Grappling Techniques

Sometimes, in a self-defense situation, you may have to grapple with the attacker. When this time comes, do not try to avoid it. When in a self-defense situation, you take what you are given and make the best of it. You never give up a position in the hope that it will lead to a better position. The following are some vital grappling techniques that every Taekwondo student should know in case they are needed

Clinch

The most dangerous place to be in any altercation is within kicking or punching range. Unfortunately, most social interaction occurs within punching range. In a self-defense situation, you would stay either outside the opponent’s kicking range or well inside his or her punching range. If you are well outside the kicking range, you are far enough away that you could probably safely leave. If far enough inside the punching range, you may want to move into a clinch that will allow you to control the opponent and limit his or her punching and kicking possibilities. Often an attacker is surprised when you move in instead of backing up as most people do when attacked.

• To close the range safely as you move into a clinch, put your head against the opponent’s chest. This places it well inside the punching range, effectively negating punches.
• Move your fists up to your forehead with the fists tightly pushed against your forehead with your elbows forward protecting your face against a punch.
• Start your move into your opponent by leading with a leg check or a distracting leg kick.
• As you close the range, sweep your hands outward, similar to a swimming breaststroke, to block both the opponent’s biceps. Trap opponent’s arms by hooking your hands over his or her triceps and use your forearms to control opponent’s arms while keeping your forehead tight against opponent’s chest. By pulling in on opponent’s arms and pushing with your head against the chest, you develop isometric tension that limits opponent’s punching opportunities and movement.
• Complete the clinch by reaching around opponent’s back with one arm and moving to that side. Trap opponent’s other arm tightly under your armpit and protect your face by pushing it into the bicep of the trapped arm. Pinch your thighs on opponent’s leg closest to you to limit his or her ability to turn and knee your groin. With control established, secure the clinch by holding opponent’s belt or clothing.
  

Rear Takedown

Often, the next move from the clinch is the rear takedown.

• Clasp opponent around the waist from behind much as you did in the clinch, while keeping your head down to avoid any elbow attack.
• Move a foot to block one of the opponent’s feet. For example, your right foot steps to the right to block behind opponent’s right heel.
• Sit downward and backward to drag opponent to the ground, tripping him or her over your outstretched leg. Opponent cannot keep his or her balance because you are keeping his or her foot from stepping back.
• Then roll atop the opponent for the mount.

Mount

The mount allows you to control your opponent with minimum effort by using your body weight. Opponents often exhaust themselves trying to escape this position. You also have the advantage of being able to strike your opponent, while they have little opportunity to strike you.

• Sit astride your opponent’s chest facing his or her head.
• Put both your knees on the ground and slide them as high into opponent’s armpits as possible. Lean forward putting your body weight onto opponent using your torso.
• Both your hands should be spread out and braced on the ground for balance and to block any attempts to roll over.

Relax your body and become dead weight on the opponent. You can pin opponent’s head to limit body his or her movement by pushing your stomach against opponent’s face.

Back Mount

Executed exactly like the mount except the opponent is face down. As an opponent rolls to escape a mount, relax the grip you have with your knees and allow him or her to roll onto his or her stomach, where you reapply the mount. Wrestlers are especially susceptible to this since they have trained to stay off their backs.

Open Guard

If your opponent is too large or too strong to contain with your closed guard, switch to an open guard to push him or her backward. 

• As the opponent sits up to begin punching, thrust both your knees into his or her chest.
• With your head and shoulders on the ground and your hands up to protect your face, arch your back and push opponent backward out of punching range.
• If opponent reaches for you, pull him or her into your closed guard and perform the Kimura.
• If opponent stands up, place your feet on opponent’s hips and use them to control the range.

Open guard also works well when someone if trying to choke you from the front:

• Trap one or both arms that are being using to choke you.
• Place your feet on opponent’s hips and pull him or her forward until his or her head is even with yours.
• Use your legs to pick opponent up and flip him or her over your head. As you gain skill at this throw, you may control opponent on the way over and roll backward into a mount position.

Cross Side

A basic pin that uses body weight to control the opponent.

