Defense against Headlock from the Side: Being Spun Inward
This defense is applied to a headlock from the side when the attacker tries to pull/spin the defender in and to the ground. This technique can also work against the static Yellow Belt headlock (page 70) when the attacker leans his weight far forward.
Starting Position: Attacker applies a headlock from the side.
Go
with the movement,
tucking your
chin in,
swinging your outside
hand to
the groin,
and bringing
your inside arm
up.
2 As you
feel yourself being
pulled farther in,
swing your arm
under his
groin up to
your shoulder
(the goal
is simply to
make sure you
are as close to him
as possible). At the
same time, continue
taking your
body close to him,
with your inside
leg very close to his
body. Think of
bringing your
knee to the
ground right
between his feet. Your
outside arm should
have been coming up
and will
likely have grabbed
the attacker’s
waist or
shoulder.
Continue
spinning in,
using momentum
as well as pulling
with the hand grabbing
the waist
or shoulder, until you’ve
pulled the attacker
over your body and
to the
ground.
Roll to
your knees
beside him, using
your free arm (the
one that reached
between his legs) to
base out so he
cannot roll
you. This
position is very
similar to Headlock from
the Side Defense—
Attacker’s Weight
Back (page 211) in Green
Belt.
Deliver knee strikes,
hammerfists, headbutts,
etc., to
counterattack.
Defense against Headlock from the Side: Neck Break
This defense is made against headlock attacks when the attacker gets a forearm under the defender’s chin and tries to throw his (the attacker’s) weight back, breaking the defender’s neck. In most cases, tucking your chin in and down defends against this attack.
Starting Position: Attacker places his forearm under your chin in order to make a headlock from the side. You may have already initiated a headlock defense, bringing your outside hand up as though to grab his face.
As you
feel the
attacker sit
back, lifting your
chin and
creating pressure on your
neck, immediately
kick your
inside foot forward,
between his legs
and into the
air.
Drop your
hips straight
down to the
ground and
in hard
while pulling with
your left arm at his
shoulder (or at
his face, if
you reached that
high up
in time).
Be sure to
keep your
forearm pressed against
his back in order
to prevent your
elbow from smashing into
the
ground.
Continue with
counterattacks such
as punches, headbutts,
and elbows.
Tips:
If there
is any
impact on your
arm during the
takedown, it
should occur
along the length
of your forearm,
not your
elbow.
Defense against Full Nelson: Leverage on the Fingers
A full nelson is a hold in which the attacker, standing behind the defender, slides both arms under the defender’s armpits, then up behind the defender’s neck, clasping his hands together. The attack immobilizes the defender’s arms and can put intense pressure on the defender’s neck. Of the three defenses against full nelson, this is the easiest and is the one that should be tried first.
Starting Position: Attacker applies full nelson.
Immediately
send both
hands backward,
stabbing at the
attack-e 1r’s
eyes and
face, then immediately
strike, scratch, and
claw at the attacker’s
hands at the
back of your neck,
prying at one
of the fingers.
Any finger
will work, although
the flexibility of
the thumbs
makes them
less desirable. Try to
grab the
finger so that
the index-finger
side of your fist
is near
the base of the
finger you
grab.
Strip that finger away
to take
the hand from your
neck.
As the
hand pulls away, bring your
fist down and roll
it in and up, bending
the finger.
For added pressure, tuck
your elbow in
tight to
your body,
and
lift.
Step out
to the same
side as the hand you
grabbed and deliver
counterattacks with your
free hand.
