How to Do a Shoulder Bar From a Shoulder Grab in Martial Arts

It is common for an attacker to grab you by the shoulder in an effort to intimidate and control you. The shoulder bar is a straight forward and very effective technique to halt the attack and render the attacker helpless. It requires very little movement or strength. The maneuver traps the attacker's hand and cranks his shoulder joint the wrong way. This inflicts a great deal of pain on the attacker.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Identify the ideal circumstances for the shoulder bar. It works best when you and the attacker are both standing and the attacker grabs your shoulder from the front or side with one hand. This must be a same side grab. This technique does not work if the attacker is reaching across your body to grab your opposite shoulder. Try an arm bar if he does that.

2. Face the attacker sideways. If the attacker is facing you, swing the leg on the opposite side as his grabbing arm backwards in an arc so that your feet are in a line with the attacker's arm. If the attacker is already standing beside you, he is already in position for the shoulder bar.

3. Swing your arm backward in a big circular motion. This is the arm beneath the shoulder being grabbed. The circle must be from the front of the arm, over the top and around the back of the attacker's arm. The wide motion ensures that you make it all the way around the attacker's arm without him being able to stop you.

4. Bend your arm at a 90 degree angle and crank it straight up. Catch the attacker just above his elbow as you do this. Try to touch the sky with your fingertips as you crank. The attacker will jump up on his toes and arch backwards as his shoulder joint is placed under incredible strain. He is now completely under your control.

5. Pivot on the foot closer to the attacker. Turn toward him and place your other leg behind his legs. Use the arm on the same side as your tripping leg to thump the attacker in the middle of the chest. If you pivot and strike quickly he will not have time to recover from the shoulder bar. The thump will be enough to propel him backward over your leg and knock him flat on his back.