At first you will probably be in too bent a position, in which you cannot move quickly nor strike strongly.
As Assailant knows you are going to duck every time, he will be tempted to strike lower and catch you as you duck. He must not do so however.
The ruffian who makes such a blow would not know you were going to duck, and you would "get him" before he could change his plans.
The straight swing is not the kind of blow a boxer would deliver, but is often used by an uneducated and ignorant Assailant. A man with a club might also attack you by such a swing, and against such an attack, this is the best defense.
Let Assailant aim a blow at your temple with his open hand. It is unnecessary to use a stick in practice.
This exercise will quicken the eye.
THROW YOUR HAT IN HIS EYES
Face to face with an armed man, try to throw your hat in his eyes and spring in before he can see clearly.
If you have not your hat, use anything, your handkerchief, a plate, a bottle or glass.
If a man comes at you with a knife, particularly if he assumes the boxing attitude, the left foot and hand advanced and the knife held in the right hand thrusting upwards, you are up against an ugly customer who knows how to use his knife. If you have a pistol you had better shoot him before he gets near you.
If you have no pistol do not rush him, but make a "strategic retreat," "spar for an opening." If you are in a room, keep the furniture between you, never let him get you in a corner. Use a chair or something and threaten his head with it, and if he gets too near, bring it down on his head.
Try above all things to throw something in his face, water or some stronger beverage. If you are in the open pick up stones, mud, anything, and try to get it in his eyes.
The above instructions will be so simple and obvious to some people that their inclusion here may seem superfluous. All people however are not equally gifted and there are some to whom this advice may be welcome.
Unless you discipline your mind by thinking along these lines in times of safety, the moment of danger may find you unprepared.
The Secrets of Jujitsu, A Complete Course in Self Defense, Book VI
By Captain Allan Corstorphin Smith, U.S.A.
Winner of the Black Belt, Japan, 1916. Instructor of Hand-to-Hand Fighting, THE INFANTRY SCHOOL, Camp Benning, Columbus, Georgia and at United States Training Camps and Cantonments, 1917 and 1918.
In Seven Books.
BOOK SIX
STAHARA PUBLISHING COMPANY
Columbus, Georgia, 1920.
***
This electronic version is copyright EJMAS © 2001. All rights reserved.
Contributed by Thomas J. Militello, a 15-year member of Astoria, New York's non-profit Horangi Taekwondo Dojang, which is headed by James Robison.
The class of tricks taught in Book Six is very effective, but do not make the mistake of thinking that all you have to do is merely to go and seize anyone, even the most burly opponent, to reduce him to a quivering heap of helpless humanity.
Tricks like the Wrist Twist are best done after an Assailant has actually got hold of you. See Book Five.
They are not so practicable when an Assailant is apparently going to strike you. The proper defenses for such cases have previously been taught in this course.
The "Reverse Wrist Twist" shown below depends for its success upon the way you twist his wrist by the weight of your body in moving from the position of Figure 170 to that of Figure 171. The same remarks apply when you try it on a man who has seized your hair. See Figure 173.
By practicing these four Wrist Twist Tricks you will gradually discover how to use your body to offset the strength in the hands of a more powerful man.
Lesson 31. Wrist Twist when throat is seized.
Lesson 32. Wrist Twist when coat is seized.
Lesson 33. Reverse Wrist Twist when throat is seized.
Lesson 34. Reverse Wrist Twist when Hair is seized.
Name of Partner Date Commenced Lesson 31 Lesson 32 Lesson 33 Lesson 34
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Lesson 35. The Hammerlock.
Lesson 36. The Hammerlock with one hand. On two men.
Lesson 37. Escape from Hammerlock.
Lesson 38. A swift method of making an arrest.
Name of Partner Date Commenced Lesson 35 Lesson 36 Lesson 37 Lesson 38
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Make a check mark against each trick each day you practice it.
WRIST TWIST WHEN THROAT IS SEIZED
Assailant seizes your throat.
Bring your left thumb onto the back of his right hand and your fingers around the root of his thumb. (If Assailant's hand is stronger than yours, you cannot secure the wrist twist by hand strength. You must unbalance Assailant to the point where his hand exerts only 20% of its power. Experiment and study the figures.)
Hold his right hand tightly against your body and step back with your left foot, thus pulling him off balance.
Bring your right thumb onto the back of his hand and your right fingers onto his palm.
Twist his wrist, bringing him into the position of Figure 163.
Keep him off balance all the time you are twisting. Make him give the signal of defeat.
It is easy to force opponent onto his back by the pressure on his wrist. It is unnecessary to trip him. In this position you can easily hold him prisoner as long as you choose.
If the circumstances call for it, you may disable him by breaking his wrist.
WRIST TWIST USED ON MAN WHO SEIZES YOUR COAT
Assailant seizes the right side of your coat with his left hand.
