History Main / WithinArmsReach

An apparent CurbStompBattle is happening. One character has another at their mercy, and they're attacking them. Strangulation and drowning are particular favorites. They have this character pinned down, apparently helpless. They are moments from death or unconsciousness - when out of the corner of their eye, in a case of ContrivedCoincidence, the victim notices something they can use to fight back... and it's conveniently within grabbing distance, or it can be pushed/pulled down ''just'' close enough to be usable. Often, this will be a literal weapon (or some form of ImprovisedWeapon). No matter how previously injured they were or how dominant their attacker was, the victim has no problem twisting around and managing to grab or otherwise access said item. Although they're almost always doing this in full view of the villain, [[BondVillainStupidity the villain usually doesn't notice or try to stop them.]] However, this does not necessarily have to apply this way round; it may be that the hero is attacking the villain when it happens.

* Parodied in ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'': Matsuri tries to get past Masurao, but ends up knocked down with his head stuck [[MurderousThighs between Suzu's thighs]]. Matsuri is able to grab ''Shirogane'' and [[FastballSpecial throws him]] [[ThrowingTheDistraction to distract]] the cat-loving Masurao before getting himself out from under Suzu.
* In ''Manga/SteelBallRun'', BigBad Funny Valentine is in the middle of trying to unknowingly rape Lucy Steel, currently disguised as his wife, on a dinner table. Lucy manages grab a knife from the table and tries to stab Valentine with it... [[SubvertedTrope only for him to immediately notice]] and grab her hand before it lands. Valentine then realizes Lucy isn't actually her wife, and starts raping her for real. DoubleSubverted when he accidentally transfers her [[ItMakesSenseInContext flesh mask]] onto himself, which distracts Valentine long enough for Lucy to actually stab him in the neck for real. [[ImmortalLifeIsCheap Doesn't matter in the long run though]]...

* In ''Film/{{Hush}},'' after disorienting the SerialKiller antagonist by [[LoudOfWar holding a piercing loud smoke alarm in his face]] and [[EyeScream spraying insecticide in his eyes,]] it looks like [[DisabledBadass Maddie's]] done for when he has her pinned to the floor with his hands around her neck, but she manages to just barely grab a corkscrew lying on the floor and kills him by plunging it into his neck.

* A villainous example in ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions'': During Neo's fight with Bane (possessed by Smith), Neo almost throttles him before Bane grabs a sparking electric cable and blinds Neo with it.

* ''Film/Predator2'': During their battle at the top of a building, the Predator has a death-grip on Harrigan's arm. When the Predator activates its SelfDestructMechanism, Harrigan reaches out and grabs the Predator's flying energy disc, then uses it to cut through the mechanism and the Predator's forearm. Watch the scene [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhEUi-W6pSY#t=30s here]].

* Played with in ''Film/StarWarsTheEmpireStrikesBack'': Luke Skywalker regains consciousness in an ice cave on Hoth, dangling inverted from the ceiling of a wampa's den. Unable to pull his feet free of the ice, Luke looks for his lightsaber. He finds it stuck in a snowdrift well out of arm's reach. Ah, but Luke can use the Force to pull his LaserBlade into his grasp. Luke does so just in time to cut himself free before the wampa, alert to Luke's shenanigans, closes for the kill.

* ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'': Casey Jones is on the receiving end of a CurbStompBattle from Tatsu until he lands near a bag of stolen golf clubs. He grabs a driver and proceeds to OneHitKO Tatsu.

* The off-Broadway production ''Theater/{{Extremities}}'' has Marjorie alone at home, and at the mercy of a sadist rapist. Pinned to the floor, and being undressed, Marjorie sees an aerosol can of insecticide. Her fingers scrabble for it, she attains it, then sprays her attacker's eyes with it. Blinded, the man cannot fight effectively, and Marjorie defeats him, locking him in a makeshift cage. Adapted into a film in 1986.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
** "Bart's Friend Falls in Love'': After Bart confesses that he's the reason Samantha's dad won't allow Milhouse to see her anymore, he starts to strangle Bart. Bart then reaches around the floor, choosing from a brick and a broken glass bottle, before bashing the "Lucky 8-ball" on Milhouse's face.
** In ''The Simpsons'' episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS7E16LisaTheIconoclast Lisa the Iconoclast]]" Lisa discovers that Jebediah Springfield, the town founder, was really a pirate named Hans Sprungfeld who attempted to assassinate UsefulNotes/GeorgeWashington in 1781. The {{flashback}} sequences revealed that during the attempt, Hans had managed to pin down the then Revolutionary General and started to choke him. However Washington managed to reach for his false teeth that were lying on a table, and used them to inflict a GroinAttack on his assailant.

* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'': The DistantPrologue shows that Bruce Wayne's final battle as Batman ended with him [[HollywoodHeartAttack collapsing]] as age and declining health caught up with him. Fortunately for him, a gun that had been knocked to the floor earlier in the fight lies within reach, and he [[BatmanGrabsAGun brandishes it]] to force the thug who is beating the tar out of him to retreat. This incident convinces him to hang up the cowl for good.

* ''Film/TheStrangeThingAboutTheJohnsons'': Isaiah tries to kill his mother Joan by shoving her head into the fireplace. As he's doing so, she manages to grab the fire poker and bludgeons him to death with it.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In "The Twin Dilemma," a hallucinating Doctor attacks Peri, believing her to be an alien spy. In the struggle, a small compact mirror falls out of her pocket, and she's able to grab it. She manages to flash it in his eyes and prompt a MyGodWhatHaveIDone moment.

* Parodied in ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'': Matsuri tries to get past Masurao, but ends up knocked down with his head stuck [[MurderousThighs between Suzu's thighs]]. Matsuri is able to grab ''Shirogane'' and throws him to distract the cat-loving Masurao before getting himself out from under Suzu.