by N. Mashiro
At any point you may defend against a right-hand punch by blocking with the left hand, or, when the hold is applied by delivering a pre-emptive hammer strike to the face.
13-2: This technique is for those times when the attacker's grip on your collar leaves his fist with the palm up. In this case you can't establish the proper hold for technique 13-1, but never fear. There is an equally effective alternative.
Grasp his fist with both hands, curling you fingers around into his palm and putting you thumbs on the back of his hand near the middle knuckle. (Do you recognize the wristlock again?)
Take a step back to pull his arm out straight. Apply pressure against the wrist joint by bending his fist toward the inside of his forearm. He won't be able to maintain his grip on your shirt. To drop him on his back, pull his hand toward your hip as you twist his arm sharply to your right. To relieve the pain in his wrist and arm he'll obligingly flop right over on his back. If you are not feeling charitable, your next move is to wafflestomp his face with the sole of your hiking boot. If you are feeling charitable, perhaps a kick in the ear would be sufficient.
A very common event in a barnyard-type fight is for one of the opponents to catch the other in some kind of headlock. You see this especially among kids and a few men who haven't learned anything about fighting since they were in grade school. It is also very prevalent on TV wrestling shows. Although headlocks look very effective to a novice, when one of these bovine bullies puts a headlock on a knowledgeable self-defense student he places his dignity, and his life itself, in deadly peril. It should go without saying that self-defense students are advised to avoid the use of headlocks under most circumstances. The only exceptions are those locks which result in instant unconsciousness or death, and therefore offer little opportunity for retaliation.
ATTACK # 14
Attack # 14 is a classic under-the-arm headlock, in which your opponent has clamped your head under his right arm. In this position you are both facing the same direction, your left ear is against his body and your left shoulder is against his right kidney. Notice that his left hand is free and may be used to strike you in the face. Both of your hands are free. The retaliatory potential of this situation is enormous. So is the danger.
BASIC DEFENSE *14
In this case the fundamental defense is extremely simple. The key is to immobilize his left arm so he can't hit you with it. After his left arm is neutralized you can take your time and pick one of several effective counterattacks.
Figure 24: A headlock is a common but ludicrous hold which puts the attacker at a severe disadvantage. First you have to pin the attacker's left arm to protect your face from punches. Then grab his private parts and pick him up by them! You can easily turn him upside down and drop him on his head with this technique. It doesn't take as much strength as you might think.
To immobilize the attacker's left arm, just reach around his back with your left arm and insert your hand between his chest and upper arm. Turn your palm outward and grasp his bicep just above the elbow. You'll find that he'll have a hard time breaking loose from this simple hold. While he is trying, he won't notice the beginning of your counterattack until too late.
COUNTERATTACKS FOR SITUATION #14
14-1: If the attacker has tried to punch you in the face use the basic defense described above to neutralize his left arm, otherwise use your left hand to reach up over his right shoulder and get your fingernails into his eyes. This will force his head up and back while simultaneously distracting him from all other thoughts other than getting his eyes away from your fingers.
Use your right hand to reach between his legs from behind and firmly grasp his genitals. (He will be having sudden second thoughts about the fight at this point.) Straighten up, lifting him by the genitals and driving his face backward and down with your left hand. His body will rock backwards over your left hip like a teeter-totter. All you have to do is raise his feet up high and then fall backwards to bring his skull into violent contact with the pavement.
If your left hand is busy immobilizing his arm just grab his genitals and forget about clawing at his eyes. It isn't as easy to throw him without a hand on his face but it can still be done. Try it and see. (See Figure 24.)
14-2: A variation of the above technique is to hook your right arm under his right knee, catching the leg in the crook of your elbow. (Do not grasp his leg with your hand!) If you straighten up he'll rock back across your left hip as before, and if you are fairly strong you will be able to lift him right up in the air (the leverage is tremendous). At this point you'll be holding him horizontally across your chest, belly up, with his feet about as high as his head. To bring the situation to a sudden and permanent end, kneel suddenly and let him drop across your bent left knee. Drop him so that your knee catches him just above the base of the spinebreaking his back. Even if his back isn't broken the whiplash of his fall will slam his head into the ground very forcefully. He might not survive it.
14-3: What if you just can't lift him? Some women and frail men are so convinced of their weakness that they just won't give a throw a decent try. I think it is important to give people alternative techniques they can believe in, even if the problem is really in their minds. Therefore, here is a throw which does not require any dramatic lifting.
Put the sole of your left foot against the back of the opponent's left heel. Claw at his eyes with your left hand and hook your right arm under his right knee as before. Use your attack on his eyes and your hold on his leg to encourage him to lose his balance to the rear. He'll try to recover by hopping back on his left leg, but your foot prevents this. He'll fall heavily to the rear.
14-4: It is possible that the opponent may release you as he falls. This is pretty common and it is to be hoped for. If not, you will almost certainly wind up on top and then have to continue the fight from the gorund.
