[LMB] Arms

[Victoria L'Ecuyer]

From: "Jim Parish"
All right, this is something that has bugged me for a long time.
[snip]
"She lunged, wrapping the belt around the doctor's throat, yanking her 
arms up behind her back, securing them painfully with the other end of 
the belt. Mehta emitted a strangled squeak."

Would anyone care to explain to me how anyone but a quaddie could 
do all of that, with the required speed, to an unwilling victim, no matter 
how startled by the initial attack?

Me: 

Last year I had the chance to attend a workshop where a US Marine taught some women how to do basic hand to hand combat. This involved getting attacked from the front, back, side and above (the attacker has you down on the ground, choking you). It was done in controlled stages with explanations of what the attacker is doing and what you should and should not do in response. It began as a self-defense demonstration and, well, escalated.^^

The scene breakdown would be as follows: 

1) Cordelia had the element of surprise on her side. She pretended to go along until she had reassured and relaxed Mehta. That turned Mehta into an unsuspecting victim. 

2) Cordelia came up behind Mehta (Mehta's blind side), wrapped the belts around Mehta's neck and applied pressure. 

3) The first victim response is to reach for the thing wrapped around your throat with both hands. Meta is distracted and off balance because she's leaning backward. (Strangling victims don't lean forward.) She's also pulling at the belt across her throat. 
 
4) Cordelia grabs one of Mehta's wrists in one hand (keeping tension on the belts) then wrenches Mehta's hand out, around and back up in a circular motion ending with Mehta's hand behind her back and near her shoulder blades. Cordelia wraps Mehta's first wrist in the belt and holds it secure. 

5) Cordelia then grabs Mehta's other wrist, twists that arm behind Mehta's back and ties the wrists together making sure to cross the belt at least once between the wrists and neck to keep the "noose" taut.  

6) At that point, Cordelia can go on to the next step. 

Victoria 

^^It was during a romance writer's retreat. The three guys (there to talk about three different topics) walked in thinking it was going to be a simple show, tell and walk back out. This was in spite the organizer's warning of "They're detail oriented, fact oriented and will ask a lot of questions without waiting for the question and answer session." The marine who was there for the weapons systems Q&A still flinches when he sees one of the local attendees. I think we were a little too enthusiasic for him. 

* Gunny didn't like demonstrating moves on me. First, I did not jump during his "scare the bejeezers out of them" exercise. Then I proved to be too flexible with a high pain tolerance. The Pacifistic Earth Mother was his "volunteer of choice**" when demonstrating enhanced pain compliance. She folded like wet toast every time. 

** As in "You. Get over here."