Finger Locks in Jiu Jitsu

Finger locks are not currently required for the grading syllabus, but are still frequently used because of their ease of application. The aim of any lock is to force a joint to try and bend in a direction against its normal direction of movement. Fingers normaly bend in towards the palm of the hand ... they are not normally as good at bending over onto the back of the hand. The knuckles are the joints that the pressure is to be directed towards, and the pain caused by finger locks can be quite acute to say the least. In fact because fingers can give relatively little resistance to a good lock, it is imperative that great care be taken when applying the locks.

The simplest lock to apply is by grabbing one or more of an opponents fingers in the same sort of way as you might grab a lever. Then simply push the fingers over into the back of the hand. The photographs here illustrate 'single finger over the top' and 'double finger underneath' locking techniques. In each the index finger is extended. This often helps with the lock as pointing into it often feels easier than forcing into it. However leaving the finger out like this leaves it open to counter-finger locks. So once you have achieved a level of proficiency (its fairly easy), simply apply the lock with a full grip.