• Center your torso over the suspect from the side so that you are sternum to sternum.
• Raise your knees off the ground and stay up on your toes to center more weight on the opponent and to allow yourself to move with the suspect as he or she struggles.
• Keep elbow of your arm closest to opponent’s head tucked tightly into his or her neck or ear to limit his or her movement. Your forearm should be along the ground perpendicular to opponent’s body to provide a brace so you cannot be rolled off.
• Use other arm to hold opponent’s wrist or hip that is closest to you.

Knee Mount

• Control opponent by placing your knee into, or your shin across, his or her stomach. Put most of your weight on to the opponent’s stomach to pin him or her down at the center point of his or her body.
• Your other foot is planted firmly on the ground away from the opponent’s head to help maintain your balance.
• Keep your back straight and your head up to prevent being hit in the face. 
• If you feel yourself beginning to lose control, simply slide your knee across opponent’s stomach into a closed mount.
  

Rear Carotid Strangle

A simple, but highly effective strangle hold.

• From the rear, reach deep in front of opponent toward his or her stomach, with your bicep against side of opponent’s neck.
• Bend your arm so your elbow is pointed straight down and the crook of your elbow is directly below opponent’s trachea. The space created by the crook of your elbow ensures there is no pressure on the trachea.
• Reach high on other side of opponent’s neck and grab your own shoulder or a handful of your shirt.
• Now your bicep and the inside of your forearm are pressing on the sides of opponent’s neck on the carotid arteries, but there is still no pressure on the windpipe.
• Place your free hand behind opponent’s head and push it forward.
• Push the elbow of your arm around the neck into opponent’s chest, toward the spine, which usually puts your arm up under opponent’s chin.
• Now shrug your shoulders upward as if you are hanging the opponent, while tensing the muscles in the arm around the neck. This motion will quickly shut off blood to the brain and will cause the opponent to pass out very quickly.
• Release the hold when the opponent passes out and he or she will recover shortly, disoriented, but not harmed.

Closed Guard

If you are on the ground with your opponent attacking, try to stay on your back so you may block punches and control opponent with your legs using a closed guard.

• When you are on your back, face opponent and wrap both your legs around opponent so that opponent’s body is between your thighs, and then cross your ankles. The higher on opponent’s torso you can wrap your legs the better.
• Use your legs to pull opponent toward you.
• Capture one of opponent’s arms (usually the arm opponent is using to try to punch you) by trapping it under your arm and grabbing behind opponent’s elbow.
• Use your other hand to hold opponent’s head down to limit his or her ability to sit upright, and to guard against a head butt. Block punches to your head with your elbow and punches to your ribs with your elbow and knee.
  

Kimura

Kimura is an arm lock named after a Japanese Judo champion. It is used from your closed guard.

• Grab the wrist of the opponent’s nearest hand with your same side hand.
• Uncross your ankles and place both feet on the ground.
• Sit up and reach you opposite arm over the shoulder of the arm that you have trapped. You may have to scoot your hips back away from opponent to have enough room to reach over his or her shoulder.
• Reach your other arm in between opponent’s arm and ribs to grasp the wrist of your arm that has a grip on the suspects arm. This grip is sometimes called a "Figure 4."
• Using the leverage of your feet on the ground and the Figure 4 grip you have on opponent’s arm, drive his or her head forward toward the ground as you scoot out to the same side as the arm lock.
• Control opponent by holding the arm tight to your chest so that it is bent in an “L” shape. One of your legs will be under opponent. Place your other leg over opponent and cross your ankles to prevent escape
• With opponent under control, you have the option of holding opponent until help arrives or you can continue to scoot from under opponent and begin a punching attack.

Rear Takedown

Often, the next move from the clinch is the rear takedown.

• Clasp opponent around the waist from behind much as you did in the clinch, while keeping your head down to avoid any elbow attack.
• Move a foot to block one of the opponent’s feet. For example, your right foot steps to the right to block behind opponent’s right heel.
• Sit downward and backward to drag opponent to the ground, tripping him or her over your outstretched leg. Opponent cannot keep his or her balance because you are keeping his or her foot from stepping back.
• Then roll atop the opponent for the mount.