strike. He then transitions directly into a side strangle choke.

As you have seen from the lock flow examples, there are endless ways that you can combine the thirty joint manipulation techniques we have studied. The key is to feel the opponent’s intentions and react appropriately to what he does. By practicing lock flow drills you can develop the sensitivity needed to adapt to the attacker’s energy. Do not think that in a real encounter you will execute numerous joint manipulations in combination or do these lock flow examples exactly how they have been presented. The purpose is to train you to react without thought. Pay attention to the fact that these drills have striking techniques integrated into them. You must develop all your martial arts skills to work together as one solid fighting system.

Chapter 6

Proper Training Proper training is a critical component of being able to effectively apply joint manipulation techniques in a real situation. As we discussed previously, how you train is how you will fight. As we begin this important chapter, now is the time to do some soul searching in your personal training. If your training does not include a level of contact sparring and only consists of practice with a cooperative partner, you are fooling yourself if you believe you will be able to effectively defend yourself in an empty hand encounter. If you have not already developed a decent foundation in striking techniques and defensive skills, you probably won’t be able to apply the joint manipulation skills presented in this book. Once your basic fighting skills are developed, and you understand the key principles of joint manipulation, proper training will give you the ability to apply these skills in actual situations. Proper training for joint manipulation techniques can be accomplished through several stages. Diligently following these stages will ensure a high level of skill can be achieved. We will break down each stage and provide you with a roadmap to build a strong foundation with your joint manipulation skills. How much time is required at each stage varies and depends on you and how fast your body absorbs the information. Do not advance to the next stage until you have the current one down to the point that it’s almost second nature.

Stage One In stage one of your training, you must learn the different types of joints and study how each type operates. Learn the ranges of motion of the major joints such as the wrist, elbow, shoulder, and neck. Next, learn a few of the joint manipulation techniques in this book. Start slowly at first and work with only three or four techniques at a time. Practice applying the techniques on your training partner with no resistance and only slight pressure to the joints. Feedback is critical at this stage and your partner must tell you when the lock feels correct. Pay attention to your body weight and footwork as you apply each technique. At this beginning stage, practice grabbing the opponent’s arm by targeting his elbow and sliding down to the wrist. Have your partner offer slight resistance at this stage and move his hand at about quarter speed as you attempt to grab. It is also important to

develop a strong grip through hand gripping and finger strengthening exercises. A common hand gripper can be purchased in the sporting goods section of most department stores. Training to increase your finger gripping strength can also be done by lifting cinder blocks with the fingertips.

Stage One Overview 1) Learn the types of joints and study their range of motion. 2) Learn five or six of the techniques in this book. 3) Slowly practice each technique with a training partner who is offering no resistance. 4) Pay close attention to body weight and footwork. 5) Practice grabbing your training partner’s wrist by targeting the elbow. The training partner tries to move his hand at about quarter speed to provide very slight resistance. 6) Work to increase finger and gripping strength

Stage Two By stage two of your training, you should have a good working knowledge of the major joints and their range of motion. You should also have about five or six of the joint manipulation techniques down pretty good against a cooperative partner. You will now dial it up a notch by working on these techniques while your training partner offers some slight resistance. At this stage, start to apply the techniques you have learned and have your training partner tense his limbs and body to passively resist. Once your partner feels the technique is working, he can stop resisting and allow you to complete the hold. Be careful to communicate with your partner to avoid injury. The universal signal that a joint lock has been properly applied is to tap out. If at any time during training your partner taps out, release the hold immediately to avoid injury. At this stage you should also pick up the pace when practicing grabbing your partner’s arm. Have your training partner move at about half speed and try to avoid your grab by circling his hand or arm as you reach out. Learn additional techniques at this point until you have about half of the thirty techniques down. At this level in your training, you should start to pay attention to the energy of your training partner when he resists and possible striking techniques that he could employ against you. For example, during an outside wrist lock, are you off balancing your partner to avoid a possible punch?

Stage Two Overview 1) Learn additional joint manipulation techniques. 2) Increase the speed of your practice. 3) Have your training partner offer slight resistance by tensing his body and limbs. 4) Continue the practice of grabbing the training partner’s wrist by targeting his elbow. The training partner tries to avoid your grab by moving his arm at about half speed. 5) Pay attention to your partner’s energy. 6) Make sure you’re applying your joint manipulations in a manner that off balances your partner and would prevent strikes if thrown.

Stage Three If up to this point you have been sincere in your training, by the time you reach stage three, you will have developed some solid skills in joint locking. Most practitioners of standing joint manipulation never go beyond this level of training. This is the point where you will start to hone your skills and make them street effective. Start by learning the remainder of the joint locking techniques if you haven’t done so already. Your training partner should be offering about sixty percent resistance as you apply the techniques. Now is the time to have your training partner try to throw light strikes once you have secured a lock. You will use this opportunity to adjust the lock to avoid the strike or defend against the strike with a free hand. Experiment with using your partner’s resistance as you apply a technique, to flow and transition to a different technique. Start integrating joint manipulations techniques into light sparing sessions. Use strikes to set up possible joint locks.

