Grip of Death (EPAK Orange #12)

Grip of Death is the 12th technique required to obtain your Orange Belt in Ed Parker’s American Kenpo. Grip of Death is the defense for a right arm headlock from the left side placing it in the Chokes & Locks category of the Web of Knowledge as well as the Locks family group in the Family Groups Grappling Division.

Grip of Death varies from The Grasp of Death in that we now  use several concepts learned after The Grasp of Death in an explosive yet simultaneous manner to defend against the headlock while learning to use contouring and tracking to find targets that you cannot see otherwise.

Defense

Grip of Death – defense for a left flank head lock.

• Step 1
  • Grip your attacker’s arm with both hands and pull downward as you turn your head toward 9:00 (away from your opponent’s elbow) and your chin into your chest
• Step 2
  • Step toward 10:30 with your right foot to form a right close kneel stance so that your left knee buckles your opponent’s right knee,
  • Deliver a right inward hammerfist strike to your opponent’s groin
  • Deliver a left inward hammerfist strike to your opponent’s left kidney.
• Step 2
  • Grab the opponent’s hair or nerve point with your left hand and pull the opponent’s head back and down.
• Step 3
  • Pivot into a left forward bow stance toward 6:00.
  • Deliver a right thrusting heel palm strike to your opponent’s chin.
  • Execute a sliding check on your opponent’s right arm
• Step 4
  • left front crossover & cover out toward 10:30.

Additional Information

Name

Just like Grasp of Death, the name Grip of Death is derived from the severe nature of the attack as the attacker’s grip can cause death if it is properly applied.

Attack

In the ideal phase your opponent is to your left side (9:00) facing the 12:00 position.  He wraps his right arm around the back of the neck pulling you down into a side headlock.

As previously discussed a headlock is a type of attack used by someone who is typically confident that they are stronger than you.  The grasp can break your neck, cut off blood flow to the brain, or close off the throat keeping you from breathing.  This type of attack can end in unconsciousness, injury, brain damage and even death.  This type of hold could simply be so your attacker could punch you in the face or head with their left hand or hold you so that someone else could attack your face or body.

Considerations

• What if …
  • your opponent is moving you around preventing you from stabilizing your base?
  • your opponent forces you to the ground?
  • your hammerfists strikes have no effect?
  • your opponent is running you into another object?

Related Techniques

• The Grasp of Death
• Striking Serpent’s Head
• Crashing Wings
• Escape from Death

Historical Notes

• In the 1975 Accumulative Journal, Grip of Death was Orange Belt Technique #10
• The 1975 Accumulative Journal indicates stepping toward 10:00 on the initial move.

Historical Versions

1975 Accumulative Journal

GRIP OF DEATH (flank headlock)

1. With opponent applying lock from your left side, Step forward and to your left (to 10 o’clock) with your right foot into a right close kneel) while turning your head to the left and tucking your chin against your chest. Simultaneously deliver a right hammerfist to Opponent’s groin and a left hammerfist to opponent’s left kidney.
2. As you pivot into a left forward bow facing 6 o’clock, have the fingers of your left hand press under opponents nose or, depending upon the circumstances have your left hand grab opponents hair to force opponent’s head back.
3. Immediately follow-up with a right heel palm thrust to opponent’s chin as you pivot into a left forward bow. however, make sure that the head of your opponent in either of the above cases is arched and forced back and down to minimize your opponent’s leverage thus preventing him from execution a right knee kick to your groin area.

Infinite Insights Into Kenpo, Vol 5

GRIP OF DEATH (Left flank right arm headlock)

1. With your opponent applying a headlock from your left side, step forward and to your left (to 10:00) with your right foot into a right close kneel stance, while turning your head to the left, and tucking your chin against your chest.  Simultaneously deliver a right hammerfist to your opponent’s groin, and a left hammerfist to your opponent’s left kidney.
2. Circle your left arm over your opponent’s right shoulder, and have the fingers of your left hand press under your opponent’s nose (or depending upon the circumstances, have your left hand grab your opponent’s hair) to fulcrum your opponent’s head back, using his shoulder as a fulcrum point.
3. Immediately pivot into a left forward bow toward 6:00 to take advantage of rotational force.  In the process, thrust a right heel palm strike to your opponent’s chin.  Simultaneously execute a left sliding check down your opponent’s right arm, ending at the elbow.  (Make sure that the head of the opponent, in either of the above cases, is arched and forced back and down to minimize your opponent’s leverage.)
4. Pivot back into a left neutral bow and proceed with the routine left front crossover and double cover out between 10:00 and 11:00.

Unfinished Ed Parker Orange Belt Manual

GRIP OF DEATH (Left flank right arm headlock)

1. With your opponent applying a headlock from your left side, step forward and to your left (toward 10:30) with your right foot into a right close kneel stance, while turning your head to the left, and tucking your chin against your chest. Simultaneously deliver a right hammerfist to your opponent’s groin and a left hammerfist to your opponent’s left kidney. (This action should buckle your opponent.)
2. Circle your left arm over your opponent’s right shoulder, and have the fingers of your left hand press under your opponent’s nose (or depending upon the circumstances, have your left hand grab your opponent’s hair) FULCRUMING with your forearm and elbow against your opponent’s back and shoulder to increase the LEVERAGE down and back against his head and neck. (This should cause sharp pain to his philtrum, and also cancel his Height Zones.)
3. Immediately (1) pivot into a left forward bow toward 6 o’clock, and (2) while taking advantage of your ROTATIONAL FORCE deliver a right heel palm strike to your opponent’s chin, as you simultaneously (3) execute a left SLIDING CHECK down your opponent’s right arm, ending at the elbow.  (Make sure that the head of your opponent, in either of the above methods of FULCRUMING, is arched and forced back and down to minimize your opponent’s leverage. The force of your strike should cause your opponent to fall to the ground.)
4. Pivot back to a left neutral bow. Left front crossover, covering out toward 10:30.

Notes

• The technique calls for you to deliver a two-finger handsword strike under the attacker’s nose (philtrum) or to grab his hair. As a personal preference, I prefer not to go after the nose despite the amount of pain it can inflict on your opponent, forcing their cooperation because your fingers could accidentally get close enough to his mouth and could be bitten.  The hair is a good substitute for this, if it isn’t too short nor non-existent.   What I prefer to do instead is using a claw hand and reach over their head/face to grab the bone at the top of the eye socket and pull their head down and back via the eye sockets.  If you accidentally poke their eyes in the process, they shouldn’t have put you in a headlock to begin with.
• Also just to ensure I don’t get accidentally kicked in the groin during the heel palm strike you want to be sure that when you pivot into the left forward bow stance that your right leg (thigh) is checking their right leg leg. You can also toss a right knee strike into their thigh as an extra precaution.

Variations