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{{trope}}
[[File:
{{quote|''OH NO! HE'S MILDLY GRIPPED ME BY THE ARM!''
|''Film Brain'', ''[[Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li]] Review.''}}
So, the [[Action Girl]] is busy slinging around multiple opponents with her competent style of [[Waif Fu]]. In fact, she is doing so well that one has to wonder what the [[Big Damn Heroes]] are doing at all when they could leave the entire mission to her and she'd get it done and be back home in time for dinner.
But suddenly, something unexpected happens - she gets grabbed by the arm! Shock horror, now she has suddenly become the [[
No one is quite sure why, but it appears that any female lead's weak point in any given show happens to be on or around her upper arm (or alternatively the wrist). She could be absolutely dominating a fight, but the moment any old mook sneaks up behind her and say, grabs her shoulder, she suddenly [[Faux Action Girl|loses all competency and is reduced to begging the hero to save her, or tries once and again to fight back but is completely useless]]. This trope would make more sense if the [[Mooks|Mook]] also had, say, a gun to her back or something, but too frequently he runs at her unarmed and manages to reduce her to complete harmlessness. Maybe [[Action Girl
Giving the benefit of the doubt, this trope exists to keep fights interesting. But since it doesn't happen quite as often to guys, it's more likely that [[Double Standard|gender stereotypes haven't changed as much as we're led to believe]]. Alternatively, when someone tries to calm or incapacitate a guy it's much more socially acceptable to use a believable amount of
Note this ''never'' happens to a [[Dark Action Girl]]. If a Mook were to attempt such a thing, well, expect someone to be on the business end of a nasty [[Groin Attack|kick to the crotch]], aka: the standard ''male'' instant-incapacitation area. And that's if he's lucky - modern Dark Action Girls are rather likely to opt for breaking his arm in three places instead of "lowering themselves" to a groin attack.
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The arm is also the ideal location to grab a female character who's panicking or in the middle of a screaming freakout. No amount of verbal entreaties will get her to mellow out on her own, but punctuate a terse "calm down!" with both hands on her upper arms, and ''voila'', she's back on steady ground again.
Note that this trope does not apply if the female character is subjected to an actual combat move such as an armbar or a hammerlock. Note also that not every instance of a man grabbing a woman by the arm counts as a use of the
[[Captain Obvious|It should go without saying]] that in [[Real Life]], it will take more than just grabbing your opponent's upper arms or wrists and standing there to stop them, regardless of gender. (This depends on the girl, however; often in many cultures, women are ''conditioned'' to submit reflexively to being physically apprehended by a man or
Note that this could often be justified if the one using the grab is more skilled, or more sufficiently armed. For example, Alice has a knife and is fighting Bob, who also has a knife. Charlie has a club, sword, electric spear and metal armor. He grabs Alice to make his presence known, and Alice knows not to resist or she'll get run through with something.
For an arm grab - or, rather, a sleeve grab - that's a ''request'' that somebody doesn't leave, see [[Caught the Heart on His Sleeve]].
{{examples}}▼
▲{{examples}}
== Anime
* Subverted in the ''[[Virtua Fighter]]'' anime: A thug wants to use a young ballerina who had befriended Akira, Jacky and Pai as a hostage and grabs her by the arms, but [[She Fu|she actually wriggles her way out of his hold and manages to kick him away]]. She even says it's thanks to her dance training, which gave her extra flexibility.
* One scene in ''[[Detective Conan]]'' has Mouri Ran, a [[Waif Fu|Karate]] [[Cute Bruiser|expert]] being held by a criminal. Suffice to say, the mook didn't stand a chance, despite him actually ''holding a gun''. Arguably a [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]] for Ran.
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* Episode twelve of ''[[They Are My Noble Masters]]'', has {{spoiler|Ren's father}} use this on a couple of the servants...and it's played completely straight, despite all the female servants being proven asskickers. Apparently getting grabbed on the arm by a drunk, was their only weakness...
* A canine version of this appears in the [[Grand Finale]] of ''[[Ginga Densetsu Weed]]'', where Hougen kills one of Jerome's Alaskan Malamute followers and hold the female follower hostage by grabbing her throat. He only drops her when Weed arrives in time for the final battle.