Stage Three Overview 1) All thirty joint manipulation techniques have been learned. 2) Your training partner provides around sixty percent resistance as you practice executing the techniques. 3) Once a lock is applied, your partner attempts to strike you with light blows. 4) You practice shifting your body weight and adjusting the locking technique to prevent or avoid strikes.

5)

You practice maintaining a lock with one hand while defending against a strike or delivering your own strike with the other hand. 6) Practice basic lock flow by feeling your partner’s resistance and transitioning to a technique that goes with his force rather than against it. 7) Practice light sparring and attempt joint locking techniques under light pressure. Set your training partner up for a joint manipulation technique with, distracts, fakes, and off balancing. 8) Practice grabbing the training partner’s arm by targeting the elbow. The training partner resists by moving his arm at higher speed.

Stage Four Stage four is the final level of training. At this stage you can competently execute all of the thirty joint manipulation techniques. You have become good at grabbing the training partner’s arm while he is resisting and setting the training partner up for locks by off balancing him or faking an attack. Your training partner always offers a moderate to high resistance when you train, and you have developed some skill at transitioning between locking techniques and lock flow. You are regularly sparring at a medium to high level and integrating joint manipulation techniques in with your striking skills. When you have applied a lock, the opponent is controlled to the point that they cannot strike you or easily escape.

Stage Four Overview 1) You have a thorough knowledge of the thirty joint manipulation techniques. 2) You can flow from lock to lock and transition between techniques based on the opponent’s energy. 3) You can consistently grab an opponent’s arm or set the opponent up for a joint locking technique. 4) You are able to apply joint locking techniques during medium to heavy sparring. 5) When you apply a lock, the opponent has great difficulty escaping or striking you. 6) Joint manipulation is no longer a separate skill set but has been fully integrated into your martial arts system.

After you have successfully completed the four stages of training, you will have ingrained the joint manipulation techniques into your subconscious to the point where you will execute a technique when the opportunity arises without having to think about it.

More Advanced Training Even though we say stage four is the final stage of joint manipulation training, your training never ends. You must constantly continue to work to improve your skills. The four stages are the core that must be developed first in order to venture into the more advanced areas. Once the core is strong, there are a number of advanced training methods that can increase your joint manipulation skills to levels that you never imagined were possible. The following are a few.

Practice Joint Manipulation While Blind Folded Once you have become competent in the stage four level of training, you should practice lock flow drills and joint manipulation while blind folded. Once you make contact with your training partner and feel his intentions, you don’t need your eyes to be able to apply joint locks. Similar to blind folded chi sao practice in Wing Chun Kung-Fu, you should be able to adapt to your opponent’s movement and flow between locking techniques without sight. I studied Judo for several years as a young man and there was a black belt in our class who was completely blind. During training, the instructor would have him practice with different students. I was always amazed at how he could effortlessly throw me and other students around the mat without sight. He relied on sensitivity that he had developed to an extremely high level to compensate for his inability to see. Your eyes can actually impede your ability to properly react in some cases. Just like a feint can trick an opponent into a response, your eyes may interpret the attacker’s movement incorrectly. As your sensitivity develops, learn to relax and trust what your reactions tell you. Put on a blind fold, or simply close your eyes and grasp your training partner’s wrist. As you apply a lock, have your partner resist, and give you specific directions of

energy as you react without using your eyes. Developing this skill might be a life saver in the unfortunate event that something is thrown into your eyes or you are in a pitch-black room when an encounter occurs. Once developed, this skill will also carry over into other areas of your martial arts.

Practice Joint Manipulation in Extreme Conditions Self-defense and real-world encounters can be extremely unforgiving. We often don’t think about factors such as the weather, terrain, or how large amounts of blood might impact our ability to apply our skills. In a real situation, you will probably be forced to defend yourself in conditions that are very unfavorable. You can develop your skills to a higher level by training in some of these extreme conditions. Practice your joint manipulation skills on an icy driveway, in freezing temperatures with gloves on. Work on your techniques while waist deep in a swimming pool, where your mobility is severely limited. Experiment with different conditions such as having a slippery substance on your arms or wearing various types of restrictive clothing. Use your imagination and research real situations that have occurred to get ideas for your training. In addition to preparing, you for the worst-case scenario, training for these situations can be a lot of fun and spice up your training.

