Baseball Bats, Metal Pipes & Other Impact Weapons Part 2- Disarms

 

 

The subject of disarming a weapon from a motivated attacker is controversial at the best of times.  Nevertheless, disarms need to be addressed as a counter weapon option that lies deep within a string of combative counter assault moves.  While many martial arts and self defence instructors will espouse that disarms don’t work, it is important to understand that in the real world they do have their place and time.  It is also paramount to point out that there is a continuum of danger that spans between static and dynamic threats.  Understanding these threats will increase your opportunity to counter attack an impact weapon assault exponentially. 

The Five Ways of Disarming

Let’s outline the basics of disarming any impact weapon, such as a stick, baton, metal pipe or baseball bat.

1. Verbal Disarms

This option often gets left behind in many programs, but talking your way out of trouble goes way back to the dawn of human conflict.  I don’t want to get sidetracked here and explore the psychology involved in talking someone down.  The main focus is just being aware of the justification, alternatives, capability and outcome of the situation.  You have to think about these points from both yours and his perspective and this has to be assessed quickly.  There is an experience factor here that enables success more readily in the heat of the moment.

        2.  Attacking the Weapon Bearing Limb

Often referred to as “Defanging the Snake” in many Filipino systems, attacking the weapon bearing limb is exactly what it says on the tin.  From an unarmed versus the impact weapon perspective, this tactic works better during a static threat.  However, understanding the concept of destroying the limb that holds the weapon is another vital link in disarming success in the chaos of “all-in” fighting.  Remember most disarms will NOT be the first event in the chain of combative movements.  As your opponent becomes significantly diminished, the probability factor rises with a successful disarm as a part of that flow.

        3.   Arm Wrap Traps

Closing the gap and wrapping the arm which is wielding the weapon serious impairs the movement and torque needed for the impact weapon to cause damage.  You can wrap up an arm by clockwise or counter clockwise motion with either arm, from both an inside or outside spacial relationship to your opponent.

       4.  Arm Wrapping the Stick

Wrapping the stick is often referred to as the Snake Disarm.  This is where you encircle your arm at the point where the impact weapon meets the gripping hand.  Again, you have both clockwise and counter clockwise options with either arm.

     5.  Grabbing the Stick

From close quarter range grabbing the impact weapon becomes more and more probable because of the effect of smothering the weapon bearing limb.  This causes a hindrance of motion from your opponent which decreases the arc of delivery enabling you to seize control of the weapon itself.  If the tip of the weapon is pointing upwards, attacking the weapon bearing limb in a downward fashion with a forearm strike tends to release the weapon.  This is what is commonly called the Strip & Keep.  Conversely, if the tip of the weapon is pointing downwards, you would release the weapon by striking the weapon bearing limb in a ballistic upwards motion.

Unfortunately, weapon disarms tend to be associated exclusively with esoteric martial arts systems- namely Filipino.  We all tend to link these types of techniques with the likes of the late Professor Remy Presas, Edgar Sulite or Dan Inosanto.  Because of this nexus, many modern day martial arts and/or self defence instructors will tell you that this information is a waste of time.  Please do not listen to them!  I have heard many instructors claim that disarms are a fantasy; when in reality the only fantasy is stating the opportunity for a disarm will never ever happen.  Learn these basic techniques and then plug them into real-world scenarios.  Don’t leave your muscle memory empty.

Until next time…

Dedicated to YOUR Survival

Joe