KerwinBenson.com Hidden Gems of Martial Arts

Arm Bars

You get to a position where you hold your opponent's arm so that it is straight from shoulder to wrist. You apply pressure to a point on the triceps a few inches above the elbow.

This pressure against the triceps is what controls your opponent, although some people bend the wrist with the hand perpendicular to the arm.

This extra lock adds more pain, and thus controls your opponent even more effectively.

(See Chapter 3 of Wrist Locks: From Protecting Yourself to Becoming an Expert for detailed directions to applying an arm bar. You also get at least three different counters and reversals.)

Your body can either be in front of your opponent, or behind. Personally, I feel that standing behind your opponent (between his arm and his body) is safer.

Sometimes we generalize the term "arm bar" to include all controls where you apply a sharp pressusre against a small muscle or nerve point.

Ever hear of a shin lock?

Wrist Locks

You twist or torque the hand in such a manner that it is bent as far as it can go in one direction. Any further movement would cause pain, movement to escape the pain, or even injury.

The unoffical term we use is "tweaking" someone's wrist.

Sometimes the pressure is effected in a straight line. Other times, you might choose a small, circular movement (Wally Jay's Small Circle Ju-Jitsu).

An Aikido artist might use a large, circular motion to effect a wrist lock.

The fun begins when you start combining technique.

For example, you start with a wide flowing motion, then as your opponent resists, you lock him/her down with a smaller circle. Maybe you feel somebody trying to reverse a move on you.

Wouldn't it be great to change directions of your original lock, and then shut your opponent down with a short, straight-line lock? There are oodles of possibilities.