* Used in ''[[Rosario
{{quote|'''Hokuto''': Although your attacks are sharp, it becomes weak once you're caught. }}
* In ''[[Code Geass]]'', Suzaku does this to [[Hot Amazon|Kallen]], but this is also a [[Subverted Trope|subversion]] due to the fact that [[Dangerously Genre Savvy|he suckerpunched her in the stomach]] first.
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==
* In ''[[Fantastic Four]]'' #119 (Published in 1972) a planejacker takes a stewardess hostage by just lightly gripping her shoulder so that ''both her arms are still free!''
* Subverted in ''[[Mass Effect]]: Redemption''. A sleazy batarian grab's Liara by the arm, thinking that she's for sale. Liara subdues him and his volus companion with a single biotic blast, while Feron, her drell companion, [[Face Palm|facepalms]].
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* ''[[The Wild World of Batwoman]]'' has this used successfully on several girls in a row.
* Played annoyingly straight in ''[[Appleseed|Appleseed Ex Machina]]''. After Briarios gets knocked out saving [[Boring Invincible Hero|Deunan]] from a huge explosion, she tries to help him, but is held back by this trope, of all things.
** Partially averted
** It also helps that she keeps her wits enough to not actively fight her comrade, simply pushing forward rather than attacking him - this would be a bad idea if he was an enemy, but she knows he's not.
* Played straight at the end of ''[[Shrek]]''. After showing [[Action Girl|impeccable fighting skills]] early in the movie, Fiona can only call helplessly for Shrek when grabbed this way at {{spoiler|her wedding}}. Granted Farquaad does eventually put a knife to her throat but only after 20 seconds or so of her doing nothing while Shrek, who is also grabbed, actually fights back.
** And again at the climax of the third movie.
* Played [[Narm|hilariously]] straight in ''[[Secret Window]]'', where the antagonist drags the conscious and struggling female lead along the ground, face-down, ''by one wrist''. No, the villain is not particularly strong; she was just [[Too Dumb to Live]].
* In ''[[Mulan]] II'', one of the Mongolian emperor's guards successfully uses this on Mulan.
* ''[[Miss Congeniality]]'' absolutely destroys this trope by having Sandra Bullock's character demonstrate self-defense techniques against just such a grapple for the talent portion of the beauty contest.
* Subverted in ''[[Live Free or Die Hard]]''. Near the end of the flick, a henchman has Lucy firmly subdued via the
{{quote|'''Gabriel''': You got her?
'''Henchman''': Yeah.
'''Gabriel''': [[Sarcasm Mode|You're
* A justified example comes in the ''Percy Jackson'' film. A terrified woman grabs onto Annabeth's hand and renders her unable to fight Medusa - because Medusa turns the woman to stone while she's still holding onto Annabeth's wrist.
* A rare male example in Disney's ''[[Tarzan (Disney film)|Tarzan]]''. Earlier in the film, he successfully incapacitates a full grown silver back gorilla, but when he's grabbed by the upper arm by a man of average build, he can't break free.
* Subverted in ''[[Last Action Hero]]''. Slater's daughter gets grabbed by one of the Mooks and becomes little more than a screaming nuisance, but as soon as the mook takes her to another room she uses her screams to cover the sound of her [[Curb Stomp Battle|dealing with him.]]
* In ''[[Tron: Legacy]]'', [[Action Girl|Quorra]] ends up on the receiving end of one. [[Your Mileage May Vary|Possibly]] justified as the grab is more like a joint lock, she was punched in the face seconds prior, and {{spoiler|one of her opponents [[An Arm and a Leg|chops off her arm]] almost immediately.}}
== Literature ==
* This happens in ''[[Wheel of Time]]'' when a girl is grabbed by a Warder in a Crown of Swords.
* In ''[[Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?]]'' Deckard uses this on Luba Luft. When previously cornered by the bounty hunter, she outsmarted him and managed to hold him at laser point. However, once he puts his hand "laxly onto her upper arm" she ceases all struggle.
* In ''[[Tortall Universe|Lioness Rampant]]'', where the slender 5'4" Alanna is [[Weak but Skilled|skilled]] and [[Fragile Speedster|fast]], and rendered helpless once her arms are pinned by a larger man. On the other hand, once she gets free, beware. She will mess you up.
** On the other hand, in ''Squire'', Keladry just flexes her bicep, forcing the man to loosen his grip.
* Averted in the ''[[Discworld]]'' book ''[[
* If you grab Lieutenant
* Averted in ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' by [[Dark Action Girl|Asha Greyjoy]]. A [[Unlucky Childhood Friend|childhood friend]] who was enamored with her attempted to stop her from leaving him by using this method. She promptly puts a knife to his throat and drives him off.
