What is this secret handshake?

In about 1990 I met this guy in a bar, we were both in our twenties. I had met him at parties and such a couple of times. Anyways, when he shook my hand he placed his pointing finger discreetly on my wrist, other than that it looked like a normal handshake. I was puzzled, but thought that it was probably some kind of sub-culture hand signal to say he was gay or something like that, which I am not. I search through handshakes on the web today, but could not find a reference to that particular one, anyone here have a clue what it was? It happend in Norway, oh, and it was not a gay bar.

[edit on 30-5-2010 by Acharya]

Maybe the guy had a broken finger or something, who knows.

Yes there are secret handshakes, but they are not going to remain secret for very long if those who know them go around giving them to everyone the meet with.

What usuaully happens is a very gradual buildup between members of secret groups involving all sorts of indications from which they can tell they are from the same group. Only when they are confident will they exchange secret handshakes.

I doubt they would straight in with such a sign.

reply to post by Acharya


This is a very simple one. I do the same.

It is a common technique used in martial arts training, to point your index finger up to the wrist of the person you are shaking hands with. it does not affect the solidity of the grip, but what it does is inhibit the other person from trying to squeeze or crush your hand should they wish to get aggressive. also it places your finger in the perfect place to counter with a pressure point strike, which can bring the person to their knees.

Basically it's a defensive posture, which after learning you just get into the habit of doing normally and without even noticing it.

Sorry it's nothing more sinister. but try it, it works!!

Anti Squeeze Handshake Technique

it also works with 1 finger, and seems less odd with just one. but you get the idea.

That is a very common handshake, a large number of college fraternities, the one I was a member of included, use that same handshake as their "secret" handshake.

You said you were at a bar and in your twenties, sounds like he just mistook you for another fraternity brother.

reply to post by vimanarider


In Norway??

Well,I was wondering about the same thing after seeing it on the internet.

This is G.W.Bush on the left and the other person is Curt Schilling the pitcher for the Boston Red Sox.

It was taken at the White House reception for them because they won the world series.

Anyone know the significance of this handshake?

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/cbcd664f38ac.jpg[/atsimg]

[edit on 30-5-2010 by Oneolddude]

reply to post by vimanarider


I didnt attend college until some years later, and fraterneties are not common in Norway like it is in the US.

Originally posted by Oneolddude
Well,I was wondering about the same thing after seeing it on the internet.

This is G.W.Bush on the left and the other person is Curt Schilling the pitcher for the Boston Red Sox.

It was taken at the White House reception for them because they won the world series.

Anyone know the significance of this handshake?

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/cbcd664f38ac.jpg[/atsimg]

[edit on 30-5-2010 by Oneolddude]

Yes, thats the handshake he gave me, nice find! I wonder what it means

Originally posted by Acharya
Yes, thats the handshake he gave me, nice find! I wonder what it means

Nothing.

Originally posted by JoshNorton

Originally posted by Acharya
Yes, thats the handshake he gave me, nice find! I wonder what it means

Nothing.

Do you have a reason to say that it has no meaning?

Originally posted by Acharya

Originally posted by JoshNorton

Originally posted by Acharya
Yes, thats the handshake he gave me, nice find! I wonder what it means

Nothing.

Do you have a reason to say that it has no meaning?

Well sure... he did it to you, and you didn't know what it meant, so if it was intentional on his part, any subtext of secretive communication failed. The fact of the matter is, handshakes are a lousy mode of recognition. They're a cool thing to do if you KNOW the person you're shaking hands with will "get it", but as an identifier, they're mostly wasted.

There are conspiracy theorists like Eric Dubay who are practically rabid about showing hundreds of photos of politicians and celebrities doing handshakes or making gestures that he is 100% convinced ties all of these diverse people into one over-arching conspiracy, but it's simply a waste of time. When you shake hands with someone, it's always a negotiation... you have to guess how long to hold it, with how much pressure, etc... your hands might meet before you expected them to, so you end up gripping the fingers or the back of the hand... such things happen.

More specifically in your case, I'm guessing it may well have been a fraternity grip... if he'd seen you at parties, and you're both young, he might have assumed you were part of the same sub-group he was a part of. OR... it didn't mean anything at all, and that's just how he shakes hands.

But to try to take one instance of one grip and try to pull some important meaning out of it, or recognize it as belonging to one unique organization, is fruitless.

a secret handshake is normally only received to people with extreme confidence in their respective society. that is why they are secret

reply to post by thirtysecondsmacgruber


People often mistakenly give secret handshakes all the time, which is why many secret handshakes are not so secret. What the OP describes is much like the Beta Theta Pi handshake, except the Beta handshake involves two fingers. I know this not because I am a member of Beta, but because some drunk Beta went up to me and my friends at a party and said, "You guys are Betas! Me too!"

As a Freemason we use handshakes as a means by which a Freemason may be known to another Freemason. There is nothing sinister in this fact as Freemasonry is a society of men who believe in the 'Brotherhood of all men'.
Bro G