Practice Joint Manipulation When Injured The reality is that you will probably be injured when fighting for your life in a self-defense or fighting situation. At an advanced level, your training should include practicing your skills with a simulated injury. A very simple drill is to immobilize one of your hands as if it were injured. You can secure an arm to your side with a belt and practice applying certain joint manipulation techniques with only one hand. You can also practice techniques while standing on one leg. In addition to developing your joint manipulation skills, this will greatly increase your leg strength. Incorporating injury drills into your sparring sessions should be considered as well. In the next chapter we will look at a great way

to enhance your joint manipulation skills by adding weapons into the mix.

Chapter 7

Joint Manipulation With Weapons Imagine driving down the freeway at eighty miles per hour, and then suddenly slowing down to twenty-five miles an hour. The difference in speed will make it seem like you are standing still. The same applies to training with weapons. Weapons skills are an extension of your empty hand techniques, but because they move much faster than your hands, training with them will greatly accelerate your reflexes. At an advanced level, you should integrate joint manipulation training together with weapons training to further enhance your fighting capabilities. In a life and death situation, a weapon of any type is an equalizer. If you pick up a broom stick or a crowbar to defend yourself, and suddenly find yourself in a position where you need to control the attacker, you definitely don’t want to drop your weapon in order to apply a hold or lock. The good news is that you don’t need to learn new joint locking techniques to apply with weapons. You can simply take the thirty joint manipulation techniques you have learned in this book and adapt them to your weapons training. The key is knowing how to adapt the techniques for use when you are holding a weapon in your hand and to recognize how the weapon can be used to apply leverage or pressure on a joint. In this chapter we will look at some examples of how these techniques can be adapted and applied to weapons use. It should be noted that this chapter is only intended to demonstrate how these techniques can be adapted to weapons use and not to suggest when it is legally or morally right to use a weapon against a person who is unarmed. You should always be familiar with the laws in your jurisdiction regarding self-defense and weapons use or possession. These topics are far beyond the scope of this book. Now let’s proceed with our study of joint manipulation. The below techniques are taken directly from the thirty basic techniques you have already learned.

Technique #21- Bent Wrist Lock from Wrist Grab (Stick) The first example we will discuss is the bent wrist lock from a wrist grab. Just like the empty hand version, the attacker grabs the defender’s wrist. In this case, the defender is holding a stick in the hand which has been

grabbed. He rotates the stick over the top of the attacker’s hand as he reaches under with his free hand to grab the stick. The defender’s grasps the stick as close to the attacker’s hand as possible which causes his wrist to be trapped and locked. The defender finishes the lock by applying pressure forward and down with the stick on the attacker’s wrist. It is very important to go back and review the original empty hand version of this lock and compare it with this version to see the subtle differences required when the weapon is in use.

Technique #13- Slip or Pass to Side Strangle (Stick) The slip to side strangle is another example of the basic progression of joint manipulation techniques from empty hands to weapons. In the below series of photos, the attacker lunges with a knife thrust. The defender parries the attacking arm inward as he strikes him in the solar plexus with his stick. With no wasted motion, he brings the stick around the attacker’s neck and applies a strangle hold with his arm and the stick. With the choke locked in tight, and the position of his forearm under the attacker’s triceps, the defender can prevent him from stabbing or slashing further with the knife.

Again, the important lesson here is how the empty hand technique has been adapted for use with a weapon.

Technique #2- The Inside Wrist Lock (Stick) Often when using joint manipulation techniques with a weapon, the weapon is used to reinforce the lock or to apply additional leverage. In the below example, the defender secures an inside wrist lock on the attacker with one hand. He then uses the stick wielding hand to strike down on the elbow joint. From this position, the butt of the stick can be used to hook the elbow and control the opponent’s movement. Strikes with the stick could also be executed while the lock is held.

Technique #1- The Outside Wrist Lock (Stick) In this example, the defender executes an outside wrist lock on the opponent as he inserts the stick inside of the arm and against his neck. From this position, the defender can pull the stick to the outside towards the crease in the opponent’s arm which puts pressure against the opponent’s throat. This motion also applies additional leverage to the arm to assist with the wrist lock. As with the empty hand technique, the defender can take the opponent to the ground by turning his body quickly to the outside while torqueing the wrist and applying pressure with the stick.

Technique #26- Straight Arm Bar on Shoulder (Stick) The straight arm bar on the shoulder is performed in almost the exact same manner with a stick as it is with empty hands. The major difference is the use of the stick to apply pressure downward against the attacker’s elbow joint. In the below picture, the defender applies the straight arm bar on shoulder after the attacker tries to grab him around the neck with his arm.

Technique #23- Arm Lift Neck Lever (Stick) The arm lift neck lever is another example where the butt of the stick serves as a hook to control the opponent’s neck as the arm is lifted. As with the

empty hand version, the opponent could be forced to the ground by continuing the opposite motions of lifting the arm and circling the head downward. Knee strikes can also be thrown from this position. Nothing changes from the empty hand version and there is no need to learn separate techniques for stick fighting.

