Little House In Ise

Today I trained with the bionic kneed Inakoshi Sensei and experienced more of his Vulcan-death-grip pins. One was simple enough that I may even be able to explain it.

We were doing yokemenuchi gokyo (横面打ち五教) — without weapons. Rather than using the traditional gokyo wrist-to-shoulder pin, Inakoshi Sensei just peeled open my fist. Apparently thinking that was much too easy, he told me to make a stronger fist (to mimic trying to retain a knife or other small weapon), so I did. He easily peeled that open as well. I may not have an iron grip but the fact that a creaky-jointed 70+ year-old, even this one, was so readily able to open my fist, was galling. Even when I used a “baby fist” (the fingers of the fist wrap starting from the little finger) he was able to pry it open with one hand. It turns out that Inakoshi Sensei had yet another trick up his tattered sleeve.

He was using a “nerve pinch” of sorts. With my body down, face flat on the mat and the arm I tried to hit him with extended above my shoulder a bit more than 90 degrees (typical ikyo-gokyo stuff) he then used his index finger as we do with the yonkyo pressure point. Instead of the wrist area he showed me that there is another pressure point in the meaty area of the palm at the base of the thumb. He dug his yonkyo finger (near the knuckle) into the pressure point under my thumb and then slid his knuckle up until my thumb grip broke.

The traditional gokyo pin works just fine as does putting ones knee on the attackers fist and applying body weight. However, this one was so slick I had to share it.