* Played straight in the ''[[Belisarius Series]]'' with Princess Shakuntala, who in her introductory scene goes from being a miniature whirlwind of spear-fighting death to a helpless victim the instant one of her opponents manages to disarm her and get a solid grip on her arm. Justified in that she's extremely small even for a young woman (read: slightly under five feet and barely 90 lbs. soaking wet), and her opponent is a six-foot-plus muscular barbarian. Also in that he immediately follows up his arm grip by throwing her to the floor, then putting her in a wrestling hold.
== Live-Action TV ==
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* Subverted in ''[[Robin Hood (TV series)|Robin Hood]]'' with Djaq. A [[Mook]] twists her arm behind her back and triumphantly shouts: "I've got the girl!" She head butts him, retrieves her sword and mutters: "A ''woman'', you'll find."
** Sadly played straight with Djaq's [[Replacement Scrappy|replacement]] Kate, who in her first episode is [[Mary Sue|magically capable]] of overpowering grown, horse-backed, armoured men by poking them with her bare hands, and is then rendered [[Faux Action Girl|utterly helpless]] in every other fight she participates in. Except the [[Cat Fight]], of course.
* Reference in ''[[Shooting Stars]]'' in a segment parodying ''[[The A-Team]]'' - "Look, it's a woman being pushed and pulled about a bit by some communists!" (Two Fidel Castro lookalikes each holding on to the
* Inverted in an episode of [[iCarly]], where Sam incapacitates a [[Girls Have Cooties|girl-hating]] [[Nerd|model train club member]] by squeezing his wrist.
* Averted in [[Power Rangers Wild Force]]. Toxica tried using this on Princess Shayla. Cue counter-ass-kicking.
* Averted a couple of times with Kira in ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]''. Played straight, however, in the flashback episode "Necessary Evil", when she is grabbed by Dukat and submits to it silently.
== Video Games ==
* Subverted and played straight in ''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]''. In the subversion, villain Xaldin attempts to force the Beast to [[Sadistic Choice|choose between his magical rose and Belle]], by holding both (with Belle held by the arm). While he's busy gloating, Belle elbows him, grabs the rose from him, and runs back over to the heroes. Played straight when Kairi is kidnapped by Axel when he simply grabs her wrist and drags her around like kleenex. Kairi just goes and follows her kidnapper while slightly squirming and only dragging her feet once; never does she consider using her free hand or kicking her abductor. One could chalk it up to an uncaring animator, though. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43n-H6ZMYRw
▲* Subverted and played straight in ''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]''. In the subversion, villain Xaldin attempts to force the Beast to [[Sadistic Choice|choose between his magical rose and Belle]], by holding both (with Belle held by the arm). While he's busy gloating, Belle elbows him, grabs the rose from him, and runs back over to the heroes. Played straight when Kairi is kidnapped by Axel when he simply grabs her wrist and drags her around like kleenex. Kairi just goes and follows her kidnapper while slightly squirming and only dragging her feet once; never does she consider using her free hand or kicking her abductor. One could chalk it up to an uncaring animator, though. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43n-H6ZMYRw&feature=related Observe] after about 4:30.
* ''[[The Bouncer]]'' features a kidnapping in the opening cutscene where the kidnapped girl, while trying to escape, is stunned so much by being grabbed on the upper arm that he can put her in a headlock easily.
* Awesomely subverted in ''[[Last Scenario]]'' when [[White Mage|Lorenza]] is introduced. A group of soldiers is trying to capture her, and one of them grabs her arm... so she [[Cutscene Power to the Max|vaporizes him with a lightning bolt]].
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* Used in ''[[Professor Layton and the Unwound Future]]'', when {{spoiler|the [[Big Bad]] kidnaps Flora, Layton's ward, by dragging her out of a restaurant by one arm}}. To be fair, Flora is a sweet little girl and can't do much to defend herself anyway.
* In ''[[Dragon Quest VIII]]'', Angelo grabs Jessica by the arm and drags her off to sneak away from a bar brawl over his cheating at cards.
