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From: Robert LaPointe Subject: When Relatives Attack! Date: Wednesday, September 22, 2004 1:14 PM Hi If we haven’t done it or witnessed it, we’ve certainly seen it on daytime TV. Uncle Joe has a little too much vodka at Debbie Jane’s wedding. He’s big, he’s drunk, he’s dangerous . . . he’s your uncle, so hitting or kicking him is out. What’s a guaranteed way to get him on the ground (without hurting him) so the rest of the family can pile on? This is actually something I meant to address in my hugely popular “Fighting a Bigger Guy” issue. To get Uncle Joe – or anyone else – on the ground smoothly, quickly and with minimum damage to all involved, you can either have years of High School or College wrestling experience, in which case you execute a single or double leg takedown, or you use a clinch. The easiest way to get a clinch is cover your face with your arms and charge. Really. The key to actually clinching however, is not to try to grab Uncle Joe once you make contact. Rather, you want to rush him, then drive him back. The two of you will either trip over something – which puts you on top since he’ll be falling backward – or you’ll run into a solid object like a wall, a table, or the best man. Once you hit that solid object get Uncle Joe in a bear hug, hook his leg and down you go. When he falls, let go of him, and mount by putting your hands on the floor first, don’t drop on your knees, you’ll hurt them. If this sounds a little complicated, it really isn’t. You just need to see it done and practice it a little. Some martial arts schools have matting on their walls just so students can practice this technique. If you want to learn how to effectively clinch, take down, and control an opponent (plus everything else you need to know to handle a bad guy) watch for my upcoming tape set on Street Fighting and Surviving a Violent Crime. I’ll keep you posted as the release date approaches. We shot the first half last weekend, and I plan to shoot the remainder this coming Saturday. I’ll edit next week and will hopefully release it on both video and DVD sometime soon. Stay active – it’s good for you at any age, and train like you mean it. Best regards,
Rob LaPointe |
