Wrist Locks -- Practical and Precise

by Keith Pascal

Wrist Locks Training Categories
For a minute, imagine that you could divide all of your training into two categories. They would have to be broad divisions. You could create your own headings for your two categories:
    * Physical & Mental
    * Basics & Combination Techniques
    * Solo Training & Partner Practice
    * Empty Hand Techniques and Weapon Techniques
    * Hand Strikes and Kicks

After picking your broad categories, you need some branch of your martial art to apply to the two categories. You could choose punches, kicks, or maybe elbow strikes.
For this article, let's use wrist locks and joint locks as the example.

Wrist Lock Perfection and Application
For now, try my category division -- Perfection of Technique and Practical Application.
You start with perfection of technique. In this case, wrist locks.
Spend time perfecting your wrist and joint locks. (You do own the book Wrist Locks: From Protecting Yourself to Becoming an Expert, don't you?) Concentrate on making the techniques work.
Learn to cause pain with your precise control. This is why you effect joint locks, in the first place.

Are Your Wrist Locks Precise?
If you are feeling pretty good about the wrist-lock technique, then you start to add in the element of making the joint lock practical.
After you can execute the technique, and I mean really make it work given the right conditions, it's time to move into the Practical Application category.
Now, figure out how you are going to get to the lock. It's not easy to wrist lock a fist flying in toward your face at over 100 mph.
So, you have 'the stuff in between.'
Now you practice defending against an attack.

Why Practice Wrist Locks This Way?
So, why would you want to perfect a technique and then learn the practical application to make the 'critter' work?
I would think the question answers itself ....
A technique is much more likely to work successfully if it has been practiced to at least some degree of precision. This makes sense, right?
By thinking in terms of perfecting the move, you intensify the focus of your practice. You zero in on mastering the move. If you control in the right position, you can cause a lot of pain.
But you have to be able to get to that "right position," right?
So, you practice another important aspect of practical application -- controlling an initial attack. Slowing down the advance and the fast techniques enough to snap on a powerful lock. You practice hitting and kicking -- making it all fit together.
Remember, we selected perfection and practical application as examples for this article. As a matter of fact, I practice precision for mastery of technique often. And whether I am masstering my techniques or practicing for some other goal, I always focus on the practical.

Martial Arts Locks In Close
Once you are in close, if you don't have the correct pressure applied, then the person locked could counter with an in-fighting technique like an elbow strike.
Do you know what you'd do?
And while were at it, how are your elbow strikes?
Download my Free ebooklet on Countering Elbow Strikes. You'll learn to make your elbow strikes more dangerous in the process ...
Free Martial Arts Ebook Elbow Strike Counters

Keith Pascal has been a full-time martial-arts author for eight years and a martial-arts teacher for 25 years.