Finger Locks

[dancingalone]

Where are finger locks and pins on your hierarchy of techniques? Are they considered an advanced technique? When do you first introduce them in your curriculum?

[wushuguy]

finger locks are discussed in the intermediate levels, and only practiced when one has enough control so as to not injure the training partners and the partner has enough sensetivity that if a finger lock is being applied he knows to go with the technique and not break his own fingers...

[dancingalone]

Thanks, wushuguy. What system do you practice? I'm actually getting a survey of sorts on this topic across MA styles.

[theletch1]

I train Nihon Goshin Aikido. Finger locks are introduced in our style at the yellow belt level as one way of applying a lock called "Lift up" but I'll occassionally teach some of the simpler finger locks to a white belt with the admonishment that they work it slow and easy just to get the feel for it. I think it's a real eye opener for the beginner student to realize how easily you can control someone with so little energy using their fingers.

[dancingalone]

Jeff, I assume yellow is your first colored belt? How many ranks do you have before 1st dan?

[theletch1]

White
Yellow
Blue
Green
Purple
Brown
Black

You only get new techniques through purple belt. At the brown belt level you don't get any new techniques but you get a mandatory two year period where you are expected to perfect your previous material and teach. The teaching will test your understanding of the material and often challenge what you thought you knew in the first place. Teaching it, though, forces you to think of different ways to explain the same info and often brings about that "A-ha" moment you needed to truly grasp a concept yourself.

[zDom]

I haven't seen them in our curriculum yet.

They are a beloved tool in my personal toolbox, though.

[wushuguy]

Thanks, wushuguy. What system do you practice? I'm actually getting a survey of sorts on this topic across MA styles.

I've studied various styles, mainly wing chun and kali.

the general progression goes with general grab/redirection, then learning joint locks for major joints, then the locks progress to more in depth qinna, which includes finger locks. the reason is that it's easier for people to grasp and understand larger movements, and easier to apply, then as their skill advances they can understand and apply the smaller details of the motion more successfully and accurately.

There's generally no ranking, but for my students I instituted a sash system, 5 sashes, while they begin learning different grab techniques from the start, I find people without previous experience generally don't understand the principles of a basic lock until a few months into training, after that point they should be able to smoothly apply locking during drills, then we move on from there.

[Daniel Sullivan]

We have some techniques in our curriculum that apply pressure to the fingers beginning at yellow belt. Nothing over the top or elaborate, and the pressure is applied as an assist.

Daniel