Place your right hand on the top of his left hand, fingers up on his palm, and your thumb on the back of his hand with the correct wrist grip.
Hold his hand firmly against your side. Step back with the right foot so that you pull him off balance and twist his wrist slightly.
By holding his hand firmly against your body you will more easily be able to twist his wrist.
Bring the thumb of your left hand onto the back of his right and your fingers onto his palm.
Twist his wrist slowly into position of Figure 168, keeping him off balance all the time, and make him give the signal of defeat.
THE REVERSE WRIST TWIST WHEN THROAT IS SEIZED
Assailant seizes you by the throat.
Bring your right hand up beneath his left arm. Place the root of your right thumb on the back of his right hand, and your fingers round the little-finger edge of his hand, grasping the palm.
Hold his hand tightly to your body and step back with your left foot, thus pulling him off balance.
Step back with your right foot, swinging your left shoulder forward, twisting his hand by the weight of your body.
Bring the root of your left thumb onto the back of his right hand and the left fingers onto his palm.
Step back, pulling him off balance.
Press his palm directly towards him, exerting all your pressure on the back of his hand. You can easily disable him by breaking his wrist.
In practice do it slowly and release him the instant he quits.
REVERSE WRIST TWIST WHEN YOUR HAIR IS SEIZED
Assailant seizes your hair with his right hand.
Place your right hand on the back of his hand with your little fingers encircling the little finger edge to his palm. Do not try to pull his hand off. Press it firmly down onto your head.
Step back with your right foot, bending your head away, forward and to your right. Keep pressing his hand tightly down on your head. Pull him forward off balance until his hand loses its power.
With the root of your right thumb, press the back of his hand towards him. Step farther back, pulling him more off balance. Bring palm of your left hand onto the back of his right, with your fingers around the root of his thumb. This will make him let go.
Press the palm of his hand directly towards him and rise to position of Figure 175.
In making him give the signal of defeat, be careful to do it slowly, otherwise you may injure him.
WRONG METHOD
Carefully study Figure 176, where I have bent forward, instead of swinging to my right.
My Assailant is on balance. His hand is gripping my hair with 100% of its strength and I am unable to pull it off.
If your practice of this trick has not been successful, you will find that you have been omitting to unbalance your Assailant.
Assailant at first should not grip the hair, but simply lay his hand on opponent's head until the trick is mastered.
THE HAMMERLOCK STANDING
When a man stands naturally, the backs of his hands are slightly towards the front.
Lay your right palm on the back of his right hand, your thumb round the root of his thumb and your fingers around the little-finger side of his hand. Pass your left hand outside his arm and place it behind and above his elbow.
Pull his elbow outwards, and towards you. Press his hand straight behind him, stepping forward so that your chest comes against his upper arm. Keep his arm in that position by the weight of your body.
Slip your left hand to his wrist and your right hand to his elbow. As you do this, step behind him. Press his elbow in, toward the small of his back. Press his hand directly toward his right shoulder.
Keep your strength and balance in your Stahara. Force him onto his tiptoes and you can march him where you will.
This is a valuable hold for policemen, and I will make a suggestion about their practice. Big strong men are apt to do tricks such as this by sheer strength. If, instead, you will do a certain amount of practice without using your strength, you will become more scientific. You will discover the lines of least resistance. You will find out how to unbalance your man. As a result you will be able to use your strength more effectively.
Tricks like this depend upon the element of surprise for success and cannot be done in a jujitsu match where each opponent is on guard.
TO MARCH A PRISONER WITH ONE HAND
Secure Hammerlock first. Then, slip your left forearm between his right forearm and his back until your elbow is below his right wrist and your hand on his upper arm.
If you let the pressure relax, he may escape, but press his wrist upward with your elbow, keep the full strain on his elbow and shoulder and he cannot escape.
In your preliminary practice, be careful. Rather allow opponent to escape than hurt him.
You can march two men prisoners by this method.
As they bend forward to escape, lower your body with them. Keep the weight of your Stahara on their elbows.
This picture is taken at the moment both men are doing their utmost to escape. It is not strength that prevents them from escaping. It is science.
HOW TO ESCAPE FROM A HAMMERLOCK
If your Assailant omits to maintain fullest pressure, if he fails to keep you "on your toes" - bend forward letting your arm come straight and bringing your left shoulder round towards your right.
You can free your arm and if necessary attack opponent with your left fist.
SWIFT METHOD OF MAKING AN ARREST
A man you wish to take prisoner is walking to meet and pass you unconscious of any danger. (My right hand is held thus for purposes of instruction. In reality you would conceal your intentions.)
As you pass him, place the palm of your right hand on the back of his left, your thumb around the little finger edge of his hand. Your left hand is placed inside and above his elbow.
