ONE STEP AHEAD

Strong. Certain. Sovereign.

For the woman who owns her world.

OSA Training: Break Grabs

 

Video 1: Grabs Around the Waist (arms free)

 
  • Drop into Low Fence instantly, like you practiced yesterday.
  • Disrupt: scratch his hands (DNA capture is a bonus), attack fingers, stomp short (balance-safe) - do whatever you need to get out and get away.
  • Eyes and face are live targets if they’re there.
  • When a gap opens → Palm Heel straight → GO! GET OUT!

Video 2: Grabs Over the Arms (arms trapped)

 
  • Low Fence again.
  • Power is more limited because your arms are trapped → go variety + volume (if you can't do power): scrapes, ear pulls, head positioning, bumps, bites (shadow bites and not real bites in training, thank you!).
  • Keep moving until gaps appear and you start to be released.
  • When you’re free, hit Palm Heels immediately → GO.

Safety First:

  • Train only with a ‘sensible’ person! Do not break each other!
  • Agree on grip pressure (start light) and make sure you collaborate and communicate throughout.
  • No crushing ribs, no real eye pokes/bites - shadow only or mention what you would do. A talking commentary is advisable. 
  • Partner should hold steadily, not rag-doll you to start with. But in future sessions, if you are training on mats, then it’s possible to use more force and effort.

 PRACTICE

 

  • 3-minute hold under-arms. Partner moves you around but not enough to throw you. You stay balanced, move your feet correctly, and start to fight your way out in a controlled manner so as not to injure your partner. No sudden moves or breaking fingers etc. Please go steady. (NOTE FOR PARTNER: this is a training drill. It is about learning, so let the person learn!) Once you escape. Repeat it again from in front or with arms over the top etc. 

 

  • 3-minute chaos fighting. Going at about 20% force/intensity, this is a role-play type exercise. ‘Fight’ for 2 minutes - Grab → Low Fence → fight out of it → Palm Heels → Grabbed from a different position → fight out/finish with a straight → grabbed in a different position → fight out → Palm Heel → Bolt it outta there.    

 

  • NOTE that when someone is behind you, they might reach an arm around your neck in an attempt to strangle. We will deal with this effectively in a session coming up, but it’s worth taking note that this could be a secondary attack at this time when you’re grabbed from behind. 

The Reality

 

The reality is that fighting is scrappy and not neat. The reality is that you will not be fighting in some kind of order - but you WILL BE fighting in a massive amount of chaos. 

Mental and physical chaos is what will really happen. And that’s not fine but it’s fine.

It’s not fine because you don’t want to be there in a fight.

But it’s fine because you know that’s exactly what will happen - and so you can accept that fact and hopefully it brings a bit of understanding your way if things ever did turn violent. 

 

You know that it’s going to be chaos.

The reason I am telling you this here is we are now entering a world where you need to be ready to do anything that is needed to help you escape. 

So, although we are going to learn and practice how to get out of a grab around the waist, you need to do whatever it takes. 

 

Reality says that you might be fighting as you are pushed about. Then you get your Low Fence and a bit of stability. Then you’re pushed or pulled off balance and lose the Fence (but you keep on fighting). Then you find that Low Fence again and fight back from there. And you might lose it again. You might even get lifted up for a second but you fight your way back down. You might even slip and trip and stumble and then gather your feet again. But after a while of scrapping, you get free - because you know what you’re doing. 

 

Total chaos most of the time.

 

For those of you who have been in physical violence, you will know this is how things happen. 

 

I’ve been in many altercations during my childhood, then onwards from there. And none of them have been neat and tidy. 

Although, you might also find that as soon as things start, you get into the Low Fence, fire off four good Palm Heel strikes without even thinking, and then you see you’ve done your job and you can go home (and eat cake?). 

That can happen too. 

The point is this - that by having these skills you seriously increase your chances of escaping. Or even avoiding the conflict as soon as you take up your stance in The Fence and deter him. Or after you hit him and he knows you mean business and you have the ability to back it up, he’ll just not step forward again. 

You just never know what’s going to unfold.

 

So today’s training will get you thinking more realistically and prepare you well. 

 

And as always, stay loud, stay powerful and keep attacking until you’re free and heading home. 


Tomorrow, take a breath or catch up. See you then.