Irimi hold

The irimi hold is a useful technique for restraining and relocating people. An opponent in an irimi hold can be used as a human shield, and later shoved into another opponent’s path as an atemi. Since the irimi hold is a purely nonviolent technique, it is ethical to use on friends or loved ones who are intoxicated and/or threatening self-harm. The irimi hold is a “naked technique,” because it does not require grabbing the opponent’s clothes (as demonstrated by when the author successfully used the irimi hold to restrain a naked person; college is weird).

To perform the irimi pin, you must be standing behind your opponent. Typically this is achieved by setting up an irimi-nage (thus, the name), and substituting this hold for the throw. To perform an irimi hold, perform the following items simultaneously. • Ensure your sternum remains in contact with the opponent’s upper back. • Hook the side of the opponent’s jaw with the back of your hand, and turn their face up and away from you. Pin their cheek to their shoulder.  Avoid pulling the opponent’s head straight up and back, because they can escape by turning their head. Head control is established by forcing the opponent to lift and turn their head, and then pinning it down in that awkward position. • Drape your other arm over the opponent’s chest, ideally pinning their wrist against your thigh. Pull the opponent’s wrist away from their head; by stretching them out, you will split their energy.  If the opponent is being uncooperative, pull their wrist back towards you, for a standing arm bar across your chest. • Take a small step backwards, so the opponent’s shoulders are no longer above their hips. This disrupts the opponent’s balance, and they must lean on you for support. This makes it easy to forcibly move the opponent backwards or sideways.

However, a picture is worth 1,000 words:

[photo of the irimi-pin from the front and the side]

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