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An Overview of Armlocks - Basics and Execution
While most martial arts styles focus little time on teaching the mechanics and execution of armlocks, they are an essential component for a few select disciplines. In fact, those who are learning karate, kung fu, and other styles for self-defense will find this technique to be an important ingredient.
Having said that, armlocks are mostly used as a submission skill. Police, military personnel, and mental hospital employees often use them to exert control over those who might otherwise cause injury to others.
This article will provide a brief tour through the basics and execution of arm locks. I'll explain why this martial arts technique is often more effective that traditional finishing moves. I'll also describe the different types of locks and how they work.
More Effective Than Finishing Moves
The goal of a finishing move is to end an attack or eliminate a threat. The problem is that the most efficient ways to accomplish those objectives often leave the attacker physically injured, or worse. Not only does that lead to legal issues and potential repercussions, but the results are nearly always unnecessary.
Armlocks represent an alternative. If performed properly, they will restrain an assailant without causing him or her injury. In fact, this is one of the reasons many police and sheriff departments train their officers to use them. In mixed martial arts competitions, this strategy is used to immobilize and submit opponents.
Types Of Arm Locks
In order to execute arm locks without causing unnecessary harm to the receiver, it's important to have a basic understanding regarding how the arm works. I'll introduce the three main locking techniques below. As I explain their mechanics, you'll understand the levers that give them their potency.
The first type is a straight lock. It uses the elbow as a lever. Normally, your elbow gives your arm a limited range of movement. By grabbing your opponent's forearm and moving it downward while putting upward pressure on his elbow, you can exert near-complete control. You can apply the upward pressure with your hand, shoulder, knees, or any limb or joint that is appropriate for your position.
The second type of armlock uses your opponent's shoulder as a point of leverage. Because the shoulder follows a rotational pattern, you'll have fewer opportunities to apply pressure. That said, once you do, you'll have total control over your opponent. The reason is because the receiver is forced to twist their torso in order to reduce the pressure. Doing so eliminates their ability to respond.
The third type of armlock places pressure on your opponent's forearm. By twisting it beyond its normal range, you can squeeze the ulna and the radius together, pinching the nerves and muscles in the process. It's painful. The receiver will twist his torso in order to relieve the discomfort, which restricts his movements.
The Value Of Patience
In aikido, tai chi, judo, and other martial arts that teach armlocks, students are trained to wait for their opponents to make themselves vulnerable to locks. That is, if you are patient, your opponent will provide the opportunity to apply pressure to their elbows, shoulders, and forearms. Oddly, in many cases, they'll do so in the process of trying to avoid an armlock. For example, an assailant will often bend his arm to prevent an elbow lock or extend it to avoid a shoulder lock. Both circumstances provide another opportunity to lock them.
Armlocks are a devastatingly effective martial arts technique when they are applied properly. Whether you're using them in a tournament atmosphere or to restrain a would-be attacker, learn the mechanics behind the target joints in order to control your opponent.
About the Author The Dojo of Karate combines the ancient art of Wado-Ryu Karate with modern teaching methods in a convenient fitness bootcamp class.
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