The Finer Points of the Police Armbar 1 (Ikkyo/ikkjo)
In Gunji Taiho Jutsu (GJT), before a student is ever taught a technique to bring a person to the ground to finalize an arrest strategy, he or she must learn GTJ PCS strategies 1 and 2. With PCS 1 there is an ability to approach a suspect to observe the proximity, gain compliance and see how the suspect is standing. PCS 2 looks at the officer's positioning, control, and system of takedown against the suspect. These two guiding principles of GTJ give the officer the opportunity to transition next to GJT PCS 3: Pinning, Communication, and Safety for all. Altogether this form of taiho jutsu instruction is much better and useful to the student instead of learning a bunch of isolated techniques or "police holds" such as the armbar.
In many police academies and law enforcement training blocks, trainees are taught from the side position standing to use the armbar. This is a straight armlock of control that can be used effectively to bring a suspect to the ground. For GTJ, again, the straight armlock is taught from the universal two on one arm control in the side position. In addition, there are many applications and variations used for GTJ Pinning Core, GTJ PAT strategies, and GTJ Direct Handcuffing strategies. It is no wonder why this police armbar is the first type of lock taught to officers. In the jujutsu system of Aikido, this technique is called: Ikkyo meaning the first principle. In Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu, an older term for this armlock is called: Ikkjo.
Below is a sequence from the GTJ curriculum involving the universal two on one arm control and using the classical jujujtsu lock or armbar:
The question of does this police armbar 1 work is common among those that train? Many officers only receive a short block of training per year and this armbar is very much taught like a trick to use. In other words, a tool that can be applied against a resisting suspect. The reality is the officer has little understanding of what objects he or she is trying to reach with such a technique in jujutsu.
Officers and many Martial Artists have the habit of quickly discarding techniques that do not work for them. When the movements appear again in training either against them or taught in a different way, the person typically says out loud, "I remember this technique." Hopefully, in the new instructional presentation, the student re-learning the police armbar will gain additional details that can make this technique work for him or her.
One of the major objectives of the straight armbar is to break the suspect's posture and never give it back. To continue off-balancing the suspect, the officer will need to know more information regarding movement, pressure, and positional change. Also, there is the underlining issue of resistance that the suspect can create during the armbar attempt. As time continues, a student will learn better movement, timing, and the best practices of using the straight armlock to take the suspect to the ground. Some officers will even learn some pressure points in the suspect's hand, forearm, and arm that can be used during the execution on the lock.
My current study in Japan is picking the brain of Senseis and other black belts that understand the straight armlock and ikkyo from this side position. Uniquely enough, there is so much more than moving towards how to apply this technique against 100% resistance from a training partner. Yes, it is important to practice and train techniques with resistance. Gunji Taiho Jutsu as a system values this compared to other Taiho Jutsu systems that only used kata and form practice in training. Hint, this is why taiho jutsu techniques from other systems and police holds do not work as advertised under stress: there is no real training if there are no levels of resistance. You must have levels of resistance in your training from 0 to 100%. Form practice of techniques is ideal; resistance in police arresting technique is the reality.
With this point of resistance addressed, the police armbar does have many overlook applications. This is partly due to the knowledge levels of the instructor and/or the misunderstanding of grappling. What I mean by this is that grappling many times is the go-to strategy when a suspect or training partner resists from the universal two on one arm control. The moment a jiu jitsu practitioner and grappling student feel resistance, he or she clamps down on the training partner's arm and shoulder. He will hold the wrist of uke for leverage and pressure his body weight into the back of the shoulder with his chest. The stance and bodyweight of the jiu jitsu/grappling student lean into the training partner's back and shoulder. From this point, the level of resistance needs to be assessed to determine if the straight armbar can be applied.
In an aikido-centric way, the top instructors in this community will say, "You do not have to clamp down on uke's arm or grab his wrist so much!" Again, without going down the pressure point path to creating a reaction or without discussing atemi/striking your training partner to set up the armbar, YES, listen to these Jujutsu and Aikido Senseis that can bring your arm and body down to tatami using the straight armbar...ikkyo technique from the universal two on one arm control.
There are many videos online that discuss pressure points and specific locations of where to control the arm to complete the lock. Do not worry about all that. It is not needed. All that stuff is useful to spice up your straight armlock with variation in the future after you first understand resistance and finer points of ikkyo as used in GTJ; however, the objective of breaking uke's position and using effectively the armbar is in how you control the suspect's wrist and arm above the elbow. Also, in how you use your hips to create leverage, and finally, the overall skill of learning how to control the suspect's wrist without closing your hand around it. This is the magic to study. You must learn to open your hand to control the wrist from the bottom position.
With your hand controlling in an open presentation, this gives you the ability to straighten out your arms during the armbar (ikkyo). Whereas, controlling uke's wrist with your hand closed will bend your own arm at the elbow thus taking your leverage at a key movement of execution. The technique of ikkyo in the best practices is applied with your arms straight for maximum leverage. Your bent arms and misused of the police armbar are a reason why the technique does not work for you. The game plan is to take the suspect's posture and not give it back without effort on your part. Taking a person's balance without knowing and training the finer points of ikkyo or whatever you wish to call it gives this person time to quickly regain his balance. This leads to a lot physically, more techniques, grappling, etc.
Armlock 1, police armbar 1, first principle (Ikkyo), or ikkjo, there are a lot of names and variations. Our approach is to use the guiding GTJ PCS strategies, understand resistance levels, and the best practices in specific situations for the straight armlock to be used as a controlling technique. One of the first techniques learned in taiho jutsu; however, one that is the most difficult to use due to misunderstanding of application. This police hold must be explored as this generation moves away from such a powerful technique.
To The Reader
The author will be most happy to receive your comments, including criticisms and suggestions. Noteworthy comments may be included in future editions or books on this series.
Citations for Educational Purpose:
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– Prof. “little” Tony Pacenski
Yokota Air Base – Tokyo Japan
Gunji Taiho Jutsu (GTJ) | Military Arresting Technique is a system of taiho jutsu that is a progressive way to teach Military or Law Enforcement personnel many of the traditional and contemporary jujutsu techniques of control and arrest while at the same time keeping mindful of secondary weapon systems during training and complementing all of the current and evolving Military Combatives programs in place for the different branches of the Military.
