Defense against an unfriendly handshake

[CuongNhuka]

Rotate your knuckles up, and roll towards who ever is doing it. It's an Aikido tech. And very painful, since it hyperextends the muscles in your forearm.

 

[CoryKS]

We have a number of techiques to deal with this. I must admit, the first time I heard 'aggressive handshake' the image that came to mind was a car salesman.

But when they explained it, I understood perfectly because I had had that done to me before. My hand was sore for a week.

 

[Nomad]

Wait a minute... so someone wanting to be aggressive towards me is giving me his hand? :lfao:

That makes everything so much easier... :EG:

(To answer the original question; I know of several defences, and we practice them infrequently, but do a lot of other wrist/hand manipulation based on grabbing)

 

[morph4me]

I teach quite a few and they all involve changing the angle, taking balance and eventually finalizing the situation with some sort of control. Really squeezing someones hand is not very bright in that you have given them an arm to play with and made your intentions clear. With proper body movement and balance control you can then determine what course of action is warranted.

We must teach similar techniques . The easiest one to teach in person may not translate well in writing. Keeping your arm in the same relative position to your body, turn your body to the right turning your palm out and your pinky up, this causes his arm to cross his own body, and rotates his hand pinky up, but in the opposite direction (ltoward his left shoulder) and leaves him vulnerable.

 

[Touch Of Death]

For me, I would take a different approach. We used to practice for them with this and that technique. However, I feel the same way as I do for push defenses. They happen before you can react most times. Usually people reach out to shake, you do the same. You are in a "friendly" mindset. They then become unfriendly and do something. All you can do is react, which means their action has happened. I feel the thing to do would be to change defenses to after the event, just like pushes. The only other scenario where you are proactive in defense is to refuse the handshake in the first place.

There are levels of commitment to handshakes.
sean

 

[Monadnock]

Heel stop the bones on the top of their foot That would tend to make them let go.

... among the thousands of other defenses.

 

[theletch1]

Open your hand, rotate your fingers in a circle up toward your own face. It'll break the grip, release your hand and doesn't look overly aggressive. I'll be the first to admit that I have a firm handshake. I was raised to have a firm handshake...it's a measure of a man to have a firm grip...as my grand dad used to say. I've shook Tom's (Morph) hand and know that he has a good firm handshake as well. I guess what I'm getting at is that it isn't the handshake itself that's aggressive it's the attitude of the person on the other end of the arm and HIS intetions should have been at least suspected before you ever make contact.

 

[MJS]

Defending yourself against an unfriendly handshake.

Do you feel its important to have a defense against such a move?

Some of these defenses were originally part of Ed Parker's Kenpo curriculum, but one of the newer iterations of Kenpo has removed these techniques.

Does your art have such a defense? Do you make it part of your training?

Personally, this is part of my training I'd like to hear from some of you all before I share more.

Yes, I have a few defenses for this type of attack. While it may not seem like its a productive attack, it can be used to set you up for a punch. While it may not be necessary to break something or do one of the typical Kenpo defenses, I can think of a few defenses that take the handshake right into a lock.

Mike

 

[fireman00]

Very important part of training - two parts we were taught is to grab their wrist with your free hand... there's something mental that makes them let up (not completely release) on their grip 'cuz their now being attacked.

The second is a little more complicated, but is very effective... spin 180 degrees, drop about 2' and slide their elbow over your shoulder and launch yourself back up into a standing postion quickly, use your free hand to hold their arm in postion. If the person is taller then you you'll drop less but will have to pull down on their arm to get the desire effect.

 

[Hand Sword]

Why not be prepared at all times?

As tellner and the truth said point your index finger when you shake. If you do it all the time, it becomes second nature. It's not hostile in any way, and negates any extra strength the other guy might have in his grip.

Also defeats the need to react. Because you have been proactive from the get go, you can respond instead of reacting.

--Dave

I agree totally. One should try to be prepared at all times. But, let's be honest here. There are certain social situations that will have you in an honest mindset to be friendly while extending your hand. Also, consider this. The people that do this kind of stuff are usually bigger and/or stronger than you. Once contact is made, you will be off balanced immediately. Their strength and size will over power your extended finger and you will still be off balanced. Until you stabilize somehow doing anything will be difficult.