Wheel round quickly facing the way he is going, and continue walking with him. Your left arm merely pulls his elbow inside your right forearm.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
As Assailant knows you are going to duck every time, he will be tempted to strike lower and catch you as you duck. He must not do so however.
The ruffian who makes such a blow would not know you were going to duck, and you would "get him" before he could change his plans.
The straight swing is not the kind of blow a boxer would deliver, but is often used by an uneducated and ignorant Assailant. A man with a club might also attack you by such a swing, and against such an attack, this is the best defense.
Let Assailant aim a blow at your temple with his open hand. It is unnecessary to use a stick in practice.
This exercise will quicken the eye.
THROW YOUR HAT IN HIS EYES
Face to face with an armed man, try to throw your hat in his eyes and spring in before he can see clearly.
If you have not your hat, use anything, your handkerchief, a plate, a bottle or glass.
If a man comes at you with a knife, particularly if he assumes the boxing attitude, the left foot and hand advanced and the knife held in the right hand thrusting upwards, you are up against an ugly customer who knows how to use his knife. If you have a pistol you had better shoot him before he gets near you.
If you have no pistol do not rush him, but make a "strategic retreat," "spar for an opening." If you are in a room, keep the furniture between you, never let him get you in a corner. Use a chair or something and threaten his head with it, and if he gets too near, bring it down on his head.
Try above all things to throw something in his face, water or some stronger beverage. If you are in the open pick up stones, mud, anything, and try to get it in his eyes.
The above instructions will be so simple and obvious to some people that their inclusion here may seem superfluous. All people however are not equally gifted and there are some to whom this advice may be welcome.
Unless you discipline your mind by thinking along these lines in times of safety, the moment of danger may find you unprepared.
The Secrets of Jujitsu, A Complete Course in Self Defense, Book VI
By Captain Allan Corstorphin Smith, U.S.A.
Winner of the Black Belt, Japan, 1916. Instructor of Hand-to-Hand Fighting, THE INFANTRY SCHOOL, Camp Benning, Columbus, Georgia and at United States Training Camps and Cantonments, 1917 and 1918.
In Seven Books.
BOOK SIX
STAHARA PUBLISHING COMPANY
Columbus, Georgia, 1920.
***
This electronic version is copyright EJMAS © 2001. All rights reserved.
Contributed by Thomas J. Militello, a 15-year member of Astoria, New York's non-profit Horangi Taekwondo Dojang, which is headed by James Robison.
The class of tricks taught in Book Six is very effective, but do not make the mistake of thinking that all you have to do is merely to go and seize anyone, even the most burly opponent, to reduce him to a quivering heap of helpless humanity.
Tricks like the Wrist Twist are best done after an Assailant has actually got hold of you. See Book Five.
They are not so practicable when an Assailant is apparently going to strike you. The proper defenses for such cases have previously been taught in this course.
The "Reverse Wrist Twist" shown below depends for its success upon the way you twist his wrist by the weight of your body in moving from the position of Figure 170 to that of Figure 171. The same remarks apply when you try it on a man who has seized your hair. See Figure 173.
By practicing these four Wrist Twist Tricks you will gradually discover how to use your body to offset the strength in the hands of a more powerful man.
Lesson 31. Wrist Twist when throat is seized.
Lesson 32. Wrist Twist when coat is seized.
Lesson 33. Reverse Wrist Twist when throat is seized.
Lesson 34. Reverse Wrist Twist when Hair is seized.
Name of Partner Date Commenced Lesson 31 Lesson 32 Lesson 33 Lesson 34
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Lesson 35. The Hammerlock.
Lesson 36. The Hammerlock with one hand. On two men.
Lesson 37. Escape from Hammerlock.
Lesson 38. A swift method of making an arrest.
Name of Partner Date Commenced Lesson 35 Lesson 36 Lesson 37 Lesson 38
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Make a check mark against each trick each day you practice it.
WRIST TWIST WHEN THROAT IS SEIZED
Assailant seizes your throat.
Bring your left thumb onto the back of his right hand and your fingers around the root of his thumb. (If Assailant's hand is stronger than yours, you cannot secure the wrist twist by hand strength. You must unbalance Assailant to the point where his hand exerts only 20% of its power. Experiment and study the figures.)
Hold his right hand tightly against your body and step back with your left foot, thus pulling him off balance.
Bring your right thumb onto the back of his hand and your right fingers onto his palm.
Twist his wrist, bringing him into the position of Figure 163.
Keep him off balance all the time you are twisting. Make him give the signal of defeat.
It is easy to force opponent onto his back by the pressure on his wrist. It is unnecessary to trip him. In this position you can easily hold him prisoner as long as you choose.
If the circumstances call for it, you may disable him by breaking his wrist.
WRIST TWIST USED ON MAN WHO SEIZES YOUR COAT
Assailant seizes the right side of your coat with his left hand.
