The Power Is in Your HandsYassar Arafat plants a Double-Hander on Tony Blair,
whose tight-lipped expression shows he's not impressedHandshakes of Control
The intention of any two-handed handshake is to try to show
sincerity, trust or depth of feeling for the receiver. Two signifi-
cant elements should be noticed. Firstly, the left hand is used
to communicate the depth of feeling the initiator wants to
convey and this is relative to the distance the initiator's left
hand is placed up the receiver's right arm. It's like an intention
to embrace and the initiator's left hand is used like a ther-
mometer of intimacy - the further up the receiver's arm it's
placed, the more intimacy the initiator is attempting to show.
The initiator is both attempting to show an intimate connec-
tion with the receiver while, at the same time, attempting to
control their movement.
For example, the Elbow Grasp conveys more intimacy and
control than the Wrist Hold, and the Shoulder Hold conveys
more than the Upper-Arm Grip.