 

[Hand Sword]

There are levels of commitment to handshakes.
sean

Only two: Either it's friendly and legit or there is some sort of foolishness going on.

 

[Rich Parsons]

I teach techniques from the handshake.

It is a good place to start from and a good reference point.

Joint locks teach people how to feel the opponent and also to be able to read their movements from it.

I prefer a simple thumb lock in this situation as it does the release and hopefully some pain as well without breaking the opponent.

So it is defensible as there are no broken bones, and both just shook hands.

 

[LawDog]

You can/should not defend unless his offensive intent has started or has become obvious, he will determine the "if" and "when". This is the advantage that your opponent will have over you. Your advantage is that when it has started your opponent has committed himself to a specific move.
One of the defensive responses that I teach if you are pulled in with the shaking hand.
When he pulls inward step into his center line with your right foot, while stepping in your left hand will form an inverted horizonal palm. This palm will come in over your opponents right shoulder striking / pushing the right side of your opponents jaw. You push his jaw over his left shoulder, this will lock his spine. With his spine locked in this position he will have difficultly moving his left shoulder forward if he attempts to strike you with his left arm.
This will only cancel his initial move and allow you to time to apply a stronger defensive technique.

 

[morph4me]

Open your hand, rotate your fingers in a circle up toward your own face. It'll break the grip, release your hand and doesn't look overly aggressive. I'll be the first to admit that I have a firm handshake. I was raised to have a firm handshake...it's a measure of a man to have a firm grip...as my grand dad used to say. I've shook Tom's (Morph) hand and know that he has a good firm handshake as well. I guess what I'm getting at is that it isn't the handshake itself that's aggressive it's the attitude of the person on the other end of the arm and HIS intetions should have been at least suspected before you ever make contact.

By aggressive I'm thinking Carol meant the way I shook my daughters prom date's hand, except without the charming smile so I didn't have to hear it from my wife or daughter :EG:

 

[Last Fearner]

Defending yourself against an unfriendly handshake.

Do you feel its important to have a defense against such a move?

Does your art have such a defense? Do you make it part of your training?

I believe it is important to be trained and prepared to defend against any type of aggression. Sometimes, it is the seemingly "friendly" handshake that becomes more of a challenge and a test of your "manhood" or submissive nature, that encourages further aggression. The domination might last only a second or two, and then nothing more comes of it. It is still an abusive form of physical assault, but too mild to be prosecuted. However, it can set the stage for a level of confidence on the part of the aggressor which might lead to further intimidation or more serious assault if they feel you are easily controlled and intimidated.

The mild form of this is a slightly elevated firmness to the point of discomfort, and usually positioning of bodies (drawing you in too close in a controlling manner, or forcefully turning your hand palm up in the submissive position). These are things that can be ignored with a smile and/or a quick release as you pretend nothing happened. Repositioning your fingers, applying pressure with your thumb, or joining your free hand to their wrist for added stability and slight pressure can negate their aggressiveness.

A causal way to diffuse the overly aggressive handshaker is to make a comment like, "hey, you've got a good firm handshake there. Have you ever seen the 'farmer's handshake'? Let me show you." Then you quickly release from their grasp and tell them to interlock the fingers of both their hands, a turn their thumbs pointing down with the palms facing you. Then you proceed to grab their two thumbs (one in each hand) and milk them like a farmer milking a cow. This turns the moment into a light-hearted joke!

The other type of dangerous situation is the person who shakes your hand as a friendly greeting, but is intending on punching you, stabbing you, or pulling you to the ground. They might be sneaky and give no advanced warning. My father was a police officer in the '50's, and I was in the '80's. He warned of "friendly" people who shake your hand in a friendly greeting, but then pull you off balance while they attack, or try to reach for your gun in its holster. He taught me ways to protect against that including a cross draw of your weapon, and firing it while it's upside-down.

