Fort Myer, Virginia, August, 1918.
LESSON 2
This lesson teaches you how to make an opponent quit without injuring him.
After mastering the principle of this lesson, two inexperienced men may proceed to practise all the tricks in this course any number of times, without injury or pain.
The seven lessons taught in Book 1 are not meant to teach Fighting or Self-defence tricks. They merely aim to train you:
How to use your body as a whole;
How to keep your balance;
How to practise effective holds with safety.
Book 1 tries to convey those fine points of personal instruction which are usually lacking in a text book.
If you "catch on" to these points you will be able to study the following six books just as effectively as if you had a teacher at your elbow all the time.
The practical application of the Wrist Twist is given in Books 5 and 6.
THE WRIST TWIST
ORDINARY GRIP
For the preliminary practice your opponent stands facing you holding up both hands with the backs toward you.
Seize his right hand placing your thumbs on the back and your fingers on his palm.
The first photo shows the hold made with the strength of the fingers and thumb only which is a weak method.
STRONG GRIP
Hold his hand not with finger and thumb only but with the palm and the third joint of the thumb.
It is a sort of clinging grip, its power comes from the palm of the hand as well as the ends of thumbs and fingers.
Experiment until you get it.
TWISTING RIGHT WRIST
Slowly pull his hand to your left twisting his wrist until you have him in this position.
This will cause him considerable pain. Continue to twist his wrist, however, until the pain causes him to quit.
When he is unable to bear it he will give the signal of defeat by tapping his left hand twice on his chest and you will instantly release him.
TWISTING LEFT WRIST
Take the same grip on his left hand and twist in the same way to your right, slowly, until he gives the signal of defeat.
As you release each hand he returns to position fig. 4 for you to continue the practice.
Repeat until you can seize either hand without hesitation and make him quit.
Allow opponent to practise it the same number of times on you.
MAKING AN OPPONENT QUIT
Jujitsu matches are won by making the other man quit. The holds employed for this purpose are powerful enough to break a man's arm or leg, to choke him into unconsciousness, or even to break his neck.
Strange as it may appear, however, jujitsu matches are absolutely free from injury to the contestants. This is because of the very scientific and skillful method of the opponents.
An ordinary person who had not been shown the proper method of practising would apply the hold roughly with injurious results.
Consequently he would never become expert because he could not get opponents to practise with; once would probably be enough for them.
If on the other hand you simply apply them lightly and without using pressure you cannot be sure that you have mastered the trick.
In this course the "Breaking Point" is always clearly demonstrated. You are shown the exact position into which the opponent must be maneuvered. You are taught to take opponent up to the "Breaking Point" without making him feel any pain. This is the Major Operation.
Then apply pressure until he quits but so slowly that there is no danger of your going too far and injuring him in the slightest. This is the Minor Operation.
You will start on the wrists and elbows and later on will graduate to his neck on which you will be able to apply the most effective holds with perfect safety.
He must practise every grip on you that you may appreciate its effectiveness. It will also teach you temperance in giving pain as you wish your opponent to practise temperance towards you.
THE SIGNAL OF DEFEAT
The Signal of Defeat is given thus:
If both hands are free, clap them together twice.
If only one hand is free, clap some part of you opponent's body lightly twice so that he may feel it, or clap your own body twice, loudly enough for him to hear it.
If both hands are imprisoned, stamp twice on the floor so that he may hear it.
The Japanese sometimes give the signal of defeat by saying "maita" (pronounced like the English words my tar, said quickly), which means, "I quit." You may use the same words, or say, "Enough."
When a chokehold is applied you will not have the power of speech and will find it necessary to give the hand signal.
Thru their ability to make opponents quit without hurting them Japanese are able to indulge indefinitely in their otherwise dangerous practice.
No man gives in while there is a chance of escape and there are ways of wriggling out of apparently fatal holds.
But these grips can be held so that they give no pain and yet the slightest pressure will cause you enough pain to make you relinquish your struggles. In other words, you would know when opponent could break your arm, etc., without any great effort, and without your being able to prevent him.
Having such holds repeatedly applied to the limit train you to an equanimity of temper. You feel no chagrin or disappointment, just as you expect your opponent to feel none when you turn the tables on him.
In fact, in a five minutes bout in jujitsu each will have made the other quit several times and they will always keep smiling.
A class at Fort Myer, Va., August, 1918.
THE LITTLE FINGER "COME-ALONG"
The order given was: "On the command 'Forward MARCH' the captured men will try to escape.
LESSON 3
This lesson gives further instruction in how to take bone-breaking grips on the opponent and control him without any danger of breaking his bones.
· The Little Finger "Come-along."
· Unbalance opponent the moment you grasp him, and keep him off balance until you have secured the grip.
· The fascinating game of -- "Tickle my nose, if you can."
