Sunday, March 25, 2018

The Throat Choke




A subset of karate perhaps, but there are times that karate does use a throat choke. 

Of course there are a variety of methods to do this. I am just going to focus on one of them, when the windpipe is grasped by the hand to make the choke.

 
It can vary by style.


The choke can be a simper grab of the hand and squeezing to make the choke.


There are systems that use a special method of choking, grasping the throat with just the thumb and index finger in a pinching motion and using the bent knuckle of the index finger to also press into the trachea for additional pressure for that choke.

 
By far the strongest choke method, I have seen, was taught to me by Ernest Rothrock when he taught me one Eagle Claw form.

 
I am far from an Eagle Claw expert, I haven’t spent the decades working on Eagle Claw grip for one thing. For them, the formation of the Eagle Claw grip gives intense pain when it is employed. But I paid attention, and I understand how the Eagle Claw is formed, abet with an untrained hand.


I still work the grip formation as a method to retain as much hand grip as possible as I age.


 Properly done, the 4 bent fingers work together to produce one side of the grip, the bent thumb forms the other side.



This is what Ernest Rothrock looks like when he grips the trachea.

Not just a grab of the throat. The technique works like this.

 
1. The web of the open hand strikes into the throat, the fingers and thumb stretched open. This movement presses the trachea in.
2. Then after that compression, as the hand retreats the eagle claw is formed. Pressing into the cords at the side of the neck. The pressure is immobilizing.
3. Once formed the Eagle Claw is maintained, or other things can happen.
 

Personally I find this more powerful than just grabbing the throat.

And the grip can work well with whatever karate movement is selected.

Other articles about the Eagle Claw 



 

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