Hey y’all! Here’s your Krav Maga inspired self-defense technique of the week! (For more info on Krav Maga and self-defense, click here!) Today we are reviewing how to get out of a wrist release. This is a technique you can use if someone grabs you by the wrist. Whether it is someone you know at a party, or a stranger on the street, this move is effective because you can rely on speed instead of strength.
If someone grabs your wrist, your instinct might be to try and pull your arm/hand away from them. The problem with this is that they are probably stronger than you—if you are just pulling your hand against their grip, you will probably be unsuccessful. However, if you follow this formula with speed and technique, you can break the grip of even the strongest opponent.
First, don’t panic. You can take control of the situation if someone is holding on too tight.
Here is what it will look like if someone grabs your right hand with the same side of their body.
The weakest part of their grip can be broken with the strongest part of your hand, you just have to make a fist and stick out your thumb like you are going to “hitchhike.”
Quickly yank your hand, thumb first, out of the part of their grip where their fingers meet. Speed is your friend. Try and bring your elbow to meet theirs while jerking your hand towards your body.
Bring your elbow to meet theirs. This technique is effective because of the angle—it is extremely hard to hold onto someone who is moving INTO you. This is a good position to be in because you will have positioned yourself to choose to follow up with a strike (like the palm heel strike from last week) or a punch.
Keep checking back for more self-defense techniques, and stay safe, y’all!
Special thanks to Chris and Shawn Hollingsworth, Nashville Krav Maga, Krav Maga Worldwide (and their book Krav Maga for Women)!