How to make the arms go limp when faced with double wrist grab?

[Headbald1]

I had been double wrist grabbed once and in the face of overwhelming strength from the other guy doing the grabbing, I couldn't move both my arms. I've heard that you can just "go limp" to be able to free yourself but what is the science of going limp? In an adrenaline rush situation, I can't just switch off the tense feeling in my arms to go limp. At least for me it's not that simple. So what is the easier way to suddenly enter limp mode? Has it go something to do with freeing the dantien point in the stomach? Or does it require some sort of relaxation in the brain? I really don't know how to enter relaxed/limp mode.

 

[Kung Fu Wang102]

Whether your arm go limp or not won't solve the problem. The moment that you try to counter, the moment that your opponent's arms may have moved to your elbow joint, or even head and shoulder joint. The double wrist grabbing is usually to set up for something else.

Try to twist your arm against your opponent's thumb (1 finger) and not against his 4 fingers. Before you twist your arm, send your arm forward first.

The problem is when you try to escape your arms, your opponent's hand may have already punched on your face because you are 1 step behind.

 

[Headbald1]

Whether your arm go limp or not won't solve the problem. The moment that you try to counter, the moment that your opponent's arms may have moved to your elbow joint, or even head and shoulder joint. The double wrist grabbing is usually to set up for something else.

Try to twist your arm against your opponent's thumb (1 finger) and not against his 4 fingers. Before you twist your arm, send your arm forward first.

The problem is when you try to escape your arms, your opponent's hand may have already punched on your face because you are 1 step behind.

Thanks for the tips. If let's say I try to use the technique you mentioned or just any other variation of it, and I'm unable to get it right during that split second and my feet cannot reach his groin because it's too far to kick, what do you suggest as an alternative solution? (The guy who wrist grabbed me was unreachable by any kicks. I don't remember if he was taller, just my feet couldn't kick any target as they were not within reach)

 

[Kung Fu Wang102]

Thanks for the tips. If let's say I try to use the technique you mentioned or just any other variation of it, and I'm unable to get it right during that split second and my feet cannot reach his groin because it's too far to kick, what do you suggest as an alternative solution? (The guy who wrist grabbed me was unreachable by any kicks. I don't remember if he was taller, just my feet couldn't kick any target as they were not within reach)

- First, don't let your opponent to grab both of your wrists. Try to rotate your arms the same directions as his arms.

- Try to send your arms forward toward your opponent as far as you can.

- Try to use your elbow joints since both of your elbow joints are free.

- Try to fight your arms to be inside and on top.

- Shin bite on his leading leg if you can and bend his knee sideway.

 

[drop bear102]

Thanks for the tips. If let's say I try to use the technique you mentioned or just any other variation of it, and I'm unable to get it right during that split second and my feet cannot reach hi

An option you can take us to lift your leg up, drive your shin in to their arm and use that as a frame to help you escape. While doing whatever rolly wrist stuff you would already be doing.

 

[Tony Dismukes102]

Going limp will not free you from a wrist grab. There are a few grappling techniques where you need to momentarily allow an arm to go limp, but release from a wrist grab is not one of them.

What you might have heard is that you should relax. That is very different from going limp. Relaxing means not using any muscles other than the ones you need for the technique at hand. Very often beginners end up fighting themselves by getting overly tense. But relaxing by itself will not release you from a grab. You still have to use an appropriate technique. There are a lot of possibilities for escaping a double wrist grab, depending on the details of how you are being grabbed.

 

[Holmejr]

There are so many variations of the double wrist grab escape. We practice situational awareness, hopefully not allowing the bad guy get that close. With that said, I’ve always enjoyed the scissor type smash where you smash the opponents wrists together. One of your arm bend towards you and the other straight arms across and down, smashing the opponents wrist together. Do this with a loud yell and it scares the crap out of them.
Just one out of way too many!

 

[drewtoby3]

Going limp will not free you from a wrist grab. There are a few grappling techniques where you need to momentarily allow an arm to go limp, but release from a wrist grab is not one of them.

What you might have heard is that you should relax. That is very different from going limp. Relaxing means not using any muscles other than the ones you need for the technique at hand. Very often beginners end up fighting themselves by getting overly tense. But relaxing by itself will not release you from a grab. You still have to use an appropriate technique. There are a lot of possibilities for escaping a double wrist grab, depending on the details of how you are being grabbed.

From a Tai Chi perspective, this relaxation means to lower your center of gravity by bringing your breath below your lower dantien as you sink into your structure. In simplest terms, exhale while you drop shoulders and slightly bend your knees. Just like you naturally do when you are trying to calm down after a big inhale--you will naturally feel your breath sink into your gut!