Place your right hand on the top of his left hand, fingers up on his palm, and your thumb on the back of his hand with the correct wrist grip.
Hold his hand firmly against your side. Step back with the right foot so that you pull him off balance and twist his wrist slightly.
By holding his hand firmly against your body you will more easily be able to twist his wrist.
Bring the thumb of your left hand onto the back of his right and your fingers onto his palm.
Twist his wrist slowly into position of Figure 168, keeping him off balance all the time, and make him give the signal of defeat.
THE REVERSE WRIST TWIST WHEN THROAT IS SEIZED
Assailant seizes you by the throat.
Bring your right hand up beneath his left arm. Place the root of your right thumb on the back of his right hand, and your fingers round the little-finger edge of his hand, grasping the palm.
Hold his hand tightly to your body and step back with your left foot, thus pulling him off balance.
Step back with your right foot, swinging your left shoulder forward, twisting his hand by the weight of your body.
Bring the root of your left thumb onto the back of his right hand and the left fingers onto his palm.
Step back, pulling him off balance.
Press his palm directly towards him, exerting all your pressure on the back of his hand. You can easily disable him by breaking his wrist.
In practice do it slowly and release him the instant he quits.
REVERSE WRIST TWIST WHEN YOUR HAIR IS SEIZED
Assailant seizes your hair with his right hand.
Place your right hand on the back of his hand with your little fingers encircling the little finger edge to his palm. Do not try to pull his hand off. Press it firmly down onto your head.
Step back with your right foot, bending your head away, forward and to your right. Keep pressing his hand tightly down on your head. Pull him forward off balance until his hand loses its power.
With the root of your right thumb, press the back of his hand towards him. Step farther back, pulling him more off balance. Bring palm of your left hand onto the back of his right, with your fingers around the root of his thumb. This will make him let go.
Press the palm of his hand directly towards him and rise to position of Figure 175.
In making him give the signal of defeat, be careful to do it slowly, otherwise you may injure him.
WRONG METHOD
Carefully study Figure 176, where I have bent forward, instead of swinging to my right.
My Assailant is on balance. His hand is gripping my hair with 100% of its strength and I am unable to pull it off.
If your practice of this trick has not been successful, you will find that you have been omitting to unbalance your Assailant.
Assailant at first should not grip the hair, but simply lay his hand on opponent's head until the trick is mastered.
THE HAMMERLOCK STANDING
When a man stands naturally, the backs of his hands are slightly towards the front.
Lay your right palm on the back of his right hand, your thumb round the root of his thumb and your fingers around the little-finger side of his hand. Pass your left hand outside his arm and place it behind and above his elbow.
Pull his elbow outwards, and towards you. Press his hand straight behind him, stepping forward so that your chest comes against his upper arm. Keep his arm in that position by the weight of your body.
Slip your left hand to his wrist and your right hand to his elbow. As you do this, step behind him. Press his elbow in, toward the small of his back. Press his hand directly toward his right shoulder.
Keep your strength and balance in your Stahara. Force him onto his tiptoes and you can march him where you will.
This is a valuable hold for policemen, and I will make a suggestion about their practice. Big strong men are apt to do tricks such as this by sheer strength. If, instead, you will do a certain amount of practice without using your strength, you will become more scientific. You will discover the lines of least resistance. You will find out how to unbalance your man. As a result you will be able to use your strength more effectively.
Tricks like this depend upon the element of surprise for success and cannot be done in a jujitsu match where each opponent is on guard.
TO MARCH A PRISONER WITH ONE HAND
Secure Hammerlock first. Then, slip your left forearm between his right forearm and his back until your elbow is below his right wrist and your hand on his upper arm.
If you let the pressure relax, he may escape, but press his wrist upward with your elbow, keep the full strain on his elbow and shoulder and he cannot escape.
In your preliminary practice, be careful. Rather allow opponent to escape than hurt him.
You can march two men prisoners by this method.
As they bend forward to escape, lower your body with them. Keep the weight of your Stahara on their elbows.
This picture is taken at the moment both men are doing their utmost to escape. It is not strength that prevents them from escaping. It is science.
HOW TO ESCAPE FROM A HAMMERLOCK
If your Assailant omits to maintain fullest pressure, if he fails to keep you "on your toes" - bend forward letting your arm come straight and bringing your left shoulder round towards your right.
You can free your arm and if necessary attack opponent with your left fist.
SWIFT METHOD OF MAKING AN ARREST
A man you wish to take prisoner is walking to meet and pass you unconscious of any danger. (My right hand is held thus for purposes of instruction. In reality you would conceal your intentions.)
As you pass him, place the palm of your right hand on the back of his left, your thumb around the little finger edge of his hand. Your left hand is placed inside and above his elbow.
Wheel round quickly facing the way he is going, and continue walking with him. Your left arm merely pulls his elbow inside your right forearm.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17