The preceding techniques tend to leave the attacker lying on his left side, with you poised over him on your hands and knees. We assume that he still has your neck encircled with his right arm. Otherwise you would have escaped by now.
To get free, grab his hair or gouge his eyes with your left hand, driving his head back and forcing him to arch his back. Once you have him distracted, grasp his right wrist with your right hand and start backing up with your knees, pulling your head and his arm back behind him to the point where your head slips free and you have him in an arm lock. This technique works well because you can use the strength of your legs and torso against his unassisted right arm. (See Figure 25.)
Note that if he holds his right hand with his left, you will not be able to pull his arm back until you gouge his eyes. If he is human he'll use his left hand to protect his eyes and you can proceed with the escape. Another little trick which can be useful here is a snappy knee kick into his kidney. A couple of these kicks will certainly give him second thoughts about continuing to hold your head.
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Figure 26: The standing full nelson is a common hold that is both dangerous and difficult to escape from. The escape begins by stomping on both of the attacker's insteps at once. Then step around to get your leg behind him and throw him on his back.
14-5: If you still can't get loose, or if you fouled up and the bad guy is on top after the throw, simply start using elbows, knees, teeth, fingers, and fists as viciously as you know how. This is supposed to be dirty fighting, not a wrestling match. No one will disqualify you for doing unmentionable things to the opponent's kidneys, solar plexus, groin, eyes, throat, and ribs. Force him to let go of your head just to defend himself. You will find that it is a very effective technique.
ATTACK # 15
The attacker has placed you in a full nelson hold from behind, and is using the strength of his arms and the weight of his body in an attempt to break your neck. In a full nelson hold the attacker stands behind you, slips his arms under yours, and then laces his fingers together behind your neck. In t
his position he can exert severe pressure against your cervical vertebrae. It is vital that you relieve this pressure immediately.
BASIC DEFENSE # 15
This situation is a little different from the others in this book in that the basic defense technique can only be applied after one of the counterattacks. In the previous techniques the basic defense has opened the way to a selection of responses. This time, however, the various responses all lead to the same ending position and final release.
A defense against a full nelson requires that you relieve the pressure on your neck. The only unfailing way to do this is to drop the attacker flat on his back and land on top of him. In this position he cannot exert maximum pressure against your neck because he can't use his weight against you.
At that point you can break the hold easily by reaching behind your neck and prying up one of his fingers. Bend it backwards until it snaps. He'll let go.
A word of caution. Don't try to reach for his fingers before dropping him on his back or you will make your situation worse instead of better. Reaching up behind your neck while still standing raises your elbows and lets him consolidate his hold. Remember: until you have him on his back you must keep your elbows pulled down tightly against your sides. It is the only thing you can do to interfere with his leverage against your neck.
COUNTERATTACKS FOR SITUATION #15
15-1: Try a back snap kick to the groin or a stomp on the instep to get his attention and distract him from pressing on your neck. A back snap kick consists of snapping your heel up behind you as if to hit yourself in the hip pocket, only you make sure that his groin is in the way. If you happen to hit his shin or kneecap instead, the distraction will still be sufficient to increase the probability of overall success.
Step back between his legs with your right foot. Throw your weight back into his left shoulder, and as his balance shifts to the left, use your right foot to hook his right leg and swing it forward and up as far as possible. Let your weight shift to the right and brace yourself for a jolt. He'll fall like a felled tree and you'll land on top. If you can, land hard. (See Figure 26.)
It may be that the shock of the fall will be sufficient to free you, in which case your momentum will naturally lead to a backward somersault out of the hold. If not, resort to the basic defense to break one of his fingers and force him to release you.
Please be cautious when practicing this technique. You could hospitalize your practice partner very easily by dropping on him too hard by mistake, and there is some potential for injury to your neck, too. Practice partners sometimes hang on tighter than real opponents because they know what is coming and can't be surprised. In this case it can be dangerous.
15-2: Keep your elbows clamped down tightly against your sides to keep him from getting too much leverage against your neck. Start the festivities by suddenly picking up both feet and stamping your heels hard on the tops of his feet just in front of the shins. He'll be stunned and immobilized. Leap to the right and swing your left leg around behind him. Plant your left foot behind and between his feet.
Figure 27: If the technique shown in Figure 26 doesn't quite get you free you may wind up in this unenviable position, on all fours with the neck hold still in place. To escape, clamp his right arm under yours and do a shoulder roll. With the attacker on the bottom you can reach back and break one of his fingers to get free. An elbow to the face is a good parting gesture.
You are now in a position in which you can rock the opponent backward across your left hip just by straightening up and shoving back with your left shoulder against his chest. To drop him on his back drive your hips forward into him as you smash your left elbow back into his face. He'll fall heavily, but you'll land on top. Use the basic defense to break the hold and roll away.