* An interesting version of this happens in the ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' series. Characters can grab each other, and, if someone grabs a male fighter, it'll be by the chest's clothes, or in the case of fighters that don't wear clothes... by grabbing their skin directly, supposedly. However, if one grabs one of the princesses, it'll be by the arm. Of course, grabbing by the chest would lead to some [[Unfortunate Implications]].
* Played straight in ''[[Ratchet and Clank]]'': Quest for Booty. Talwyn can shoot guns and jetpack around all she wants during gameplay, but once she's grabbed by the arm in a cutscene, she doesn't even struggle.
== Web Comics ==
* Lampshaded in ''[
▲* Lampshaded in ''[http://galactanet.com/comic/index.htm Casey & Andy]'', the antagonistic Lord Milligan is a [[Card-Carrying Villain]] who [[Contractual Genre Blindness|follows basically every trope in the book]], right down to having a lair inside a hollowed-out volcano, and insisting on explaining the villainous plot to the heroes before killing them. When one of the eponymous characters asks him if there's any ''advantage'' in following all those rules, Milligan demonstrates that there is by employing the "[http://www.galactanet.com/comic/view.php?strip=381 Female Incapacitation Attack]" on Mary, an [[Action Girl]] with implanted, Wolverine-style claws.
* Subverted in ''Darken''. Sure, Elia is mildly inconvenienced when Shard grabs her, but [http://darkencomic.com/?webcomic_post=june-24th-2010 it doesn't last long.]
* ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20130203032518/http://girlyyy.com/go/671 Girly]'', most likely will be [[Lampshade Hanging|Lampshaded]] later (it's not the first time ''[[Girly]]'' lampshaded something ''while'' playing it straight).
** [https://web.archive.org/web/20130203032543/http://girlyyy.com/go/673 Sure enough,] subverted with a little [[The Only One Allowed to Defeat You]] thrown in.
* [[Gender Flip|Gender-flipped]] in the [[Ciem Webcomic Series]]. Candi only defeats Musaran because she musters her strength after a punishing blow to punch him in the face. She was otherwise already paralyzed because [[Lightning Can Do Anything|Exploding Computer Monitors Can Do Anything]], and because Musaran was using the story's own standard ''male'' grab area (ankles) in the hopes that what works for the gander works for the goose.
** Denny was completely helpless once grabbed by his ankles. Makes sense when you consider [[The Sims|the animations that were being rigged]] to create the scene.
* In ''[[Underling]]'', this happens to Eshi on [https://web.archive.org/web/20190811074017/http://underlingcomic.com/page-one-hundred-seventy-one/ this] page.
* ''[[Girl Genius]]'' had this (briefly) when [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20100319 "Snapper" Boikov tried taking Sanaa hostage]. ''After'' discovering she's a sister of the hero who did personally break half of the prisoners' or their bosses' operations and probably already knowing she was imprisoned for [[Pirate Girl|piracy]]. "Dibs on his boots!"
** Oddly enough this works on [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20120314 Bangladesh DuPree] of all people.
*** Well, it '''is''' a massive clank, and it does have her by '''both''' arms. And her feet are being held off the floor so she has no leverage. And the clank is also intelligent enough to hold her facing ''away'', so that she can't kick it.
*** Also, the person ordering her to be restrained in that scene is DuPree's commanding officer.
* Subverted in ''[[Leftover Soup]]'', Ellen's self-defense class was devoted solely to techniques to stop rapists grabbing one's wrist. When she asks Jamie to [http://leftoversoup.com/archive.php?num=30 "give her his best shot"] he kicks her in the kneecap.
== [[Web Original]] ==
* Subverted wickedly in the [[Whateley Universe]]. In the second Boston Brawl, Generator (who looks like a ten year old girl) is grabbed as a hostage by Ironhawk (mutant in power armor). She slaps something on his armor, takes over his control system, and uses him as a missile for the rest of the battle.
== Western Animation ==
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** Subverted later when Superman tries this on Cheetah. He grabs her arm and twists, she slashes his face with her Kryptonite-coated nails.
* Inverted in ''[[Wing Commander Academy]]'': [[The Squadette|Archer]] performs this hold on [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold|Maniac]], before [[She Fu|tossing him]] halfway across the room. Worth noting, Maniac appears to be about twice her mass.
== Real Life ==
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{{reflist}}
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[[Category:I Have Your Index]]
[[Category:Trying to Catch Me Fighting Dirty]]
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[[Category:Double Standard]]
[[Category:Hand Tropes]]
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