Michael Jen: In your modified scarf hold escape tape, you teach two kinds of postures. For the sake of reference I'll call the first one "forearm in throat" and the second one "elbow in chest". Which one should be taught first to beginners and why?
I would think that it would make more sense to teach the "elbow in chest" posture first, because with that posture you are concentrating on getting your other arm down to the mat (by grabbing that bicep) and not letting your opponent get a full blown modified scarf hold in which he immobilizes your near arm. But I'm not sure.
A second question: For the forearm in throat posture in NO-GI, should you put the palm of your hand in his chin/neck or should you push with your forearm instead?
I teach putting the gi across the neck to my students. I find circling to be the easiest escape. I don't care if my other arm is immobilized. I can do the escape whether the arm is immobilized or not and I know how to get it out if I need to do that.
As far as no gi, my arm/hand positioning depends on how my opponent positions his head. I may use one or the other depending on the situation.
Thanks, Michael. I know that some forum members have had problems with the circling escape. I assume that the key to that escape is to push your opponent's head to the side while you're circling, so he can't follow you, right?