How to Perform an Ooyopu Throw in Ninjutsu

Here is a guide explaining how to perform Ooyopu, also known as the thumb choke technique, which is performed as a defense to an attacker grabbing the defender by the shoulders or sleeves of the upper arms.

Step 1:
Begin by responding to your opponent grabbing you by the shoulders and sleeves. Place your right arm on the top of your opponent’s shoulder and the left arm against the back of his elbow. This is known as the Kunichi position and is common for many different grappling throws and holds. You should also be mirroring your opponent’s stance by keeping your weight forward on your left foot.

Step 2:
Place the palm of your right hand against the front of your opponent’s throat and snug the V of flesh between your thumb and index finger at the point where the throat gives way to the underside of the jaw. Lean your body’s weight back onto your rear right foot while firmly extending your right arm and locking your elbow. The point of this is not to harm your opponent, but force him to push him slightly away. This will mean your opponent will have to lock his own arms in order to keep hold of you, which is exactly what we want.

Step 3:
Shove your opponent back sharply by transferring your body’s weight back to your forward left foot and leaning forward. Take a half step to the left and drive your right heel into the inside of your opponent’s right knee joint. Again this is meant to unsteady your opponent rather than do any harm. Your opponent will be pushed to his left and will have to release his left hand on your sleeve if he wants to regain his balance.

Step 4:
Take the opportunity that this moment provides to grip your freed right hand around your opponent’s right wrist. Step inward toward your opponent with your left foot while pivoting clockwise to put your back to him. As you do this, raise your opponent’s arm to rest his elbow across the top of your left shoulder. It should be noted that for this throw to be effective, the back of the elbow must be pressed against the shoulder, not the inside of the elbow.

Step 5:
Complete the technique by leaning forward at the waist while pulling your opponent around from your left, pulling the arm down as you do so to propel him into a rapid tumble as he will not be able to keep his balance as fast as you draw him around your body.

How to Defend a Two Handed Choke in Shorin-Ryu Karate

Sokon Matsumara pioneered Shorin Ryu Karate in the early 1800s as he played his role as the bodyguard for three successive kings of Okinawa. Okinawa is, as you may know, the birthplace of Karate, many different forms of which have since evolved. As bodyguard to the kings of Okinawa it was Matsumara’s responsibility to train the household troops guarding the Okinawan palace is unarmed combat. He taught them a variation of Karate which included principles and movements typical of Chinese Wushu, given that he’d traveled extensively in China during his youth. The result was a form of Karate which utilized quick, precise, energy efficient movements and attacks as well as a much narrower stance than was traditionally proscribed. The benefit of this stance was greater mobility and quicker response time at the expense of one’s balance. Shorin Ryu Karate has been called a “reactive” martial art, in that it teaches quick and immediate reaction to various attacks. Some people see this as less aggressive, reasoning it gives less opportunity for one to go on the offensive. Actually it simply follows the doctrine of energy conservation. By letting the enemy attack first and commit himself to a specific course of action, you as the defender have a wide array of possible responses without tiring yourself unnecessarily. A good example of this is seen in the defense technique against a two handed choke.

Step 1:

Begin with your opponent wrapping his hands around the side of your throat and pressing inward with his thumbs in the hollows of the neck. This is where the carotid arteries are. If they are compressed for more than 15 seconds you will get very fuzzy and confused. If they are compressed for more than 30 seconds you will pass out. It’s a pretty fair assumption that if you saw this coming your opponent wouldn’t have been able to grab your throat, so changing your stance retroactively is a waste of time.

Step 2:

Immediately tense the muscles in your neck as best you can and drop your chin down atop your opponent’s hands. Turn your neck 45 degrees to the left, attempting to shift the angle of your opponent’s grip.

Step 3:

Turn your body in the same direction that you are facing and take a step forward with your right foot. This will bring you off to your opponent’s right rather than directly in front of him. It will make the angle of his left hand on your neck awkward and loosen his grip even further, it also brings your right shoulder close enough to comfortable get an arm in between his arms.

Step 4:

Pull your right wrist back and curl your fingers inward, leaving the flat ball of your thumb and palm exposed. From below, drive it upward between your opponent’s arms to impact hard against the underside of your opponent’s chin. This will snap his head back.

Step 5:

Do not retract the arm. Instead extend your fingers and arch them into claws. Place them as high on your opponent’s face as you can, above his eyebrows for preference and claw them down in a straight line all the way to your attacker’s upper chest. Your opponent’s natural reaction will be to release you and clutch at his face, particularly his eyes.

Step 6:

Continue the downward motion of the scrape, swinging your right arm back, forming it into a fist and placing it over your heart. Simultaneously take a half step backward with your right foot, bend at the knees, and extend your right fist to enter a Back Stance should your opponent attempt further attack.

How to Defend Against a Two Handed Front Choke Using Tai Chi Chuan

Step 1:
Let your body go limp in response to your opponent’s attack. A person’s natural inclination is to pull back when they are being choked, so your opponent will be pulling toward you in unconscious compensation for this. By going limp you are giving yourself a moment where your attacker is temporarily off balance.

Step 2:
Raise your left arm straight up above your head and keep your right arm down by your side.

Step 3:
Bring the flat of your lower left forearm down atop your attacker’s elbow from outside of his arms. Simultaneously thread your right arm up inside the range of your attacker’s other arm to extend your palm against the left side of your attacker’s head. By doing this quickly you force your attacker to bend to his right from the waist, this pulls him off his center of balance and puts him in danger. From this point you have two choices depending on whether you feel your life is really in jeopardy or not. Step 4 outlines the non-violent way to break out of the chokehold. Step 5 outlines the way to break out of the chokehold and incapacitate your opponent.

Step 4:
Turn your right foot inward and push off with it while twist to your left at the waist. Clamp your right hand against the side of your opponent’s head while pulling his right arm outward with your left had, and turn to the left to force your attacker to the floor, breaking his hold.

Step 5:
Grab your attacker around the back of the neck using your right hand while clamping onto the joint of his right elbow with your left hand. Take a step back with your left foot and pull your attacker forward and down. He should bend at the waist. As he does so rear back with your right leg and drive your knee forward and up directly into your attacker’s lowered face. This defensive strike has the capacity to do serious and life threatening damage. Don’t use it lightly.

Tips & Warnings
Practicing in front of the mirror can help perfect your form. This is actually an adaptation of the brushing knee movement.