Fingerlocks

[Diesel67]

This technique is banned in modern combat sports but was allowed in the ancient Greek pankration, the original Western martial art. One pankratiast won his matches that way and was dubbed "Mr. Fingertips"". I would like to see it made legal in mixed martial arts.

 

[ChickenBrother]

If it's anything goes and you have your opponent immobilized with an aikido nikyo like at 0:03, the more dangerous attack would be to fall onto their elbow with your armpit in a straight armbar break. But where fingerbreaks could be a gamechanger would be RNC defense or defending any kind of back control from turtle. I don't see it ever being allowed in MMA but for sure would be effective in a real fight.

 

[Einheri]

If it's anything goes and you have your opponent immobilized with an aikido nikyo like at 0:03, the more dangerous attack would be to fall onto their elbow with your armpit in a straight armbar break. But where fingerbreaks could be a gamechanger would be RNC defense or defending any kind of back control from turtle. I don't see it ever being allowed in MMA but for sure would be effective in a real fight.

I don't know. I think doing shit like that turns the situation from a fight, where there is an implicit understanding among most men that some things are unsporting, to a situation where anything goes. Probably not a wise thing to do when you're in the inferior position: maybe that RNC choke goes from putting you to sleep to holding it on until you get severe brain damage? Maybe back control becomes full mount as you're escaping and I decide to just gouge your eyes out with my thumbs because "fuck you, you broke my finger"? Trying to break a digit seems like a huge escalation.

 

[Boomb]

Is that Bob Sapp?

 

[Kforcer]

Is that Bob Sapp?

Indeed, it is.

 

[ChickenBrother]

I don't know. I think doing shit like that turns the situation from a fight, where there is an implicit understanding among most men that some things are unsporting, to a situation where anything goes. Probably not a wise thing to do when you're in the inferior position: maybe that RNC choke goes from putting you to sleep to holding it on until you get severe brain damage? Maybe back control becomes full mount as you're escaping and I decide to just gouge your eyes out with my thumbs because "fuck you, you broke my finger"? Trying to break a digit seems like a huge escalation.

Agree 100%. I'm just noting that we've been doing this for so long we sometimes forget how restrictive the gentlemen's agreement is during training. If a fight has already escalated to anything goes, fingerbreaks, biting, groin strikes, etc. could be gamechangers and all of them are attacks I've trained NOT to do when it really matters. Specifically if it's anything goes and grappling skill alone isn't sufficient.

 

[Nnedd]

Is that Bob Sapp?

Rob Schneider

 

[mattemate]

Rob Schneider

Bob Schneider

 

[Diesel67]

If it's anything goes and you have your opponent immobilized with an aikido nikyo like at 0:03, the more dangerous attack would be to fall onto their elbow with your armpit in a straight armbar break. But where fingerbreaks could be a gamechanger would be RNC defense or defending any kind of back control from turtle. I don't see it ever being allowed in MMA but for sure would be effective in a real fight.

If you break the thumb and forefinger of the same hand, the opponent is effectively deprived of the use of that hand.

 

[Coconutwater]

Never escalate a fight you are losing. - B. Rutten

 

[TheMaster]

If it's anything goes and you have your opponent immobilized with an aikido nikyo like at 0:03, the more dangerous attack would be to fall onto their elbow with your armpit in a straight armbar break. But where fingerbreaks could be a gamechanger would be RNC defense or defending any kind of back control from turtle. I don't see it ever being allowed in MMA but for sure would be effective in a real fight.

I was just thinking about this very thing. Submission grappling styles commonly go for the back control and think that's all she wrote when they are setting up the RNC from that position, but if you defend correctly and control and get those fingers...snap... and they are screaming and scrambling to get away from that position.
It's an ultimate reversal and defence from a bad position that totally changes the game.

Unfortunately yes you won't see it in competitive grappling for obvious reasons because thats the end of grappling, but in anything goes it's devastating enough that people may not want to even go for those subs if you have a good finger lock game.

I don't know. I think doing shit like that turns the situation from a fight, where there is an implicit understanding among most men that some things are unsporting, to a situation where anything goes. Probably not a wise thing to do when you're in the inferior position: maybe that RNC choke goes from putting you to sleep to holding it on until you get severe brain damage? Maybe back control becomes full mount as you're escaping and I decide to just gouge your eyes out with my thumbs because "fuck you, you broke my finger"? Trying to break a digit seems like a huge escalation.

We are talking self defence. If you are in that position and it's outside it's extreme danger anyway, they wouldnt be 'angry' with a broken finger they would be fucked up and lose the use of that hand. It's the best defence form a bad position and allows the defender to reverse and fuck then up with strikes or whatever once the position is escaped and the grappler can no longer effectively grapple.

 

[Einheri]

We are talking self defence. If you are in that position and it's outside it's extreme danger anyway, they wouldnt be 'angry' with a broken finger they would be fucked up and lose the use of that hand. It's the best defence form a bad position and allows the defender to reverse and fuck then up with strikes or whatever once the position is escaped and the grappler can no longer effectively grapple.

Disagree. If I had someone's back in a fight I'd be looking to put them to sleep, they break my finger and I'd be putting them in a wheelchair.

 

[TheMaster]

Disagree. If I had someone's back in a fight I'd be looking to put them to sleep, they break my finger and I'd be putting them in a wheelchair.

The point is if it's self defence anyway it's highly dangerous to let some get a choke on. Any good defense is worth it. If they are doing finger locks chances are they are trained, and if someone can break your fingers your won't be grappling anymore, they then may fuck you up as bad as they want if you can't defend yourself.

There's a reason it's banned in grappling and it's a game changer.

 

[mattemate]

The point is if it's self defence anyway it's highly dangerous to let some get a choke on. Any good defense is worth it. If they are doing finger locks chances are they are trained, and if someone can break your fingers your won't be grappling anymore, they then may fuck you up as bad as they want if you can't defend yourself.

There's a reason it's banned in grappling and it's a game changer.

It's banned in grappling because the idea is to train tomorrow.

 

[TheMaster]

It's banned in grappling because the idea is to train tomorrow.

Isn't a long-standing dogma in grappling that "striking is dangerous, because the small bones of the hand can get easily broken when punching..."



Actually not true if you condition the fist.