· Growth of self-confidence.
· The Major Operation.
· The Minor Operation.
· The more haste the less speed.
· The escape from the Little Finger "Come-along."
LITTLE FINGER "COME-ALONG"
Standing on opponent's left side, seize him with your right hand just above his left elbow with your thumb round the other side of his arm.
Step quickly behind him, unbalancing him towards you, thus preventing him striking you with his other hand.
Slip your left hand, palm up, below his left hand, which is hanging palm down.
Grasp his fourth and fifth fingers.
Hold his wrist and his elbow pressed tightly against your Stahara.
Keep your legs well apart and be well balanced.
Bend his wrist at right-angles to his forearm, and his fingers at right angles to his wrist.
Bring him onto his toes, off balance, by upward pressure on his fingers and march him around the room.
Practise this hold with both hands.
UNBALANCE OPPONENT THE MOMENT YOU GRASP HIM AND KEEP HIM OFF BALANCE UNTIL YOU HAVE SECURED THE GRIP
Grasp opponent with right hand only as in fig. 8. Tell him to tickle your nose, and as he attempts to swing his right hand to your face, pull his left elbow towards you, thus unbalancing him to his left back corner.
Notice in fig. 8 how, by unbalancing the opponent in this manner the threatening movement of his right hand has been checked. Try this experiment a number of times. Neither of you should move your feet at first.
THE FASCINATING GAME OF -- "TICKLE MY NOSE, IF YOU CAN"
You should play the game of "Tickle my nose" with each trick to make sure that you have mastered it. If opponent cannot tickle your nose, he would be unable to strike you.
You can thus demonstrate to your own satisfaction that you have mastered each trick.
The moment he withdraws his hand, relax the pressure. When he again attempts to raise it, apply fresh pressure. Do this with the minimum movement and the minimum pain and you will be able to make him quit whenever you wish without hurting him.
GROWTH OF SELF-CONFIDENCE
After holding a man helpless with the Little Finger grip you will experience a sudden rise in your morale. This is the psychological result of the discovery of physical powers you did not know you possessed.
This is merely a foretaste of greater powers yet to come, and a still greater growth of confidence in yourself, which is a valuable factor in fighting the battle of life.
THE MAJOR OPERATION
Take the position of fig. 9, relax the pressure of your grip until he feels no pain.
This can be done with a hardly perceptible movement. Anyone watching your hand and your opponent's hand would see no change of position.
After a little practice you will be able to grasp opponent and instantly secure the grip up to the point where you have "got" him but without his feeling any pain, as yet.
THE MINOR OPERATION
Tell opponent to raise his right hand slowly and attempt to tickle your nose.
As he raises it, slowly apply the pressure and you will check his attempted move.
Do not apply more pressure than is necessary to check him.
MASTERING THE COURSE WITHOUT AN INSTRUCTOR
Two absolutely inexperienced men or women can easily master the entire course without a teacher if they will observe the following rule:
Alternately take the role of victim and unresistingly allow each trick to be practised on you, and in turn practise it on your partner until you have mastered both the Major and Minor Operations.
This will safeguard you against injuries and will reduce the time necessary for each trick.
In more advanced practice you may execute the Major operation with full speed and strength but the Minor operation is always performed gently and with the minimum of movement.
It may be suggested that you go thru the entire course once before you try any practise for speed.
THE MORE HASTE THE LESS SPEED
In jujitsu demonstrations I have frequently allowed a man to attack my throat with his thumbs on my windpipe and to do his utmost to choke me and have instantly secured a lock on his arm and held him powerless, but without hurting him. Frequently some enthusiastic member of the audience will try a similar grip on the arm of a friend but will nearly break his arm, with the result that his friend will absolutely refuse to practise any more.
Now, if these young men had waited until they were shown what part of the trick to take swiftly and what part to do slowly, they would have been able to practise with a great deal of profit and pleasure. They would have been able to continue that practice until they were really efficient without any danger to their limbs.
So you must analyze every trick into its two operations -- Major and Minor, and while you take the first one quickly, take the second one slowly.
Altho you divide them mentally there will be no pause between them; they will both appear to be one swift movement.
You must try each trick very gently to find out where the Major operation ends and the Minor operation begins.
THE ESCAPE FROM LITTLE FINGER "COME-ALONG"
If assailant omits to imprison your forearm tightly between his hands and his Stahara and merely holds you with the strength of his hands --
Swing right shoulder and elbow upwards, making the effort from the Stahara, dropping our left shoulder and if necessary striking him in pit of stomach with left fist.
This method of escape evades the pain of the grip.
If he holds you tightly against his Stahara and keeps the pressure on your fingers there is no escape.
In actual combat it might be necessary to break an enemy's finger, but this ability to "treat 'em rough" is best acquired by careful practice in which you avoid injuring one another.
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