What I also suspect OP is referring to is the concept of heavy elbows (YouTube has some good explanations of this concept in Tai Chi). If you respond to a double wrist grab by relaxing with heavy elbows, you theoretically break your opponent's balance and effectively weaken their grip. This then gives you an opportunity to respond.

Everyone else has posted some good techniques to respond with!

 

[Headbald1]

In simplest terms, exhale while you drop shoulders and slightly bend your knees.

Thanks man. I find it easier to relax myself now.

 

[Kung Fu Wang102]

Since your opponent's arms are holding your arms, you can guide one of his arms to jam his other arm.

 

[Kung Fu Wang102]

Thanks man. I find it easier to relax myself now.

When you are relaxed, his wrist grabbing hand may have already punched on your face.

Wrist grabbing is useless unless your opponent uses it to set up something else (such as a punch to your face). The reason that your opponent grabs on your wrist/wrists, he tries to guide your arm/arms away from his attacking path. If you put your arm/arms back into his attacking path, you can interrupt his next attack. So, the position of your arm/arms can be more important than trying to break that wrist grabbing.

In this video, if you relax, your opponent can pull your left arm down, clear his attacking path, and punch at your face. If you borrow your opponent's force, throw a left hook at his face, you can interrupt his right-hand attacking.

IMO, relax < borrow force.

 

[Holmejr]

When you are relaxed, his wrist grabbing hand may have already punched on your face.

Wrist grabbing is useless unless your opponent uses it to set up something else (such as a punch to your face). The reason that your opponent grabs on your wrist/wrists, he tries to guide your arm/arms away from his attacking path. If you put your arm/arms back into his attacking path, you can interrupt his next attack. So, the position of your arm/arms can be more important than trying to break that wrist grabbing.

In this video, if you relax, your opponent can pull your left arm down, clear his attacking path, and punch at your face. If you borrow your opponent's force, throw a left hook at his face, you can interrupt his right-hand attacking.

IMO, relax < borrow force.

That doesn’t show a double wrist grad. But in the bottom vid, if the defender did a double hook punch, one, a scooping motion to divert the jab and the other to hit the jaw in one continuous movement. If the defender has a knife in his hand the same can be used to double cut. Fun stuff!

 

[Kung Fu Wang102]

One reason that your opponent may want to grab on your wrists is to guide one of your arms to jam your other arm.

 

[Prince_Alarming102]

I'm not attached to you... YOU'RE attached to ME! MWahahahaaaaa

 

[Kung Fu Wang102]

I'm not attached to you... YOU'RE attached to ME! MWahahahaaaaa

True! But the detach key is in you opponent's hand.

 

[Darren]

I had been double wrist grabbed once and in the face of overwhelming strength from the other guy doing the grabbing, I couldn't move both my arms. I've heard that you can just "go limp" to be able to free yourself but what is the science of going limp? In an adrenaline rush situation, I can't just switch off the tense feeling in my arms to go limp. At least for me it's not that simple. So what is the easier way to suddenly enter limp mode? Has it go something to do with freeing the dantien point in the stomach? Or does it require some sort of relaxation in the brain? I really don't know how to enter relaxed/limp mode.

we have a technique that when grabbed forcibly by both waist you pull the person in toward you while at the same time delivering doing a front snap kick to his manhood.

 

[Darren]

i should add that the technique we do is just for educational propose`s only, we may not do it that way at all, is it just motion that we learn.

 

[Xue Sheng96]

Going limp will not free you from a wrist grab. There are a few grappling techniques where you need to momentarily allow an arm to go limp, but release from a wrist grab is not one of them.

What you might have heard is that you should relax. That is very different from going limp. Relaxing means not using any muscles other than the ones you need for the technique at hand. Very often beginners end up fighting themselves by getting overly tense. But relaxing by itself will not release you from a grab. You still have to use an appropriate technique. There are a lot of possibilities for escaping a double wrist grab, depending on the details of how you are being grabbed.

True, relaxing will not get you out of the wrist grab, but it is a great way, in many cases, to disrupt the technique they were hoping to apply.

 

[O'Malley89]

You don't need to go limp, but you have to relax. The only place where the opponent is strong is where he's grabbing, and if you tense up you just give him a way to transfer that strength to control the rest of your body. Leave the wrists where they are and move around them:

P.s.: Everybody gangsta till somebody actually grabs both your wrists in "the street"

 

[isshinryuronin]

I'm not attached to you... YOU'RE attached to ME!

This is the main point - look at the situation offensively. The grabber has both hands occupied just as you do. You're both in the same situation! The only real variable is who reacts first, such as the action below:

pull the person in toward you while at the same time delivering doing a front snap kick to his manhood.

No need to get into internal concepts or figuring out how to relax. Simple. Direct. Effective.