Release is Too Easy (I Wanna Hold Your Hand)

  I'm aware that I recently wrote a blog over the practicality and/or application of wrist-locks, but having read a (yet another) person's article on the subject, I felt re-visitation was deserved.

     

  The majority of system's view wrist and arm grabs as being (yet) another defensive situation. Usually one that the student is shown how to escape from. Taika regularly referred to these techniques as “Stupid People” techniques (implying that only a stupid person would grab someone's hand, they'd obviously be struck by the non-grabbed hand, LOL).

     

  Considering the amount of Tuite techniques that RyuTe teaches, wrist grabs/locks are our bread and butter (sort to speak). I would always prefer to have to deal with an aggressor that is grabbing me, than attempting to strike me (and yes, that's regardless of their size and strength).

     

  As the saying goes, if they're grabbing me, then they can't hit me (at least with that grabbing hand, LOL). Now I've also had the argument thrown at me, that I can't hit them either (because they've grabbed me). Well, maybe I don't need or want to.

      

  I can, and do focus on that hand (theirs) that has grabbed me (more specifically, that hand's wrist). When I watch other people/systems attempting to apply their techniques, what I see, is them (at least attempting to) motioning that grasped arm in various directions, while lamenting about how easy it is to motion it this way or that (and how the aggressor can't do anything about it).

     

  Well that's all really swell, but it doesn't accomplish or prove anything (other than point out the obvious about how someone can still move in various directions). When/if someone has grabbed you, it's generally being done to accomplish one of two things, move you, or immobilize you.

       

  If it's being done to move you, you have the time it takes them, to move their hand (that's holding your arm) the length of your arm (or at least until your arm is straightened out) to effect a defensive response.

       

  The common response that's made, is to resist that effort (most usually by pulling back). It's not as if this isn't expected (by the person who grabbed the arm), most often it's fully expected, and they usually are confident that they posses enough extra size/strength to compensate for that resistive effort to be made (and still feel confident that they can accomplish their goal).

    

  If/when their goal is to immobilize the grasped limb, then half of your job is already being done (by them). The greatest mistake I see being made, is attempting to manipulate the aggressor's hand/arm by moving the (tori's) grasped hand/wrist.

     

  This is an attempt to directly challenge the strength of the aggressor. If that aggressor is stronger, the tori will fail in that attempt. It is far more practical, to make the grasping hand (of the aggressor) the pivot point for the defensive application (or more specifically, the grabbing hand's wrist).

      

  If the individual principles (of the 6 Principles of Tuite) are being noted, and applied, any tuite application should be able to effectively be applied (regardless of any strength/size disparity between the tori and uke).

     

  If/when an aggressor's goal is to move you, then it is far more practical to go towards them (with both the grasped {yours}and grasping {their} hand). #1, it's what they want to do anyhow. #2, as it comes closer to them, the reaction to the applied technique is intensified. In either instance, the technique is applied using the uke's wrist as the central/pivot point (of the application).

    

  In the article I read, the author (excessively, IMO) focused upon the thumb of the uke's grasping hand. This is a commonly made mistake, I will say, that at least he didn't make the (exceedingly) common and inaccurate statement about the thumb being the weakest appendage of the hand.

     

  Not so surprisingly, it's the pinky finger that is the (physically) weakest digit of the hand. But, Interestingly enough, the pinky finger is the most important finger for creating a tight grip and/or fist. For the majority of Tuite (wrist) applications, the ulnar/medial (pinky finger, LOL) side of the wrist, is the side utilized most often when applying a tuite (wrist) technique.

      

  Contrary to the majority of techniques being taught (besides Tuite), when a wrist is being manipulated, it is most often being folded forward, and then rotated so that either the thumb or the Pinky finger is being motioned (across the palm) towards the opposite side of the wrist. In a Tuite application, it is (more commonly) the pinky being manipulated back (extended in a dorsal direction), and over/across the back (dorsal) side of the wrist/forearm.

    

  There are several advantages to this (rearward) manner of manipulation. Primarily, by doing so, the tori will rotate the uke's (free) opposite hand/shoulder away from the tori (any attempt to rotate back and/or strike the tori with their free hand will increase the pressure/discomfort being placed upon the uke's wrist that's being manipulated).

   

  The majority of the results and purposes of those techniques mentioned in the article I read, were geared towards effecting an escape. There's nothing (necessarily) wrong with that, but I don't believe it should be a focused goal (of the techniques). It's my opinion, that an escape is easy, but doing so, does nothing to prevent it's recurrence and/or may lead to or create an (unnecessary) escalation (of the situation).