Here's A Simple Hack To Escape Handcuffs 

Police officer here. Handcuffs are easy to pick, as shown here….unless they’re double locked. That requires additional skill and the technique shown here will not work if they are double locked. Any police officer with 10 minutes of handcuff training knows to always double lock the cuffs once they’re put on someone.

Proper training: 1. Always make sure you have the key to the cuffs and that the cuff works. Even universal keys have been known not to work in some cuffs, this is a fault usually with no-name keys. Stay away from no-name cuffs too; you want S&W-Peerless-ASP. 2. Always make sure you have a buddy in the room with you that can get the cuffs off you. If you don't double lock them, they can get so tight to damage your nerves, should you fail to release the cuffs on your own, your buddy can before nerve damage occurs. 3. Work on the technique without wearing the cuffs. 4. Got the method down? Good, now try it with just one cuff on one wrist. 5. Succeeded? Great, now both cuffs on from the front and work on that many times. 6. Put them behind your back and work on that many times. Yes, all criminals know to cuff the person behind the back, as they have all been cuffed that way.

Wouldn't it make more sense to just hide an actual handcuff key on your person...

A close up of how this is being done exactly would've been appreciated.

Wish you had used pictures for us video watchers to see better. Love your videos!

I was trained to use handcuffs when I began working as a security guard. Thanks--learning to get out of my own handcuffs might just save my life.

IMPORTANT detail: these two methods work only if the cuffs haven't been locked. Every LEO is trained to lock cuffs to prevent kids with bobby pins escaping custody. Plus if the cuffs are properly placed on the wrists, it is pretty much impossible to get to the teeth anyway. Proper procedures matter a lot.

Would think that the kid who was not fleeing or resisting arrest , would have a pretty good excessive force, police brutality case .

Been watching your videos for a while now and always learning something new. I was 12 when I had an incident that I was attacked. Something didn't feel right about the situation but I ignored my gut feeling. I was attacked by someone out of impulse I fought back. The guy that attacked me blurted out "you're too much trouble" which told me everything I needed to know. Back when I was working as a pizza delivery driver I was making a delivery and when I got there something felt off I had a strong gut feeling so I called the customer the number was no longer in service. So I left and called the pizza place my work and explained to my boss I feel unsafe making the delivery. I didn't make the delivery. Since listening to my gut I have been able to avoid danger. It's still good to know what to do if in a dangerous situation. I also role play what I would do if someone was in a car with a gun demanding that I go with them or if I was ever in a hostage situation. I like to think ahead of time and have some ideas on how I can stay alive. I hope and pray that I'm never in those situations.

Here is a better hack to get out of handcuffs, double locked or not. Don’t commit crimes, and be aware of your surroundings in abduction prone countries. But if your cuffed by a criminal this might work😂 (Retired LEO)

Dear Jason, thanks for a very good presentation. There is however another way to beat handcuffs. I have been both a prison chaplain and later a guard. They outlawed Bic cigarette lighters because if one were to throw it down and bust it open. Then the fuel tube (like a narrow straw) and put a cut on the end of it about an eighth of an inch from the end with a razor blade...one has a make shift handcuff key. In short, the little plastic burr that sticks out does make a really works handcuff key for the do not need to be handcuffed. Citizen of Florida where one can get most anything for home defense. Best Regards JE

Paper clips work in a pinch, too. But as a previous commenter mentioned, step 2 (shimming) only works if the cuffs weren't double locked, or if you've defeated the double lock.

I read a book on Houdini methods of escaping handcuffs and there is a method you can do without a pick. I have used this in back of a squad car as a teenager and they had no idea :) Since I wasn’t planning to escape since I wasn’t committing a crime but detained I put them back on. Works with all cuffs locked or not. Secret: As they put the cuffs on make micro adjustments so the cuffs are placed higher on the wrists. That creates enough space to squeeze out of them. It does work because I did it in a real scenario lol!

I love how you tell people that if they committed a crime that they shouldn't use this tactic as if a criminal is going to listen to you.

I’m also curious with regard to the story about the Chicago PD if the gentleman could file litigation against the city. I mean they could certainly press additional charges but they should not be able to get away with beating him up. Also, it seems like an excessive reaction.

