What should have been a routine diplomatic greeting turned into an awkward spectacle on the world stage, as President Donald Trump attempted his now-infamous pulling handshake on Paraguay’s president, only to find himself outmatched.
The brief exchange was captured on video and quickly circulated online, where viewers noted that Trump appeared to strain against a grip that simply would not yield.
Rather than pulling Paraguay’s leader off balance, Trump found himself having to reset, smiling through what appeared to be a rare moment of physical miscalculation. The Paraguayan president, for his part, gave not an inch.
US President Donald Trump Tries Armdrag Handshake On President of Paraguay, Fails pic.twitter.com/hj1y2hrppz
— calfkicker (@calfkickercom) March 9, 2026
The handshake in question has been a signature Trump move for years. He lunges forward, grabs hard, and yanks the other person’s arm toward him. According to sources, this is an approach designed to catch the recipient off guard and project dominance.
The technique first drew widespread attention back in 2017, when footage of Trump’s aggressive grip-and-pull approach began making the rounds.
Robin Gieseler, a fourth-degree black belt at the Relson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Columbus, Ohio, posted a tutorial demonstrating exactly how to neutralize the move.
Gieseler walked viewers through a counter technique using a wristlock known as a “goose neck,” explaining that the inspiration came directly from watching Trump’s handshake style in action.
“As he grabs really hard and pulls you in, I go with it,” Gieseler said in the video. “I step in with the outside foot. I wrap around the elbow. As I do that, I’m going to block his arm from here, I bend the wrist in, the other hand wraps over the top of the knuckles and boom, now you have what we call a goose neck.”
He was careful to add a word of clarification for anyone tempted to take the lesson too literally: “Now I’m not suggesting you do this to the president.”
He closed the tutorial with a knowing smile: “I promise, if I meet the president, I probably won’t wristlock him.”
Nearly a decade later, the handshake is still very much part of Trump’s repertoire.
