Eight Types of Resistance

H-CUFF® (Hands-On Control Using Functional Force)

About Lesson

Defining Resistance

b) Key Points

1) Side-curl Resistance

Refers to the arrestee curling his arm to thwart an execution of a straight-armbar takedown.

The curling action can be exploited by converting the resistive force into an outside wristlock takedown.

2) Straight-arm Resistance

Refers to the opposite form of resistance where the officer is trying to bend the arrestee’s arm (as with the outside wristlock), but the arrestee resists by trying to straighten his arm.

Use this arm movement to apply a straight-armbar takedown.

3) Elbow-drop Resistance

Refers to the type of resistance offered by the arrestee whereby he thwarts the pushing up of his elbow by an officer (as when attempting a twistlock).

Capitalize on this downward resistance by applying a transport wristlock and into a sit-down (as shown in the picture) or a reverse-grip outside-wristlock takedown (as shown in the video).

4) Elbow-lift Resistance

Refers to resistance that has an arrestee fighting the dropping of his elbow (as with the transport wristlock) by forcing his own elbow upward.

Use his resistive force to initiate a single twistlock which can be further transitioned into a hammerlock (and neck crank) and later it can be turned into a hammerlock takedown.

And later it can be turned into a hammerlock takedown.

5) Pushing Resistance

Refers to an arrestee using his arm(s) to push against an officer.

Go with the flow, get off the line of attack, and use his own force to help apply a technique like a foot-sweep takedown.

6) Pulling Resistance

Refers to the opposite form of resistance just noted by pulling away from the officer (as if trying to run away).

If you both pull away from each other, contact may be lost.

The officer could again use the arrestee’s force to his own advantage by moving with the arrestee and foot-sweeping him to the ground.

7) Assaultive Resistance

Refers to any manner of assault made by an arrestee, be it a punch, elbow, kick, knee, bite, or headbutt.

All of these types of resistance can be negated by thrusting the grasped elbow/arm towards the direction of the assaultive force and there are many ways to subsequently take him down.

This counterforce binds or jams most of the assaultive force directed at an officer—remaining in the arrestee’s blind spot makes the officer a difficult target to acquire.

8) Drop-down Resistance

Refers to the often overlooked, but common, response by the arrestee of dropping down to the ground while the officer is trying to gain control over him.

Many officers are surprized by this kind of resistance, but merely retaining the seized arm can lead to a simple and transitory standing armlock using a double-knee arm capture that is part of the prone handcuffing process (careful knee-boxing his ribs can be done if strong resistance is encountered).