hair pulling

PhotonGuy

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I never did a style that taught hair pulling but it can still be a very effective fighting technique. Maybe some styles should incorporate it.
 

DanT

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We do in Shaolin. Hair pulling and takedowns, hair pulling and striking, etc.
 

drop bear

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Wait. What if everyone just cuts their hair short.
 

JR 137

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Didn't Royce Gracie pull Kimo's hair pretty much the entire match in one of the first UFCs?
 

Gerry Seymour

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I never did a style that taught hair pulling but it can still be a very effective fighting technique. Maybe some styles should incorporate it.
We do (Nihon Goshin Aikido), on a limited basis. It's quite handy when done right. Have to have alternatives for those folks who are inconsiderate enough to go bald, though.
 

oftheherd1

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We do (Nihon Goshin Aikido), on a limited basis. It's quite handy when done right. Have to have alternatives for those folks who are inconsiderate enough to go bald, though.

It's a right bugger against bald people though.

In the Hapkido I studied we learned some hair pulls and also defenses against some hair pulls. For hair pulls from the rear, if the person has no hair, you just move up to the front and pull on the forehead. Grabbing from the front was not taught at least up to 3rd dan, just some defenses against it.

Grabbing from the rear for us was more to incapacitate more strongly after some other grab was initiated. Pulling the head back is painful to the neck, and could even break the neck.
 

Gerry Seymour

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In the Hapkido I studied we learned some hair pulls and also defenses against some hair pulls. For hair pulls from the rear, if the person has no hair, you just move up to the front and pull on the forehead. Grabbing from the front was not taught at least up to 3rd dan, just some defenses against it.

Grabbing from the rear for us was more to incapacitate more strongly after some other grab was initiated. Pulling the head back is painful to the neck, and could even break the neck.
Yes, we are much more likely to use it from behind (or to the side, which still comes from behind). From the front, it can be handy if you've caught their head low and want to keep it there until your knee can make an appearance (or something similar), but that's about the limit of how we'd normally use it from the front.
 

Danny T

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Do you not have the mental flexibility to understand most any grab, hook, latching on to any part of the opponent could be a hair grab...If Available.
The training of a grab to the neck, back of the head, top of the head, collar, shoulder is safer in training and use in most competitions rather than grabbing the hair. It's already there just open your mind to its possibility.
 

DanT

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Actually if they have no hair you could still grab their head and apply the technique the same way.
 

Gerry Seymour

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Actually if they have no hair you could still grab their head and apply the technique the same way.
IMO, grabbing the head is very different from grabbing the hair. I might be able to hook the eyebrow ridge, but the head itself is difficult to get a solid grip on. I'll normally swap to reaching for the neck, shoulders, etc. if their hair is short or absent.
 
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PhotonGuy

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Wait. What if everyone just cuts their hair short.

From what I heard that's why police officers often keep their hair short, in case they get into a fight somebody couldn't grab them by the hair.
 

Tez3

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From what I heard that's why police officers often keep their hair short, in case they get into a fight somebody couldn't grab them by the hair.

Really? What about the female officers?
 

jobo

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From what I heard that's why police officers often keep their hair short, in case they get into a fight somebody couldn't grab them by the hair.
its also the reason why the skinhead became popular with people who commonly get into fights, back in the days were long hair was the norm on men having short hair was a major advantage in a fight
 

JowGaWolf

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I never did a style that taught hair pulling but it can still be a very effective fighting technique. Maybe some styles should incorporate it.
This is the one thing that would never work against me. Benefits of having no hair to grab.
 
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PhotonGuy

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its also the reason why the skinhead became popular with people who commonly get into fights, back in the days were long hair was the norm on men having short hair was a major advantage in a fight

Supposedly cutting the hair short so it couldn't be grabbed goes back to the Roman empire, the Romans would cut their hair short so the enemy couldn't sneak up behind them and grab them by the hair and slit their throats.
 
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PhotonGuy

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This is the one thing that would never work against me. Benefits of having no hair to grab.

Than you would use other techniques. If you like to pull hair and you find yourself up against somebody with no hair you would use other techniques in your martial arts arsenal.
 

Tony Dismukes

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Some helpful tips for using an opponents hair ...

  • Don't just grab the hair any old way. Slide your hands deep into their hair next to their scalp (preferably on the side of their head), then take a big handful of hair and twist to take out all the slack before you start working to manipulate their head. The twist makes the pull more painful.
  • One advantage of the hair grip over a regular head control is that you can push as well as pull. Use pushes and pulls to control range and angles. The pushing action is also useful for ramming their head into things.
  • Don't be static with your hair control. Constantly manipulating your opponent's posture and position and balance will make it hard for them to counter the grip. Your free hand can strike, defend, or set up grappling techniques. If they do start to get two hands on one to try clearing your grip, take the opportunity to secure a grip with your other hand.
  • Don't rely on the pain factor. Treat the hair grip as if you are able to get a gi grip on their skull. If they react to the pain, that's icing on the cake.
If you have a training partner who is open-minded (or crazy) enough to try sparring with hair pulling allowed, it's an educational experience.
 

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