Arm-Bar Application 5

Arm-Bar Application

This is the second “combination” technique that we teach to our student's. This is a simple, but often miss-applied technique. This combination teaches the student the correct manor of application and enactment of it's use. Although many students have seen the technique (and may very well have utilized forms of it) this will describe the details of it's application. In this explanation, we will use the uke's Right arm for the (following) example of it's application.

Establishing Initial Placement

We will start with the tori holding the uke's Right wrist, while standing slightly behind, and to the Right of the uke, using the hand furthest from the uke's body (in this example, the tori's Right hand). It needs to be mentioned, that when the tori takes hold of the uke's wrist, the tori should make note of the 2 bones of the uke's forearm (the ulnar, and radius). Using the grip (using only the thumb and fore-finger) of those two bones, allows for the tori to rotate the arm and then be conscious of the possible directions that the uke can/can't bend that arm's elbow (additionally, the tori will then be aware of which direction is against the elbow and how the Uke is/isn't able to bend that elbow). The tori's (closer) Left arm, will lay the side/back of that wrist, against the lower tricep tendon of the held arm (by placing it slightly above the elbow, on the dorsal side of the arm). In addition to the forearm's placement, the elbow of that same arm (the tori's Leftt arm), will lay against the uke's back to provide additional feed-back (on any resistive motions the uke may attempt) and/or to apply any required pressure there.

Enacting the “Break-over”

After taking hold of the uke's wrist, the Tori will begin with motioning that wrist in a circular (in this instance "counter-clockwise") action. The motion will first move the uke's arm forward (to the front of the uke), then motion it towards the opposite side of the uke, and then be "pulled" back (in a small circular motion). During this circular action, when the arm begins to be pulled back (towards the uke's right side), the tori's Left arm, will roll the uke's tricep muscle tendon towards the front of the uke. As this begins to cause the uke to lean forward, the tori will lift the hand being held with their own Right hand, straight up, in front of the tori. This lifting action, is pivoted off of the tori's Left forearm(acting as it's pivot point/fulcrum). The motion should NOT be attempted to only be accomplished by forcing/striking with the Left arm (in this example) down/forward (nor ever, from striking the back of the uke's arm). The pivot point/fulcrum, is only to act for that purpose, and not utilized in an attempt to initially force the person down. The raising of the wrist is what will achieve this purpose. Once the uke has been bent-over (at the waist), then, the tori's Left forearm can be used to apply additional pressure to the uke's tricep tendon (to assist in lowering the uke to the floor).

Take-Down Methods

Once the uke “breaks-over” (and their knee's are "buckled"), it will be necessary to take them to the ground. There are several methods to accomplish this. The “first” (and most obvious) is to apply pressure to the back of the uke's arm (slightly above the elbow (this is actually applying pressure to the tendon of the tricep muscle). By varying the angle of that pressure, it's possible to direct the uke's direction of break down.

If the situation necessitates it (if the Tori is experiencing difficulties), Tori can additionally knee spear the uke's thigh, in order to achieve the "knee-buckle" response (by the uke). Once that is done, the tori can apply pressure to the upper back of the uke's arm while dragging the uke sideways (to force them off-balance).

It's also possible to direct the uke upward (initially) from rolling the uke's tricep muscle towards the uke's back, and continue circling this pressure around the uke's arm, until the uke is raising up (to stand on the ball's of their feet in order to comply with the applied pressure), this should only be maintained for a (very) short period of time, before reversing the applied pressure, forcing the uke to the ground.

In extream circumstances, the arm-bar's pressure can be reversed (using the “held” hand as the fulcrum point and applying pressure to the upper arm to accomplish a take-down. This method tends to be dependent upon physical strength, so should ONLY be attempted for comparison reasons (preferably, only in a class environment).

Double Forearm Strike 4

Double Forearm Strike/Shoulder Lock

This is the first motion (that is initially taught) as being side dependent (ie. It makes a difference whether the uke strikes with the Right, or the Left hand). The description is identical, except the applied technique will require/consider which of the tori's hands will be considered either the forward, or rear hand (during technique's application).

For this explanation, the tori's Right hand, will be considered to be the dominant side, with the Left being the non-dominant side.

