1. Did Monks Start Joint Manipulation in the Martial Arts?
Many martial arts teach joint manipulation as a form of self-defense. Exactly which martial art has bragging rights is unclear, but it's possible that this effective way to inflict pain actually began as a way to heal. Buddhist monks began using acupressure as a way to defend their monasteries and themselves against wild animals or outlaws when traveling. The techniques spread with their journeys. The military and law enforcement also use joint manipulation as a means of controlling or disabling an assailant.
2. Control or Disable?
Joint manipulation is a move in which you control or disable an opponent by inflicting pain. Done correctly and with enough force, joint manipulation can cause serious injury by tearing muscles, ligaments and tendons. It's also possible to separate a joint. Sometimes joint manipulation ends the fight with you in control, but sometimes you have to take the technique further to the point of disabling your opponent. Only you can be the judge of how much force to apply in a given situation.
3. The Power of the Circle
A defender goes with the flow of an attack in a circular motion. For instance, use an inner block on a middle punch to grab the wrist, turn it pinky-side up in a semi-circle, and pull it toward you while bending it in a half circle toward the sky. This not only inflicts pain, but it also disrupts the opponent's center of gravity. One of two ways to manipulate a joint can cause pain. Hyper-extension is bending a joint in some direction other than what it is intended to do. Hyper-flexion is taking a joint beyond its normal range of motion.
4. Outsmart, not Out Muscle
A defender needs to distract an attacker's attention away from the joint he intends to target. You do not want to wrestle with a flexed muscle since it is easier to manipulate a joint when muscles are relaxed. You can distract with a strike or kick. It is even better if the distraction also affects the attacker's center of gravity such as a palm heel to the face or a stomp on the foot.
5. Know Your Angles
A martial artist can use joint manipulation to affect one joint or multiple joints. With a single joint manipulation, go for an increased angle. The opposite is true with multiple angles. You want a straight line when manipulating multiple joints. For example, a wrist manipulation done correctly will affect the elbow and shoulder, driving your opponent to his knees.
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