I worked in a treatment center throughout college - basically, these "therapeutic" holds are just joint locks, wrist bends, and pressure points. For at-risk kids who aren't able to manage their own rage and threaten physical violence, they can be necessary.
The thing that makes these processes a little different than martial arts is 1) many practitioners (like myself) aren't nearly as good at them as actual martial artists; and 2) the certification process includes a bunch of psychology (body mirroring, de-escalation techniques, positioning, etc.) to do BEFORE engaging in a hold. We also learn things to say during and after the restraint.
They're messy, though - I hated doing them (violence really upsets me), and they are ALWAYS humiliating experiences for the kids involved. It's just a way to incapacitate someone who is being an immediate danger to themselves, to someone else, or to property.
wihmartin115 karma
I worked in a treatment center throughout college - basically, these "therapeutic" holds are just joint locks, wrist bends, and pressure points. For at-risk kids who aren't able to manage their own rage and threaten physical violence, they can be necessary.
The thing that makes these processes a little different than martial arts is 1) many practitioners (like myself) aren't nearly as good at them as actual martial artists; and 2) the certification process includes a bunch of psychology (body mirroring, de-escalation techniques, positioning, etc.) to do BEFORE engaging in a hold. We also learn things to say during and after the restraint.
They're messy, though - I hated doing them (violence really upsets me), and they are ALWAYS humiliating experiences for the kids involved. It's just a way to incapacitate someone who is being an immediate danger to themselves, to someone else, or to property.
*Edit: Finished a thought.
View HistoryShare Link