Strike, Throw, Submit

Punch, Throw, Lock is the 44th chapter of the Attack on Titan manga, written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama.

Overview
As Eren is being beaten down by Reiner, the Armored Titan, he recalls Annie Leonhart teaching him how to fight. At that time, Mikasa challenges Annie to a fight to see which of the two is stronger. Annie accepts the challenge and the two go into a battle stance. Back in the present, Eren gets up and continues his fight against the Armored Titan. The scouts try to convince Eren to retreat to the wall, but Eren ignores them and continues the battle. The tables turn as Eren starts to rip Reiner apart with a series of locks, throws and chokes. Reiner unleashes a desperate cry for help, which leads to Bertolt Hoover performing a 60-meter body press as the Colossal Titan.

Summary
Eren recalls their training days with Annie beating him to the ground. After a brief conversation, Annie throws a quick left hook, surprising Eren. He attempts to shield himself as Annie switches her arm and throws Eren down to the ground by an arm triangle. Annie continues to hold Eren in a choke while he tells her that he gives up. Annie instantly loosens her grip upon seeing Reiner falling and eventually landing on top of Eren. Mikasa walks over and cold challenges Annie to a fight. She accepts the challenge and they both go into their battle stances, with Annie wondering if her technique will work on a 'beast'.

Now in present, Eren wonders why he is remembering all of this now as he stands up and continues to fight against the Armored Titan. Despite Armin warning him not to fight, he ignores him and tries to throw a straight punch while Reiner counters with a right cross. Suddenly, Eren dodges under Reiner's punch and throws him onto the ground by mimicking Annie's arm triangle, which makes everybody surprise.

He proceeds to mount him and Reiner attempts to escape the mount. However, as the Armored Titan escapes and throws him down, Eren, making use of his martial art skills, extends his legs to lock Reiner in a triangle choke, saying that he will not escape that easily. Again, he tries to break free but Eren transits the choke into an arm-bar and rips his right arm off. Mikasa and Armin convince Eren to retreat to the wall again, and he does so.

Running out of options, the Armored Titan sheds the armor at the back of his knees allowing him to move at a higher speed. He then tackles Eren to the wall, cracking it in the process. Before his punch lands, Eren barely escapes it by tripping Reiner, causing him to fall off balance again. Hange manages to figure out that weakness of the Armored Titan are his joints because, just like an medieval armor, he cannot harden the back of his joints. This allows Mikasa to cut through the Armored Titan's legs as Eren holds him in a gullotine during Reiner's second attempt at tackling Eren down.

Unable to break free, the armor around his neck begins to weaken and Eren tries to rip his nape off. With his remaining hand he crawls a small distance towards the wall and then releases a powerful roar calling for help. Armin then realizes their current position, right below the Colossal Titan, just when the body of the huge Titan falls down over the two Titan Shifters at great speed.

Navigation
Chapitre 44