15-3: It is possible that you may find yourself subjected to a full nelson hold while on your hands and knees. For one thing, one of the previous two throws may go slightly wrong, ending with you on all fours and your opponent kneeling over you with the neck-breaking hold still intact. (For the sake of discussion, we'll assume that your opponent is kneeling on your left side.)
The basic idea is the same as before. You must get your opponent on his back before you can break the hold. To do this, lift your right hand and grasp his right forearm. Clamp his arm tightly between your arm and chest. Now roll forward and to your right, tucking in your right shoulder. Your attacker will be irresistibly drawn over your back and rolled onto the floor. The ending position leaves him on his back with you on top. Wrench one of his fingers out of its socket and roll free. (See Figure 27.)
It is easy to imagine a situation in which you have been knocked off your feet but your opponent is still upright. It is therefore very important that you understand how to fight from the ground against a standing opponent, and especially important to know how and when to try to get up again. If you try to rise prematurely you'll get kicked in the ribs, teeth, or groin every time.
I think you'll find this section to be somewhat unusual. I have never seen the techniques of supine fighting against a standing attacker expressed in a book, and it may be that this is the only treatment of the subject in print. This is difficult to understand because these are among the most effective and reliable techniques in the self-defense field. They are devastating against even a highly trained fistfighter, and they leave a knifeman feeling helpless and distraught. Obviously this section is well worth your close attention.
ATTACK # 16
This could be one of several situations in which you have wound up on your back while a single opponent stands threateningly over you. Maybe you were knocked down, or maybe you dropped onto your back deliberately. The latter course would be wise if the attacker is brandishing a knife or club, or if he has shown signs of having significant skill with his fists.
BASIC DEFENSE #16
The first rule of fighting from the ground is never to get up while your opponent is capable of kicking or striking you. Curl up with your knees raised in front of your chest, your elbows tight in against your sides and your hands held above your chest in front of your face. Stay on your back, using your hands and elbows to pivot your body around on the base of your spine, keeping your feet directed toward the opponent.
Figure 28: Fighting from the ground can be very effective. Here the defender catches a would-be kicker in the knee ... a very painful and disruptive block. Notice that the defender is using his other foot to cover his groin in case the kick gets by.
You may find that you will have to use one of your feet now and then to assist in spinning your body around as the attacker desperately tries to outmaneuver you and get past the guard of your feet and legs. Just be sure that you keep at least one foot cocked and ready to kick at all times. Two is better.
This defensive position is nearly impregnable once you have given it a little practice. Nearly everyone can spin around on his back much faster than an attacker can run in a circle around him. This forces him to attack you over your legs, which are not only immensely strong but also partially armored. Think about trying to stick a knife blade through the sole of your shoe and you'll see what I mean.
Remember to keep your shins up high enough to block any attempted kick to your abdomen, but also low enough to protect your groin, too. It isn't hard to do this, but you do have to think about it. Your hands serve as a second line of defense ready to catch or deflect a kick or an object thrown at your head.
You can test the efficacy of this defense in practice by taking the position and then asking your partner to try to touch your head with his hand. Make a lively contest of it and you will soon see that no matter what direction he dodges you will be able to keep up with him. He will always find your ready feet between him and his goal.
COUNTERATTACKS FOR SITUATION # 16
16-1: The most obvious counterattack is actually an integral part of the basic defense itself. Kick the bastard! Every time he comes close lash out with a foot and kick him in the knee, shin, groin, and ev
en in the hands if he reaches out for you. Don't be hesitant about it. Kick fast and vi ciously, and don't stop until he is obviously hurt. As usual, the knees are the best target. (See Figure 28.)
16-2: You can carry the attack to the opponent by rising up crab-style on your palms and heels and scuttling toward him, lashing out with your feet at his shins. I know this doesn't sound like what your favorite TV hero would do, but when the bad guys aren't getting paid to fall down it's nice to have a tactic that is both effective and unusual. You'll be amazed to see how wildly your practice partner has to dance and scramble to keep out of your way. The effect on an actual attacker is to demoralize him very quickly and, incidentally, to make him look foolish in front of spectators. Bullies can't stand being laughed at.
16-3: If you don't actually injure him with one of your kicks (which you may well do) you will certainly enrage him to the point of recklessness. He'll try to jump you ... and he'll sing soprano for life.
You will have plenty of time. He'll brace himself, set his face in a mask of rage, give a big yell, take a running jump and come in at your face heels first. Don't worry, your hands can bat his feet far enough to the side to protect your head. Concentrate instead on positioning your foot in the path of his descending groin. Lock your knee and brace for the shock. He'll feel like he jumped out of the back of a pickup truck and accidentally straddled the top of a fence post on the way down. No matter, choirs need men with high voices.
If your opponent happens to be the reckless type who dives over your legs headfirst, you will have an opportunity to kill him with a kick to the throat. Failing that, your kick to the face, chest, collarbone, or abdomen will surely destroy his interest in continued combat.