what should you do if someone gets you in a bear hug from either the front or the back with your arm

[phantom]

Same as topic. Thank you for any advice that you could get me concerning this.

[joedoe]

First thing you should try to do is relax - this makes it harder for them to hold you and lift you. Try a head butt as well if you can :)

Guns don't kill people, I kill people

[JerryLove]

Back of head against unknown target? No I don't like that.

Depends on what he is trying to do with you. If he's just lifting and squeezing, "run" smahing your heels into what ever is there. That or undulate hard (making sure to stick both your legs forward and move them in lurching motions), making it very hard to hold you up. Grab at the testies, try to crush them and start yanking like trying to pull a branch off a tree.

A little rougher if he wants to hep over and land both of you on your head. Gotta stop that one early. The "wet sack of flower" and kicking fast, early, and hard do work. I had one person pull that off anyway (course he had me outweightd 2 to 1, was an experienced fighter, and all muscle).

[Martial Joe]

headbutt...Make sure you use your upper body with it..Dont only use your neck.With the body with it it will be alot more powerful...

[Martial Joe]

Or knee him in the balls!..Because if you think about it all the guy is doing is setting him self up..Your arm are not able to use and neither are his...your legs and head are able to be used and so is his head but now well.Your legs are in the right spot to knee his groin.Thats why putting someone in a bear hug is stupid.


Joe

[Vankuen]

A bear hug huh? Hmmm. Well as stated you have the headbutt for extreme measures, but I really consider that a last measure, as any impact to your skull takes it toll.

If your hands are in the right place you have the groin grab, it will be hard to actually hit though if hes squeezing tight.

There always your legs too, giving him all you have in his sack with your feet would be a little better, and more likely to succeed.

Lets see, you can always do what I call curving and going dead, which is often times performed in gung fu for this type of grap, curving the spin and pressing forward the arms at the shoulder, while at the same time lowering the center and becoming dead weight. Once you relax you might be able to slip out, roll and be out of range. Like I said you "might"

Heres another one that Ive done (for a back bear hug) is kicking my legs up high to get him off balance and then swinging them down with all I have to bring my center hopefully lower than his, and if he doesnt outweigh you too much you may be able to hip toss him over you! I and one of my friends have used that successfully.

Lots of stuff to do my man, just make sure you dont think about all this when the time comes to perform, you should already have it ingrained into your system!

"From one thing know ten thousand things" - Miyomato Musashi, Book of five rings

[Boulder Student]

My main concern would be a header into the concrete. Currently you have NO root or base, so grapevine a leg.

Next relax and sink as you cross whatever part of your arms are available. Throw a head butt and a knee if your facing him as you expand you trunk and open his arms. If your back is to him, bicycle kick into his groin with your free leg as you do the chest and arms expansion to loosen his grip.

Remember the grapevine, without it you are completely at his mercy as far as taking a header into the pavement. At least with one of his legs wrapped up, you have some control.

One must toughen up without losing one's tenderness.

[JerryLove]

And why is everyone presuming that his face is at a height appropriate to headbutt? Though I must admit, I had been presuming a grab from behind. This makes more sense as a technique from in front.

[joedoe]

For most people to lift someone off the ground with a bear hug, it would put their head withing headbutt distance. For most people anyway :)

Guns don't kill people, I kill people

[Merryprankster]

If he grabs you from behind, and pins both arms down:

1. If he's at above the elbow with his wrap around, grapevine one leg. Use this grape vine, to pull you/sink down as you lift your arms up and out to the side, hooking his arms in the crook of your elbow. His arms should start to slide up your biceps and over your shoulders. As soon as you have enough space and a foot hits the floor, get your hips away from his body, and turn to face him.

2. If he is BELOW your elbow, ie, has your forearms pinned, grapevine one leg and squirm like an apoplectic having a fit to create space/sink your hips and free one of your arms. Take the free hand and place it on top of his locked hands. Push down and away on his locked hands with your arms and bodyweight to free up the other arm. This whole time, you should be trying to get your feet on the floor, but if you can't you've still got the grapevine. Once both arms are free, you can do whatever your style might do from there. I personally would place both of my hands on top of his and thrust down and out to break the grip, get my hips away as my feet hit the floor, maintain hand control and turn towards my assailant.

I figure if you can get in a headbutt, that might not be too bad either, but if the person keeps their head in tight to your shoulder/neck/head, I think it would be hard to create the space necessary for an effective strike, IMO.

[Merryprankster]

If somebody has both of your arms trapped in a bear hug and has lifted you off the ground from the front:

1. If the guy has your arms trapped at or above the elbow, sink your weight down hard while throwing your arms up and out to the sides, arms bent at the elbow. You can also push at his hips with your hands. You are trying to create space so your body can drop, and the bent elbows keep him from regripping lower (If you are pushing his hips, obviously you won't be bending your elbows). IF you can grapevine a leg, try it, but I have better luck without it. Done properly, his lock will slide up your arms and over your shoulders, getting looser, the higher he goes. Once your feet hit the ground and his lock is loose, get your hips back to prevent him from getting control of your body. I would either back out or counter attack with my own body lock or double underhooks, depending on the situation.

2. If it's from the front and he is below your elbow, I usually try to get my weight down and work enough space to push on his hips and get my body back so he can't fit in well for a lift or throw. Once you have his hips away there are an awful lot of options. I prefer to get out and away, however. If you can headbutt, I suppose you could.

[Radhnoti]

For a bear hug from behind, don't panic. Roll your shoulders forward to keep him from squeezing the air from your lungs. Stomp his foot, kick his knee. Swivel your hips and strike the groin. Head butt the front of his face. All this is done to keep him off balance...and maybe loosen (or break) his grip. Fall out into a horse stance, this will bring him off balance. Work your closest leg behind your opponents and throw your arms out. In my school this is just a "basic" attack scenario that we cover quite often. You have to alter your actual moves to fit the situation.

-Radhnoti

[JerryLove]

Prankster,

I'm still gonna have to oppose shoving your head back into the unknown with any speed. The front of his skull is better reenforced than the back of yours. I think the reality of grapevining is that you are either out or hurt faster than that.

Radhonti -

Squeezing out the air is not an issue, even if he's big enough, the hug isn't going to last that long. Also, a grab around the chest is not what will wind you, and I don't see rolling your shoulders helping for a grab around the abdomen.

Your response seems typical TKD / American Karate. And it fails on several levels. The best way to see it would be to have someone with wrestling experience grab you for a toss to the matt. I think the epileptic fit idea (done a little more specifically than described) would be more effective.

Of course, there are always a lot of variables.

[Radhnoti]

Thanks for your perspective Jerry. I think my teacher tells us to roll our shoulders forward as part of a "overall philosophy" too. He always has us couter the intentions of our attacker first, and then move on from there.

-Radhnoti

[Tigerdragon]

If it is from the back then kick your leggs down HARD. The force will make him drop you. At the same time your leggs meet the ground throw your arms forward. I have yet to have anyone keep thier hold when doing those two moves together.
from here move into and elbow (you are already loaded for it due to your arms being forward) then just do whatever else you see fit.

If it is from the front....knee the balls DUH. Yea yea I know, a hit to the balls isn't usualy the "ultra painfull" shop people seem to think it is. But the shock and suprise alone will make him let go. From there do whatever to want to drop the guy

Assumption is the mother of tragedy. Just keep and open mind and be ready