Page:Japanese Physical Training (Hancock).djvu/159

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Advanced Tricks of Combat
109

movement with his hands, seizing his opponent inside of the collar. The second joint of each forefinger is pressed against the "Adam's apple" of the man attacked, and so severely as to effectively strangle the man on the defence. In the illustration the man who is attacked is shown to be defending himself by employing the forearm pinch. It is well that this way of seizing the throat be employed frequently for practice. The development of agility in the performance of this feat is of the utmost importance to one who wishes to know how to defeat his man. Yet great caution must be used, as, when the pressure is too long sustained, it is possible to cause death. There is an instance within the author's knowledge where a man who had newly learned the trick came very near causing death through apoplexy by the severe employment of this trick. In practice bouts pressure for three or four seconds will be enough. The continuance of a severe pressure for twenty seconds would be dangerous,—that is to say, for the beginner. A Japanese who has taken sufficient punishment of the throat is able to perform a very