Explanation of the difference between a wrist grab and a wrist lock. Tips are also given on escaping each hold.
Imagine for a moment you are out with your friends and some big, obnoxious, drunken fool decides he wishes to dance with you. After you politely turn down what he considers a generous offer, he becomes belligerent and wraps a big meaty hand around your wrist. This is called a wrist grab and when it comes to brute strength you know you will probably lose.
A wrist grab is fairly easy to escape when you combine the torque of your body with a sudden twisting movement of your hand against your captor's thumb. You wish to work against the thumb because it is the weakest point in his grip. Wrist locks are a horse of a totally different color.
A wrist lock is a submission technique that often involves an opponent bending or twisting your hand in such a way pressure is placed on the nerves and bones of the wrist. A small amount of pressure can cause severe pain in the person being held while the appliance of more pressure can actually break the wrist itself.
Great care and self-control is needed to escape the lock so you don't inadvertently break your own wrist. The beauty of a wrist grab is that most techniques depend upon the victim fighting the hold. While trying to fight, a person being held tightens the muscles and tendons in his or her hands and wrists. By doing this an opponent is given the advantage of basically disabling you due to the pain radiating from your wrist into your hand and arm so the best thing to do is not to give him the upper hand.
When you stay calm you can allow your arm, wrist and hand to relax and go limp. By doing this, the pressure and submission causing pain is removed allowing you to issue a well-placed kick, punch, bite or strategic knee strike. Being able to do this will often be a surprise to your opponent so take advantage of this momentary confusion. If his or her hold on your hand is loosened, attempt to jerk your wrist away by once again going against the thumb. When possible, rotate the radius bone in your arm so the extra torque will aid in loosening the grip. Once you have freed your wrist, you have managed to add another weapon to your arsenal. Use this weapon to punch your opponent, gouge or poke eyes and rake the face.
There is one technique that will work against many holds and grabs. If the thumb is the weakest part of a grip, the pinkie is the weakest finger in the hand. If you can cover his hand with your free hand, reach over and grab the last section of his or her pinkie and with a sudden and sharp snapping motion, make the back of your opponent's pinkie meet the back of their hand. This move while very affective must be done with feeling.
Focus your anger at someone having the nerve to touch you without your permission and center it on that one small finger. If someone has laid hands upon you it is not the time to be squeamish or worried about their feelings or pain. Since they have already shown no regard a total disregard for your thoughts and feelings, they have given up any right to any concern on your part towards them.
