Self Defense

Question 1

Headlock from behind (carotid choke)

Answer 1

Similar steps to Bar Arm

1. Turn head (towards attackers joined hands) and tuck chin
2. Over reach behind you as far as possible (good chance for eye/face scratch) and pluck explosively
3. In this choke, the attackers hands will be farther back … leading w/ nearest hand to create a 1-2 pluck rhythm
4. Pluck will end up around shoulder not chest as in bar arm.
5. Turn inside shoulder sharpe inward to create space and slide head out of opening.
6. Continue combatives until neutralized

MISTAKES

1. Does not reach far enough back
2. rolls outside hip instead of inward shoulder (increases pressure on neck)

Question 2

Headlock from behind (bar arm)

Answer 2

1. Tuck chin (if possible) and turn head toward attacker’s hands.
2. Overreach behind as far back as possible and pluck explosively (overreach allows chance for eye/face scratch)
3. As pluck, turn chin sharply inward and downward and rotate shoulder sharply into attacker.
4. slide head out of opening
5. counterattack immediately

MISTAKES

1. Grab instead of pluck (be quick and explosive)
2. don’t turn your chin – exposes the neck and can get them caught when trying to get out of the hold.
3. roll your outside hip instead of turning shoulder sharply (increases pressure on the neck)

Question 3

Choke from behind with a push

Answer 3

1. As you are being pushed, take a small instinctive step and shoot opposite arm forward, bicep to ear.
2. Turn sharply in place, make sure to put leverage on attackers wrist.
3. continuing turn, step back with your inside foot, bringing your elbow down to clear attackers hands. At the same time come around with a counter attack (hook or punch), followed by knees.

MISTAKES

1. Too big of a forward step will increase pressure
2. Try and turn back into attackers arm
3. Do not wrap arm around attackers arm - puts us in too much contact.

Question 4

Wrist Release: opposite side hand (hitchhike out)

Answer 4

1. Roll your thumb up toward opening (weak) side, bend elbow in a little bit, leverage your thump out of opening in a “hitchhike motion”
2. Move away, bring hands up

MISTAKES
1. Try to pull hand out of grip instead of using leverage

Question 5

Wrist Release: same side (elbow to elbow)

Answer 5

1. Roll thumb toward opening, black of your arm leading the way
2. Take your elbow to/towards attackers elbow.
3. Step back creating distance, hands come up

MISTAKES
1. Defender pulls hand away rather than taking the elbow forward. This will not give you the leverage you need to break the hold.

Question 6

Wrist release: held by two hands

Answer 6

1. With your free hand, reach between attackers hands and grab your own fist (make fist with other hand).
2. Lift you fist above the line of the attackers forearms
3. Roll your elbow (of caught arm) - elbow #1 - to create leverage not as an attack
4. Step back and keep hands up

Question 7

Wrist release: two hands held down

Answer 7

1. Bring both hands inward & upward, roll thumbs out of opening
2. Curl fingers (so don’t poke in eye) and tuck your chin
3. Keep hands up as you step back.

Question 8

Wrist release: two hands held high

Answer 8

1. Roll pinky side of both hands downward and outward, making leverage against attacker’s thumbs
2. Make circle fairly tight (wider circle the more the attacker can compensate)
3. Complete the circle so your hands come back up as you step back

MISTAKES

1. pulling straight down – must create a circular motion
2. defender does not complete the circle leaving hands downs and face open

Question 9

Choke from the front w/ push

Answer 9

1. As pushed step back, stab opposite hand to sky, bicep as close to ear as possible
2. rotate sharply, causing pressure on attackers wrist
3. drop elbow down (elbow #7) to clear attacker’s hands from throat, bring opposite arm up to trap hands.
4. recoil elbow and deliver elbow #2 aiming for the face.
5. Continue attacks until neutralized.

MISTAKES

1. bicep not to ear – will not give leverage for break
2. too big of first step
3. sweeps arm instead of stabbing up
4. mistakes elbow 7 for defense – it is the sharp rotation that breaks choke, not the elbow

Question 10

Choke from the side

Answer 10

1. Using outside hand, reach UP, ACROSS, and pluck at attackers thumb diagonally across your chest.
2. At the same time use the other hand to deliver counter attacks to groin or elbow to the face.
3. Turn towards the attacker with additional attacks (hammer to the side of face) and continue till threat neutralized.

MISTAKES

1. Pluck is too shallow
2. Students step in. Never assume you can step first (this attack may happen if the defender was first facing the attacker and the choke came when they turned away as a defensive reaction.

Question 11

Choke from the front: one hand pluck

Answer 11

1. Reach one hand up to pluck attackers hand
2. At the same time use free hand up and underneath other arm = palm hell strike to face.
   * you may have to drop your shoulder to get under the attackers arm in order to deliver the strike *
3. The combination of the pluck and strike will cause your body to rotate helping to relieve pressure on neck

MISTAKES

1. Don’t pluck effectively: reach deep enough & pluck outward not downward
2. palm heel strike is jammed (you need to drop your shoulder).

Question 12

Choke from the front: two hand pluck

Answer 12

1. Hands are like hooks – you are aiming to hook around the meaty part of the thumbs and “rip” through. Pluck out and slightly back in one fluid motion (speed not strength).
   * Tuck chin as pluck *
2. same time as pluck, front kick to groin
3. trap hands as counter attack
4. counter as needed

MISTAKES

1. plucking downward (inhibits pluck)
2. pluck at wrist or forearm (instead of thumbs) - reduces leverage
3. using strength instead of speed (one fluid motion)

Question 13

Choke from behind

Answer 13

1. Reach up and back (be sure to overextend back as far as you can go)
2. Pluck down explosively, using your hands as hooks and rip through choke coming down like you are giving yourself 2 elbows to the stomach
3. As you pluck make diagonal step to the side and back
4. Your inside hand should continue down to deliver a groin strike (outside hand continues to hold on to attackers)
5. Continue with other attacks as rotating into knee strikes

MISTAKES

1. Not reaching far back enough
2. grabbing not plucking
3. counterstrike not simultaneous
4. never finish with your back to your attacker