Practice of the motion begins with the tori and the uke standing “face to face”, at an arm's length distance from each other (confirmed, by the tori placing his hand on the shoulder of the uke to establish proper practice “distance”).

Practice is began with both parties having their hands at their sides. When the uke begins their (Right hand, in this example) strike motion, the tori should motion their same-side hand straight up , until the forearm is (essentially) vertical, and continues in an arcing motion (medially) across and downward ( parrying the uke's strike with it's motion), towards the opposite side, moving the striking hand towards waist level. The tori's other hand, should be raised to strike the uke's (striking) arm above their elbow.

Contact is made slightly above the elbow (causing the uke's arm to bend). The tori's (initially) "parrying" hand, will motion the uke's parried hand, towards the uke (thereby moving the uke's previously parried hand towards themselves) which aids in bending the uke's arm (using the tori's forward hand as a fulcrum to do so). The tori's rear (closest to themselves) hand will continue with it's motion by releasing it's contact with the parried forearm, then raising, until that hand can wrap behind, and above the uke's (originally) punching arm's elbow (enacting an elbow-lock on the punching arm). As this is accomplished, the tori will withdraw their Right arm (which can be utilized for various optional (applications). As the tori's forward hand is withdrawn from the uke's punching elbow (and replaced by their Left hand), it will circle the uke's elbow (upward, and being done on the tori's side of the captured uke's arm) and tori has the option of either following up with assisting the elbow-lock (which should now be in place to do so), or with executing a Neck-strike to the Right-side of the now exposed uke's neck. To enact the "elbow-lock", the tori need only raise their own left elbow (creating pressure upon the uke's shoulder joint). This action will cause the uke to bend forward, and allow the uke to motion their body to cause the uke to colapse (to their knee's).

Note should be made of the uke's responses (body-motion, knee-buckle etc.) in reaction to the application of the technique.

If the tori placed their "wrapped" hand (instead of being correctly "above" the uke's elbow, has located it closer to the uke's shoulder, the tori should utilize their free hand, and drag the hand down closer to the uke's elbow. Doing so, does several things. First, it correctly positions the hand, second, the dragging motion activates nerves that assist in relaxing, and bending the uke's elbow.

Though initially practiced as a "side-directed" motion (Left or Right), the motion can remain to be a viable defensive response.

If the uke's arm motion is reversed (and were mistakenly assumed to be the uke's use of the Right arm, and they instead utilized their Left arm to perform the strike), the tori's defensive application is (initially) executed slightly different.

The tori's arm motions begin the same as before, but (having realized the mistake made) the tori's Left hand (now) motion's towards the uke's mid-section, performing a downward (shuto-like/side-slap?) scooping strike to the the uke's solar plexus region. The tori's Right hand, motions up and forward (thereby) creating an fprward parry (to only slightly deflect the uke's now striking Left hand). The tori's Right hand should then circle the uke's Left (striking) hand/arm (which will motion that arm downward, and across the tori's body) to the tori's Left (lower) side. The tori's Left hand should have (during this transition) grabbed the uke's Left wrist, while their Right hand motioned (circled?) to a vertical attitude (as it was when first beginning the parry), which should have placed the back of that hand's arm, against the uke's lower tricep muscle's tendon (into a standard arm-bar application).

Once both parties are confident with the actions being learned, then the tori will include a straight kick in combination with the beginning motions, or prior to a take-down attempt.. Doing so, will (often) amplify the effects of the uke's body motion, and/or the applied technique (depending upon the timing of the kick's application).

There are multiple follow-ups available, and student's should be encouraged to experiment with discovering “what” would work best for them (be it Tuite, arm-locks or strikes) for use in varying circumstances.

Practice (as always) should begin at a slow speed, until the tori is confident with the required actions, and the uke is made aware of the tori's planned actions (to assist in preventing accidental injury) Practice speed can be increased, so long as both parties are comfortable with doing so.

It should be remembered, that the primary goal (of any defensive action) is to first, prevent the user (tori) from being struck. We have student's practice these techniques to familiarize them with the various (options available for) possible responses and that may be applicable to them. None, are necessarily any better, than another. Individual circumstance, and comfort of execution should determine a student's preference.