My Left Arm's Hammerlock Immunity

[KangTsai]

My left shoulder is flexible enough in a way that the Hammerlock position on my left arm is not painful at all (this was tested). I am now protected against all the taekwondo children in my area.
Moral is, do a lot of these:

 

[drop bear]

 

[WaterGal]

I don't think any amount of flexibility will keep your shoulder from getting dislocated if they go far enough in applying the lock. Maybe it won't hurt, but you'll still have a tough time using that arm for a few weeks and maybe even need surgery.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

I have worked with some incredibly flexible people through the years and eventually there is always a place you can put their joint in jeopardy.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I have worked with some incredibly flexible people through the years and eventually there is always a place you can put their joint in jeopardy.

Agreed. I suspect the hammerlock in question is being kept too close to the back.

 

[kuniggety]

I'm no gumby but am fairly flexible in my shoulder. Even in practice (let alone rolling), a lot of folks have trouble pulling off a shoulder lock on me - kimura or omoplata. Then the black belt hops on and I'm crying uncle. It's all in the technique. Being flexible can be a danger. Most people start feeling a stretch and tap with that. If you don't feel the stretch then you don't feel it until you're nearly at the tear point. You can look at it as a babe or a boon.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Flexibility is good, and it's certainly true that being a gumby makes locks more difficult. But I don't think I'd go so far as to say it's possible to be immune to any lock.

 

[drop bear]

ok. quick thingy on flexibility. it is not allways the point where it hurts as to what the lock is attacking. sometimes you will have inflexible muscles that will be set off before the lock is applied.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

ok. quick thingy on flexibility. it is not allways the point where it hurts as to what the lock is attacking. sometimes you will have inflexible muscles that will be set off before the lock is applied.

Good point. I have two students (my wife is one of them) who get bound up by tight muscles in a "Come Along" lock (closely related to the lock in a hammerlock) before the targeted shoulder actually comes into play. This is one of the areas new/inexperienced students struggle with, both in getting the lock (on flexible people) and in safety (on inflexible people).

 

[Buka]

Did your left shoulder just cut a deal and rat out your right shoulder for that immunity?
Now we know where to go.