Ron Farrar (Ace Sports Promotions)
This widely used lock is, strictly speaking, illegal in wrestling as the purpose of the hold is to lock the arm AGAINST the joint of the elbow. No lock against the joint is legal but it has long being used and the practice of breaking the hold by the referee seems to have vanished many years ago.
The arm is taken and held fully extended with one of the taker's hands holding tightly onto the wrist of the victim whilst the other hand takes the victim's arm behind the elbow or somewhat higher behind the arm. The pressure is then applied locking the joint against itself which can then result in a broken or dislocated arm. The normal is of course for the victim to submit before this occurs. The main thing in successfully applying this hold is to keep the victim's arm rigid before putting the force against the joint.
In the three accompanying illustrations we see firstly Lady Satan beginning the move by taking the arm of Miss Vikki Layne.
Illustration 2 shows The Blue Angel about to obtain a submission from Lady Satan. Both girls are in a kneeling position and The Blue Angel has so successfully applied the hold that Lady Satan knows there is no way out of this other than surrender or a broken elbow.
Finally we see the most interesting and only variation I have ever seen of this move. In a bout in Cleethorpes in 1973 which saw the newly arrived Akala Jan taking on Miss Vicky Montrose, Vicky took an excellent example of the hold but instead of merely applying the lock against Akala's joint she did this fairly gently so as to keep her arm very stiff and rigidly straight. She then located the Ulna nerve and massaged it until Akala's arm went totally dead. Within seconds of this photo being taken Akala had submitted and though not in any great pain was totally unable to use the arm and thus the bout was awarded to Vicky on a T.K.O. It is a variation I have never seen used since. Vicky said she remembered schooldays when bullies used to "dead arm" the juniors and thought that Miss India ought to realise what she had got herself into. Akala said it was an experience she had not undergone before hut would try to ensure she never did again.
