Joint Control Techniques

How you control an opponent using joint locks depends on a variety of factors. It helps to have an understanding of the types of body joints and how they move. In addition, one must be familiar with the body targets on an opponent. It can be just as effective to get a hold of a finger or an ear as it is to control a wrist, ankle or the neck.

  1. Types of Joints

    • There are two major ways to categorize joint types, by how flexible they are and by the directions they are able to move in. Depending on their mobility, joints can be classified as fibrous (almost totally immovable, such as the sutures of the skull); cartilaginous (slightly movable, such as the nose or ear); and synovial (freely movable). Joints can be further categorized in five ways depending on how they move: ball and socket; saddle (or hinge); gliding; pivot; or immovable. Controlling a joint involves preventing its normal range of motion, or causing pain or injury to bone or soft tissue by pushing a joint past its normal range of motion.

    Small Joint Locks / Small Circle Jujitsu

    • It is possible to control an opponent, even one who has a large size and strength advantage over you, by controlling some of the tiniest joints of the body. Curl your index finger, and place the thumb of the other hand on the fingertip and the side of the index finger on the second knuckle of the curled finger. Apply a small amount of pressure and feel the result. If you applied pressure with abandon, who could resist that pain? Imagine if you captured more than one finger. The nose and ears are also small joints that are easily manipulated and cause great pain. Using these types of small attacks to great effect is what Grandmaster Wally Jay referred to as "small circle jujitsu."

    Controlling Large Joints

    • Whenever possible, use your body weight against large body joints. When you watch MMA or UFC, often the fighters get into a submission grapple, where the joint lock becomes a battle of strength versus strength. If you are able to capture an opponent's wrist, elbow, neck or even knee, slam your body weight to the ground as quickly as possible. Even a giant professional wrestler would have a hard time supporting 100 pounds with one outstretched arm; and if you weigh more, that's more power on your side.

    Controlling the Neck

    • Some self defense experts and professional fighters believe in going straight to the neck. If you can control the neck, you have total control of your opponent, because the body has to follow wherever the head goes. The disadvantage to attacking the neck straight away is that it is a joint that can cause paralysis or death if excessively damaged; this allows very little chance to scale your attack relative to the threat. If you are in a dangerous situation where your life or safety is on the line, then go for the neck; however, you wouldn't want to use neck cranks or holds on a friend or family member who gets out of control when he gets a few drinks in him at a party.