Good information. As an avid lock picker I will say that handcuffs are embarrassingly easy to open with all kinds of makeshift tools EVEN IF DOUBLE LOCKED! That being said, a good LEO will handcuff you behind your back with your palms facing outward so you can’t access the mechanisms in the cuffs.

He said, if you get kidnapped. He's not talking about being cuffed by police.

This video is interesting. I knew of a girl who had been kidnapped and got free because someone in her family had taught her how to escape handcuffs.

Always enjoy your videos. Thanks for posting.

Wouldn't it just be easier to have a key at all times? It can be hidden in a similar way as your barrettes.

I remember learning like a little Z for this guy. For the bobby pin. But seeing it and reviewing it and then practicing it in real life, everybody at the seminar is getting way more than I can get.

My escape devices are sewn into my belt loops front and back. Also into pant cuffs (usually just one). Double locks are easy to defeat as well but you need to take an additional step.

Thanks Jason for the advice.

I believe current law enforcement and their options over Jason.

I just bought a couple of real handcuff keys and keep them on me in two different locations. Works great.

Thanks for teaching us this. This knowledge will come in handy for me for sure!

*Jason Hanson* Great tips, thank-you sir for taking the time to show us. GOD Bless.

Another Valuable Video, Thanks!

WOW! Very entertaining video! I'll probably never need to try that but Very interesting.

Double locked or not. You can easily get out of handcuffs by using the seatbelt. It takes less than a minute. You can also get out of a bellychain the blackbox and padlock under 5 minutes. I cant but ive seen it done in the academy

Jason shows how to get out of cuffs double locked as well

So i should carry a bobby pin that i previously manipulated with pliers in the unlikely case that I'm abducted by persons unlown who use American handcuffs?

Bobby pins and barrettes are metal. Won't this set off the TSA alarms? How do I handle that?

I carry a spare handcuff key on all my keyrings.

Fantastic, thanks

thank you

Jason, it appears that you are not having them press in the "safety" mechanism, that creates a double lock to foil a simple shim. How do you solve the safety issue?

Inpector Clouseau would be amused....!

In additon to double locking the handcuffs, cops are trained to place the handcuff key hole to the top, not the bottom, precisely to prevent picking the lock. (At least I was trained this way in the academy, and how I put cuffs on a suspect).

Now try that with double locked handcuffs and the key hole away from the hands. The ratchet bar in handcuffs (the internal part with the teeth) is spring loaded and designed to move as the arm of the handcuff (the part you can see with the teeth on it) is pushed into the slot holding the ratchet bar. When the cuffs are double locked, the ratchet bar is locked in place and can't be pried away. Double locking handcuffs with the key holes up, palms facing outward and hands behind the back is taught in every law enforcement academy in the country. Basically, the only way to open double locked handcuffs is with a key or an improvised key. Even that is hard to do if the key holes are up, the palms are facing outward and the hands are behind the back.

QUESTION: I am aware of the “shim” trick, as well as the, “scuff and bind the chain” so you can leverage the chain joints to break trick. However! I have yet to find a good trick to get the cuffed hands from BEHIND my back to in FRONT of me so these tricks can be implemented. Any advice???

Excellent, great information to give out🤦‍♂️

My Son is a graduate of the US Army SERE-C course. I'm a FPO and he picked my cuffs, hands behind his back, double locked, in a little less than 20 seconds which is the course standard. I switched to double zip ties.

If you want to find a Dunkin Doughnuts, Call a Cop.

hey brotha jason , does a reg hancuff key work on these cuffs or ? but thanks for the great knowledge n tips/tricks of course there , never had cuffs on me personally or applied them either so i am a novice indeed here , thanks again bro > tom !

20 years carrying/applying cuffs here. This “may” work if you have the hair pin, the cop puts the cuffs on the way you need and you’re cool minded enough to do this. Odds are definitely against you. Can you imagine what a foreign country would do to you (physically) if they caught you? Better advice is don’t act a fool period.

please make some visual boards for online viewers

No where in the constitution does it authorize the use of handcuffs or leg irons. Or flexi-cuffs either.

"ANYWAYS " is street punk talk. The word is ANYWAY

A plastic haircomb works too.

Can this work with double 😩 lock applied?