I teach many variations of defenses depending on the level of threat. More aggressive attacks that start with a handshake or wrist-grab can be dealt with by manipulations, joint locks, off-balancing, or even counter-strikes and throws. Many of the basic wrist controls and Korean Hoshinsul that I teach use hand positions that resemble a "hand-shake," so it is a good thing to practice.

Or.... you can use the Howie Mandel defense against germs by bumping fists instead of shaking hands. :ultracool

CM D.J. Eisenhart

 

[zDom]

So many techniques, so little time and space

The short answer is: in hapkido we have a WIDE range of techniques, from disengaging to causing minor discomfort to breaking/dislocating wrist and/or elbow joints.

 

[Adept]

As a bouncer I shake a lot of peoples hands. Mostly it's just patrons greeting me, introducing themselves, or thanking me for a good night out.

Every so often you get one who grabs you, and begins to squeeze with all his might.

"Okay" I think to myself. "You want to show me how much of a toughguy you are."

Depending on their attitude and size, I'll either squeeze back (I'm by no means a small guy, so I can usually give as good as I get in this regard) brace my hand out as Tellner mentioned (usually when a person is being aggressive, and looking for a reason to start an altercation) or simply say "Allright, hang on. Start again" and proceed to release their hand, then re-shake in a domineering and squeezing way. This usually happens when someone isn't being aggressive, but trying to establish their position above me in the 'macho toughguy' ladder.

The reason I release and re-shake is partly to acknowledge to them that they have a powerful grip, thus salving their ego, but at the same time establishing that yes, I am top dog. But mostly it's because someone intent on hand squeezing rather than hand shaking will grab your hand at the moment of contact, placing their palm opposite the base of your fingers, as opposed to normal palm-to-palm contact, making it impossible for you to squeeze back or brace your hand.

Obviously, these aren't techniques that will work for everyone. But they work for me in the capacity that I encounter unfriendly, crushing handshakes.

As an addition, if the guy is way bigger than me and I have no chance of out-squeezing him, I'll often make a joke of it, ham up the pain he is causing me, and tell him to stop it because he's scaring me, and I won't be able to, well, entertain Mrs Palm (nudge nudge, say-no-more) for a week. Usually gets a laugh and tends to defuse a potentially explosive situation.

 

[kidswarrior]

I don't play the juvenile game of macho handshake anymore. Who cares whose handshake is stronger? (Jimmy H Woo: don't use strength, use leverage). When shaking, I just make sure to move my hand all the way into his, so if he tries to make a fool of me, he can't grab my fingers. This way, he's squeezing the cross-section of my hand, and few can do any real damage that way (to me, anyway--I do keep my hand fairly stiff, so he can't compress the bones). Then I just look off into the distance until he's done. They always realize quickly I'm not playing their dueling game--and also that I'm not being punked, which I think plays tricks with their head, because they don't know what counter I may have on hand (no pun intended ).

If someone is intent on using this to do really harm, then:

So many techniques, so little time and space

The short answer is: in hapkido we have a WIDE range of techniques, from disengaging to causing minor discomfort to breaking/dislocating wrist and/or elbow joints.

My first art was hapkido, so I know what zDom is talking about, followed later by Kung Fu San Soo (and Kempo--which in my training didn't address this). So, I can easily just disengage; or can embarrass him (as spilling him on the ground); Or, can really hurt him, depending on what the situation calls for.

And yes, I teach about a dozen techs, with many more principles that could be applied. As Adept said, what works for me won't work for everyone. Sometimes I teach girls as young as 6 or 7, or teen boys who aren't very strong yet. For these students, I emphasize different actions than I might take myself. As a teacher, my responsibility is to keep them safe, not stroke my own ego.

 

[MBuzzy]

A REAL simple and quick one....put your thumb on their shaking hand's thumbnail and your index finger right behind the lower joint....Squeeze. You're basically folding their thumb back on itself and it HURTS. Hard to maintain a crushing handshake through that. Generally they let go.....although they're pissed off then, and possibly have a broken thumb.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Only two: Either it's friendly and legit or there is some sort of foolishness going on.

Not so, If his hands are big you can fail to give him your whole hand and give his finger's your palm, or you can just dive right in there I suppose.
Sean