Spidey Grip

This is no Joke...

For many years at seminars around the world, I made the joke about seizing or proper gripping for greater effect and safety using the "Spidey Grip"... but it is no Joke!

Lets take a look at the serious side of this grip and how it will help not only your Kyusho,but Martial Arts in general. This ranges from empty hand, to kobudo, to stick fighting, knife fighting even through firearms and law enforcement.

When you grip anything, there are two main ways to accomplish this;

First is the typical grabbing action that ismore natural for non trained individuals as well as experienced Martial Artists. That is with the power of the entire hand used instinctively to secure with full power potential and maintain the object grabbed. This calls into action the arm, shoulder, torso and even the leg muscles with full body integrity.

But this method has a limitation that inhibits many other functional needs as it severley limits mobility and transitional possibility. As example when when you use the full hand grip (thumb and all four fingers exerting the same full force), you rely mostly on muscle strength. This in turn limits the fingers control dexterity as well as the wrists flexibility and full rotation. This in turn limts essential capability in transitions of grip, accessability of underlying nerve or vascular tissue... as well as directional adaptation of weapon control.

The other possible and far more adaptable grip is formed by using the two middle fingers for power and fulcrum base, with the outer most fingers reserved for measurement and control. Measurement, especially useful in Kyusho application, is created by the index and small fingers. As example lets look at Seizing someones Wrist or neck; As you grab a wrist, your hand will naturally slide to stop where the index or small finger (depending on grip), will stop at the opponents hand. The width of that finger will allow your middle two (longer and stronger) fingers to overlay the now accessible nerves in that wrist. When compressed and or stretched will not only weaken the entire body of the opposition, but also allow for fullrotation, twist or leverage to manipulate them into any advantageous position. If instead you grab the opponents neck from behind, the index and small fingers will placeyour middle two fingers directly over the Tranverse Cervical Nerve (ST-9 for those still believing in TCM pressure points).

This method uses more tendon strength than the muscle and this tendon strengthening is the older Martial Arts training methods of conditioning of tools over muscle and aerobics. See the Iron Claw for more in depth coverage on this topic - Click Here

Safety is greater for your fingers from this dexterity and adaptability, but also from the possibility of torn tendon or ligaments. Say you grabbed an opponents wrist and used a typical full grab action of the hand with strength spread evenly in all fourfingers. If the opponent either reflexively pulls retracts or extends their Seized arm (if you have not successfully applied Kyusho to weaken and dysfunction this ability which is difficult with this four finger grip), the lateral force aganist either your index or small finger may caue ligament or tendon damage from that lateral strain against the smaller joints. However if you utilize the inner fingers as in this Spidey Grip, your outer fingers are protected as their is no tensin for damage placed on them. The inner fingers are protected from lateral stress by the meta carpals and buffering outer fingers.

This is just the beginning of the list of benefits of this grip... so sit back and watch this 10 minute podcast for a visual explanation as well as other uses: