Kenpo Karate: Grasp of Death

Yup it's that time again where I go over a technique in kenpo karate and give you a possible counter if you find yourself in that situation.

Grasp of Death is a defense against a side headlock. You would be bent over with your head locked in your opponents right arm. To escape, you turn your chin towards the wrist to make sure you can breath. After that, take your left leg and step forward in order to jab your knee into their calf in order to get his knee to buckle.

After that, with your left hand, either grab he thigh very close to the knee or grab the groin itself. This should make your opponent release your head. Escape and grab his arm, step in front of him to make it harder to retaliate against you and then arm-bar the arm you have a hold of to throw him to the ground.

After that running or some sort of technique to the head is good.

Now let's say that for some reason you have an opponent in this situation and he proceeds to use this technique on you. There is a chance that you will have your groin grabbed, which is not a happy feeling at all. Odds are that he will at least buckle your knee and that will be your indication that he is performing the Grasp of Death. However, in most cases, your balls will be grabbed simultaneously.

Focus on the head lock. Keep your arm tight and drop to your knees. He'll have to come down too. Once your on your knees, sit on his hand (if its still there). It will probably hurt, but the sudden shift of you kneeling with him still in the choke hold will more than likely make him need his hand to support himself on the ground.

If you can sit on it, he will have to submit to the ground. There would not be much he could do.