Have you even seen a dancer or gymnast perform and watch their bodies move in ways that seem unimaginable to the human body? I have always been in awe of these people with the way they control and contort their bodies to create a stunning routine. Though I completely failed gymnastics as a child, I still appreciate all the practice and effort that they go through in order to improve their flexibility, strength, and technique.

With this specific training, they have extremely flexible and mobile joints and muscles. To be honest, I would never challenge any of them to a game of Twister. However, the average person would certainly pull a lot of muscles if they even attempted to do so much as a split. In a self defense situation, you can exploit that lack of mobility with just a twist.

Lesson #6: Twist

When most people think of defending themselves, they usually imagine grabbing a can of pepper spray or aiming a knockout punch to the bad guy. However, what many people overlook is the ability to grab.

If someone is punching at you and you were able to dodge or block, you can take that extended arm and grab it. In another scenario, perhaps the person has already grabbed onto you, or they are too close to properly hit them. At this point, you can try to grab one of their weak areas such as the wrist, finger, or elbow. Now that you have a hold on them, you can “do the twist” as I like to call it.

Watch this video on the technique in performing a wrist lock.

http://https://youtu.be/c04UIbWb9AY?t=19

The technique used here is only one of numerous ways to use a wrist lock, and there are many other holds you could learn with different joints such as the shoulder or the elbow. These are very effective when done correctly because most people, even extremely flexible gymnasts, have structural limits to how the human body can bend. By exploiting these, you can have a full-grown man on his knees with a simple twist.

It should be noted that some of these techniques require a level of skill to perform, so if you have a better option of escaping or using a weapon, then that may be your best bet. However, when you are out of alternatives, grabs are an unexpected move for most attackers that will surprise them and allow you to escape.

As another side note, some of these can cause a lot of damage. If you are ever trying to practice these moves, be very mindful of the other person’s limits, and communicate on their level of discomfort so that no one is injured.

With this lesson, I hope you were able to learn a new tactic to use in a self-defense scenario, and that it has you thinking about some of the unique ways you can protect yourself.