# Number 1 Disarms.



## arnisador (Apr 26, 2003)

I'll be talking about disarms at the upcoming WMAA Camp and so have been thinking about them. I want to talk about two types of disarms against a #1 strike.

The first is the one in the Yellow Book--brace block, grab the opponent's stick, leave yours more-or-less where it is, and twist and push so that he is either thrown or relinquishes the stick. (I'm not trying to teach this with all details for those who don't know it, just trying to identify it clearly for those who do.)

The second is similar to the #11 disarm in the Yellow Book--brace block, grab the opponent's stick, insert your stick behind his and through the crook of his elbow, make a cross of the sticks and lever his out.

As a stick-to-stick technique, I like the second approach better because, while it's a more complicated technique, I feel less open to a left cross while I'm doing it, and I also feel it's a more robust technique with respect to him trying to rectract his stick. (If he knows to use his live hand then it's a different matter, but if he knows what he's doing you won't get the disarm in any event.) I also like that I can bring my stick across his throat, though I don't like having my stick tied up like that (again, in case he knows what he's doing).

But I generally teach the first approach to students as the main disarm against a #1 strike. I do it for two reasons. One is that the idea of the second approach is in #11. The idea of the first approach is to a fair extent in #7, but I think that against a #1 there are a number of differences (many of which are hard to describe in this medium). A big one is the importance of the exaggerated twist from the live hand in the #1 disarm; the #7 can also be done in a "snappier" fashion.

The main reason I emphasize the first approach, however, is that I feel it translates much better to an empty-hands vs. stick disarm, and that's where I feel the disarms are most useful--when one person has a stick and the other doesn't. (I say it this way because I view the disarms as not only disarms for when the opponent has the stick but also ideas for weapon retention if only you have a stick.) I teach it stick-on-stick then quickly start emphasizing it for empty-hands vs. stick.

Of course, these are for the full disarms--for stick-on-stick I emphasize first and foremost disarming by striking the hand/forearm, and then for #1 the riding your stick along his stick to strike the fingers and strip the hand off the stick (after the live hand grabs his stick).

Which if these #1 disarms do others prefer, and why--or do you use an all together different technique?


----------



## Dan Anderson (Apr 26, 2003)

The big trick on the basic #1 disarm is a type of check hand "catch" which must be timed so that if your opponent wants to retract his stick, it is immobilized already.  If you use the brace as your block, your opponent can retract out too fast.

Yours,
Dan Anderson


----------



## arnisador (Apr 27, 2003)

Yes, the disarms were always taught from the brace block--outside of the stick anyos it's the only time I remember seeing brace blocks at camps, frankly--but that's exactly the problem: If you brace block then reach with the live hand then you may well find you're in an awkward position. It might work against a very heavy swing, from an untrained person, that couldn't be quickly retracted ("swing for the bleachers"), but otherwise it'd be hard.

Catching the stick from behind, C-style, and trapping it against your stick is likely to give you a better chance!


----------



## Rich Parsons (Oct 14, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Dan Anderson _
> *The big trick on the basic #1 disarm is a type of check hand "catch" which must be timed so that if your opponent wants to retract his stick, it is immobilized already.  If you use the brace as your block, your opponent can retract out too fast.
> 
> Yours,
> Dan Anderson *




Dan et al,

(* Dan, I know you still lurk here  *)

I agree that the live hand must be willing to check / catch / trap / etc. the cane. Yet teaching the basic motion to a total newbie, who does not get the live hand motion, yet has learned the brace block, I see the effectiveness of using this block to teach the basic motion of the disarm, and then adjusting or correcting the student as their technique and timing improve with time and confidence.

So, my question is do you see the advantage or should the timing be taught verbatim from the beginning with the technique?


----------