A man was arrested here in FL years ago and had a handcuff key around his neck. Got out of his cuffs and killed the 2 cops that were transporting him.(no cage in the car) and holed up in a gas station until he killed himself. I know he killed 2 policemen but it may have been 3? Its been awhile, 15-20 years ago. Plus he had killed his son and that was the reason for the original arrest. Crazy shit.... that's the only handcuff key escape I know of.

There are 2 primary styles of keyway and mechanism. Smith & Wesson and Peerless. Many handcuffs out there but majority fall into those two categories. Your tips won't with with Peerless. Peerless is another extremely popular brand of handcuffs in the world. I highly advise you to teach both styles to give people the best chance of escape. Picking peerless keyways is a bit different and the bobby pin needs to be thin enough to fit all around the keypost, not just the larger keyflag open area. Also making a TOOOL Ultimate handcuff key is a really nice emergency key to secret on your person. There's vids on youtube on how to modify a S&W key into being a TOOOL one which can even open some high security handcuffs like Chicago X22 and ASP Blue.

1/8/24 Viewing and learning; loved it!

As a retired correction officer. When I took an inmate to the hospital I would check the room the inmate was going into for paper clips. Like it was said before. If not double locked. A paper clip works well.

This will go viral.

Useful 💯

useless video without showing what the picks need to look like.

Does anyone know when the next live Q&A is airing? ty

Ya know those comments on videos praising the creator for “straight to the point content? Yeah. Wow. All this can go into less than 30 seconds.

Good stuff. I like to hide and carry plastic keys.

Thank you Jason for teaching. I have R.A.T. Fight Books help fight out for life in the real world.

I just swallow a handcuff key everytime I leave the house. Then I just throw up in the police cruiser to retrieve it. They usually even pull over and let me out. 😅😅😅😅

*#Former** CIA🇺🇲Officer🤝Mr. Jason Hanson👍🙏*

Does this work for double lock cuffs?

It wouldn’t be considerably difficult for a restraint manufacturer to eliminate that gear latch shim bypass. Most likely there are restraints that do not allow for the methods demonstrated in this video.

I like this idea better than having to cut my hand off at the wrist again...yours very truly Alfonso Cantu USMC

They put your hands behind your back and handcuff you this way at least in Germany too.

I'M SO CONFUSED !! m

In EU you will get cuff behind your back at least in Czechia it depends on officer, unwritten rule is you behave you get them in front, you dont you get it behind.

Why did the yt algorithm put this at the top?

Or just buy The Invisible Handcuff Key and always keep it on you because it works for double-locked cuffs too.

Check your forward head posture. Maybe see a chiropractor. You'll thank me in your 70s onwards.

Why was the step to detent the double lock not included in this video? Without this action, handcuffs cannot be shimmed for release. The only time police do not double lock is oversight or rapid handcuffed of multiple suspects, off using zip ties as an alternative.

What about Peerless cuffs, same method ? That's what I carried back in the 70's and 80's.

I'm pretty sure I'm banned here. There's an even easier way but I'm not gonna type it up if I'm banned.

Key 🔑 is a simple skeleton type key . Best not to ever get them on you. Even if removed you still have to escape 😮

Does this work if the cuffs are double locked??

What if they put the lock on them

YOU HAVE to practice with them on behind your back.

Why no close up of the 45°bend...hello....

Or, just bring a handcuff key.

If you're gonna prepare ahead of time why wouldn't you just hide a key on you.

Why not just get a cuff key? They're readily available.

Best trick, is not to get handcuffed 😂

Greetings JASON from Apacheria in the Arizona Territories ahe'hye'e

Isn't it just easier to hide and carry a spare handcuff key?

This NOMAD has bad eyes and couldn't really see what you were doing, but I think I can figure it out. Do they take women's hairdos out when they get arrested? It would be easy to just always wear one ❤

Interesting.. *evil laughter*

Does it still work if the double lock on the cuffs is activated?

That’s good that you explain not to do this if you’re legally arrested in the United States. I’m sure anyone watching this will remember that if arrested and not try this just because you told them not to. See how dumb that sounds?

🐐

🙏

NOMAD

👍

Why not just buy or print a nylon handcuff key?

I use safety pins in my undies when Aunt Flo visits. So how would i use safety pins in a bad situation?

It would be really nice if we could see up close like you're showing all the men If a woman gets handcuffs from some not Thank you for not showing us

Nomad.

Nomad