This was a perfect illustration as to why he liked to spar with Dinah. She surprised him. For most people, the ankle lock would have ended the match within mere seconds. Instead, Dinah had managed to all but turn it against him as she held onto him, re-positioned her free leg and her arms to put him into a hold of her own. A knee bar. It pinched, but more importantly, it threatened to dislocate his knee.
In response, Danny continued to hold her ankle in his curled right arm, but freed his left to take a quick swing at her exposed head with his longer reach. Because they were sparring there was not a lot of force behind the punch, as he had meant it more as a warning that the next one would not be held back.