I know what you're thinking. Why should we hear about grabs, let along grungy grabs?

Could it be because this is just about the most common attack you'll ever face? Yup.

Grabs can be explained as just about the most complicated thing in the world, if you want to. I don't want to make it that complicated, so here goes.

To keep things in perspective, let's just discuss wrist grabs. I know, I know, you want to know it all right now. Well, I'm not smart enough to fit that much info into this small a space. And I never write in 4 point type.

Once we start looking at wrist grabs, we need to define our terms. There are single grabs and double grabs. In a single grab, the bad guy grabs one of your wrists with one of his hands. In a double grab, the bad guy grabs one of your wrists with two of his hands. (And to be honest, I forgot the dual single grab wear the bad guy grabs both of your wrists with both of his hands.)

And, besides these finely crafted definitions, there are also directions to take into account. Don't worry, there's really not that many directions. If the bad guy reaches across your body to grab your wrist, like grabbing your left with his left, that a cross grab. If he grabs the wrist on the same side, like grabbing your right with his left, that's a same side grab. (And if he reaches across your body with both hands, to grab your right with his right and your left with his left, that's not a grab, It's a pretzel. And I'm not talking about pretzels, today.) Finally, thank goodness, he can only grab your wrist from above or below.

Got all of that? You sure? Do you want me to go over it again?

Didn't think so.

Given all of this, the number of combinations and permutations of potential grabs or sequences of grabs is almost without number. Next time, I'll list them all, but just for now I'll jump to the end.

There is a simple and almost universal escape from many grabs. Your arm has two bones running between the wrist and the elbow. (If this is not true, I can't help you. Please contact a doctor or exobiologist for more information.) The bone by the thumb is the radius, while the bone by the pinky is the ulna. Don't worry, you don't need to remember these names, so it was a faux pas for me to mention them at all. Just remember that you've got these two bones.

To escape from pretty much any grab, just line up one of these two bones with the gap in his grip where the bad guy's thumb and fingers come together. You'll find it's pretty easy to slip your wrist clear of the bad guy's grip, as long as you pull hard and pull fast. If you give the bad guy time to set up, he's going to get a better grip and make you work harder.

To think about things a little differently, being grabbed is not the worst thing that could happen. (That would be getting grabbed, thrown off a skyscraper, and landing in a moat full of lave, filled with alligators. Whoa! Makes me shudder every time.) Why? Because as long as he's got a grip on your wrist, you know what he's doing with that hand. He can grab you or hit you, but not both.

Hit him! Hit him hard and fast. If he's a real dunce, he's grabbed one of wrists with both of his hands, and is just standing there, a abject, hapless, pitiable figure. He may not know it yet, but he's probably going to one of two places; the emergency room or the jail. You make the choice.

Beware of grungy grabs and make your life a walk in the park.

Jake Ross is a world renowned author, researcher, and student of the martial arts, Western hand to hand combat, and military fighting skills of the 19th to 21st Centuries. More of his writings are available at www.combatclassics.com