How to escape a wrist lock

caped crusader

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Wrist locks are pretty situational. For instance, if someone manages to get their arm bent during an arm bar, there are at least 3 places where they pass through a wrist lock position (plus probably at least one shoulder lock position) while escaping.
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Dirty Dog

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The small circle wrist lock have existed in CMA for over thousands years.
Ok. But so what? There are still plenty of weapons left over from the bronze age. They certainly aren't anything I'd choose to use. As shown, it's not something I'd be likely to do. The leverage is all wrong.
[Edit] I'm not really good at describing these things. It's much easier to demonstrate. But that arm needs to be straightened out and the elbow attacked. Done properly, to my way of thinking, there will be pressure on the wrist, elbow, and shoulder.
 
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Gerry Seymour

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I don't know we are talking about the same wrist lock or not. I'm talking about this one.

We have a similar lock (many arts do), but it’s only used properly when the arm is bent enough to break structure with it. Once the lock is applied, the arm should be unable to straighten without adding torque to the wrist.
 

Kung Fu Wang

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3 steps to escape the wrist lock.

1. Your opponent uses downward pressure on your wrist, you raise your elbow.
2. Your opponent uses horizontal pressure on your wrist, you turn your body.
3. Your opponent uses pulling force on your wrist, you ...

What will you do at step 3 when your opponent pull you backward?

CMA 三把腕子 (3 steps wrist lock):

 
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Gerry Seymour

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3 steps to escape the wrist lock.

1. Your opponent uses downward pressure on your wrist, you raise your elbow.
2. Your opponent uses horizontal pressure on your wrist, you turn your body.
3. Your opponent uses pulling force on your wrist, you ...

What will you do at step 3 when your opponent pull you backward?

CMA 三把腕子 (3 steps wrist lock):

Depending on the situation (those are all one-dimensional descriptions, so there are lots of variables), I'm most likely to pivot the hand around the pressure, regardless of the direction of that pressure. This disrupts the structure of the grip in almost any direction. Body movement goes with it, but that depends on a lot of things not covered here.
 

Kung Fu Wang

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Depending on the situation (those are all one-dimensional descriptions, so there are lots of variables), I'm most likely to pivot the hand around the pressure, regardless of the direction of that pressure. This disrupts the structure of the grip in almost any direction. Body movement goes with it, but that depends on a lot of things not covered here.
Of course there are other counters too. A simple downward block will work too. Here is the "counter silk rolling".

 
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JowGaWolf

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I honestly think arm bar type locks are more effective in a real situation than wrist locks which are very hard to apply. much harder to get out of too
Wrist locks were never design to submit someone so they were design to damage the wrist and degrade the use of that hand. If I were to put a wrist lock on you. I only need to maintain it long enough to dislocate it and break it. That's the goal. It is also easier to break the wrist than it is to maintain the lock like what you see in the movies. After your wrist is broken or dislocated, your perspective on your victory in the fight will change. The fight may possible end right there.

In my opinion the "submission" of a wrist lock comes after the wrist is damaged. It's at that point your opponent will submit
 
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JowGaWolf

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The problem is when you lock your opponent's wrist, his elbow is still free. All he needs to to is to raise his elbow to counter the wrist lock.
This depends on the wrist lock. The one I like to use is specifically done to make you raise your elbow so I can take advantage of it. For me it's one of the easier wrist locks because people typically pull their hand away in the direction that I need the arm to go. Most locks in general are like this. A person thinks they are escaping but in reality they are actually escaping deeper into the technique.

Joint locks tend to lead people into the lock. The most difficult challenge to over come will be to develop the grip strength that's needed. It's a slow process
 

Kung Fu Wang

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Wrist locks were never design to submit someone so they were design to damage the wrist and degrade the use of that hand.
Some wrist lock such as the "chicken wing" is used to force your opponent to walk with you (used by police). I think the police will have legal issue if he damages his opponent's wrist.

 

drop bear

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Wrist locks were never design to submit someone so they were design to damage the wrist and degrade the use of that hand. If I were to put a wrist lock on you. I only need to maintain it long enough to dislocate it and break it. That's the goal. It is also easier to break the wrist than it is to maintain the lock like what you see in the movies. After your wrist is broken or dislocated, your perspective on your victory in the fight will change. The fight may possible end right there.

In my opinion the "submission" of a wrist lock comes after the wrist is damaged. It's at that point your opponent will submit

Yeah sort of. But it makes you a crappy training partner.

You can alternatively lock down the body so the wrist can't escape (generally pinning the elbow) and do a more controlled wrist lock. Then you can actually do wrist locks in live resisted sparring.

I do a lot of wrist locks. But one thing that drives me nuts is people cranking them on. I just don't think there is a benefit to that in training.
 

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