How to Defend Against a Headlock Using Tai Chi Chuan

Step 1:
Allow your opponent to approach from behind and take you in a headlock. This is done simply by reaching around from behind the left shoulder and locking the elbow of the right hand around the throat. The attacker then brings the arm down to his side, trapping your head and forcing you to lean forward to keep from falling to the ground. This is an effective lock only because it unbalances you; if you can regain your balance you can easily defeat this hold.

Step 2:
Begin by establishing a strong footing. To do this you should turn your body sidelong to your opponent rather than standing shoulder to shoulder. Plant your right foot forward of your opponent’s.

Step 3:
Regain you balance by bending deeply at the knees. The only reason you were taken off balance in the first place is that your head was forced down to a much lower level and your body’s natural reaction to remedy this was to bend forward at the waist. This is not the best thing to have done. So fix the problem by bending the knees, straightening the back, and bringing the hips in line with the feet. From this position you actually can generate more power than your opponent.

Step 4:
Grab the wrist of the arm holding you in the lock with your right hand. Simultaneously place the flat of your left palm against the lower right quadrant of your opponent’s back, just over the kidney. Step 5: Push off with the legs and twist counterclockwise. Shove your arms out to either side as hard as you can. If done correctly, this will unwrap your attacker’s arm from around your neck while pushing his body away from your own. As the level of your hips is much lower than your opponent’s as a result of the headlock, you have much better leverage and should be easily able to hurl him at least a few feet away. This will give you time to formulate a further plan for defense against your attacker.