Now that we have looked at how some of the thirty joint manipulation techniques can be applied to stick fighting, let’s look at a few examples with the knife.

Technique #22- Elbow Up Bent Wrist Lock (Knife) In this example the defender, using a blade down grip, intercepts the opponent’s arm with his knife. He uses the edge of the blade against the wrist to scoop the opponent’s arm down. Next, he lifts upward with the knife against the opponent’s wrist and turns the wrist towards his body to apply an elbow up bent wrist lock. If the opponent resists or moves his arm, he will cause himself to get cut by the knife. In this example, the opponent could be holding a knife in his hand when the technique is executed, but the point is to show how the same technique that we learned for empty hand fighting can also be done with a knife with very little modification.

Technique #2- The Inside Wrist Lock (Knife) In this example the defender applies an inside wrist lock on the attacker. Due to the situation, he draws his knife. Maybe the opponent is reaching for a weapon of his own, or possibley the defender had his knife in his hand from the beginning, but regardless, the knife is brought into play. The defender uses the blade to cut under the attacker’s arm and then locks his elbow downward with the edge of the blade.

Technique #21- Bent Wrist Lock from Wrist Grab (Knife) So far, we have studied this technique with both empty hands and the stick. Now we will look at how it can be done with the knife. The defender is holding his knife with the blade down when the attacker grabs his wrist. He uses his free hand to trap the attacker’s hand as he rotates the blade of the knife over his wrist to apply the bent wrist lock. The situation you are in may dictate small adaptions to the technique. For example, in this situation, the defender uses the flat edge of the blade to apply the wrist lock, but he could have used the blade against the attacker’s wrist if a higher level of force were needed.

Technique #27- Foot Trap and Hip Crease Takedown (Knife) Now we will look at the foot trap and hip crease takedown executed with a knife. As the attacker attempts a strike, the defender slashes his arm and steps in deep on top of his foot to trap it. He then uses the point of the knife to strike inside of the attacker’s hip crease. With the foot trapped, pressure to the crease of the hip will usually cause the attacker to fall. Again, the photos depict the opponent unarmed for simplicity, but this technique would normally only be executed in a situation where your attacker is armed, or your life is in danger. The point is to show how to apply the same technique whether it’s with a weapon or empty hands.

Technique #23- Arm Lift Neck Lever (Knife) The arm lift neck lever can be applied with the knife by hooking the attacker’s head with the blade held downward. The technique is executed in the exact same manner as the empty hand version was.

Technique #7- Rear Goose neck Come Along (Knife) Due to the ease at which a knife can be deployed during an encounter, the arm lock might already be secured before it comes into play. In the below photo, the attacker has been secured in a rear goose neck come along hold. Based on the circumstances of the encounter, the defender decides to draw his weapon and use it to assist in securing the hold. You should capitalize on the strengths of the weapon you are using when applying a joint manipulation technique. In this example, the attacker is less likely to try and pull his arm free from the arm lock if it will result in him being cut.

Technique #6- Front Goose Neck Come Along By now you should have a good concept of how these techniques can be adapted and used with weapons. In our final example below, the defender executes a front goose neck come along using the knife in the crease of the attacker’s arm to secure the hold.

Once you have learned to apply the thirty joint manipulation techniques with a stick and knife, experiment with other weapons as well. Use a tire iron, a flashlight, or an umbrella to execute the locks. The next step in your training will be to practice lock flow drills with weapons. As your skill improves, you will want to practice applying these techniques in sparring situations with practice weapons to avoid injury. Ultimately, you must take your practice with weapons and joint manipulation techniques back through the four stages of training to fully develop your skills.

Conclusion This brings us to the end of our journey into joint manipulation skills. If you have taken the time to learn the material presented in this book, I am confident that you will have a solid system of effective joint locks that can be added to your fighting arsenal. There is always room to improve and more work to be done. Regardless of how much knowledge you learn, always think of yourself as a student and you will continue to grow. I wish you the best of luck in your martial arts future!

About the Author Chuck Callaway is a martial artist with over forty years of experience in the fighting arts. He holds black belts is several systems including, Tang Soo Do, Molum Combat Arts, and Filipino Arnis. He has trained extensively in Jiujitsu, Judo, Kung-Fu, Boxing, Kali, and Tai Chi. In 1987, he met Sifu Vic Butler who taught him the devastating art of elbow boxing, Goshin Budo Jiujitsu, and Molum Combat Arts. After years of intense training, Chuck earned his 3rd degree black belt from Sifu Butler. In addition to his study of traditional martial arts, Chuck received training in hand-to-hand combat and weapons skills while serving as a Security Police Specialist in the military. He was also a certified defensive tactics instructor for law enforcement and has taught martial arts to private students for decades. He continues his lifelong journey of learning and training in the martial arts.