A blood-flow restriction tourniquet apparatus comprising: a tourniquet body having a length sufficient to encircle a human limb, two opposing ends, an interior side intended to be positioned facing toward the limb and an exterior side opposite the interior side; a carriage having an interior side intended to be positioned facing toward the limb and an exterior side intended to be positioned facing away from the limb, the carriage having a niche and a bridge (202, 210) at either end of a base plate for allowing the tourniquet body strap material to move efficiently through and in line when turning a torsion bar; a torsion bar retainer integrally formed with the carriage; the torsion bar positioned on the exterior side of the tourniquet body and on the exterior side of the carriage, the torsion bar having two opposing ends and a middle portion, the middle portion having a slot, and each of the two opposing ends sized and shaped to mate with the torsion bar retainer; a tightening strap having a middle portion and two opposite ends, the tightening strap positioned on the exterior side of the tourniquet body and on the exterior side of the carriage, the tightening strap attached to the tourniquet body at each of the opposite ends of the tightening strap with the carriage positioned between the opposite ends of the tightening strap such that a portion of the tourniquet body extending between the opposite ends of the tightening strap extends over the carriage, through each of the niches and bridges (202, 210), the middle portion of the tightening strap passing through the slot of the torsion bar; a receiver attached to one end of the tourniquet body; and a slider attached to the tourniquet body and positioned between the carriage and the end of the tourniquet body opposing the end with the receiver attached, the slider being sized and shaped such that the slider can be positioned at any one of a plurality of positions between the carriage and the end of the tourniquet body opposing the end with the receiver attached, and the slider and receiver sized and shaped to mate with one another; wherein when the torsion bar is rotated, the tightening strap is suitable to be tightened and the tourniquet body is suitable to be pulled in two opposite directions, equally, toward the carriage thereby causing bunching of the portion of the tourniquet body extending between the opposite ends of the tightening strap, the base plate of the carriage being configured to absorb forces associated with such bunching and to disperse such forces circumferentially. a tourniquet body having a length sufficient to encircle a human limb, two opposing ends, an interior side intended to be positioned facing toward the limb and an exterior side opposite the interior side; a carriage having an interior side intended to be positioned facing toward the limb and an exterior side intended to be positioned facing away from the limb, the carriage having a niche and a bridge (202, 210) at either end of a base plate for allowing the tourniquet body strap material to move efficiently through and in line when turning a torsion bar; a torsion bar retainer integrally formed with the carriage; the torsion bar positioned on the exterior side of the tourniquet body and on the exterior side of the carriage, the torsion bar having two opposing ends and a middle portion, the middle portion having a slot, and each of the two opposing ends sized and shaped to mate with the torsion bar retainer; a tightening strap having a middle portion and two opposite ends, the tightening strap positioned on the exterior side of the tourniquet body and on the exterior side of the carriage, the tightening strap attached to the tourniquet body at each of the opposite ends of the tightening strap with the carriage positioned between the opposite ends of the tightening strap such that a portion of the tourniquet body extending between the opposite ends of the tightening strap extends over the carriage, through each of the niches and bridges (202, 210), the middle portion of the tightening strap passing through the slot of the torsion bar; a receiver attached to one end of the tourniquet body; and a slider attached to the tourniquet body and positioned between the carriage and the end of the tourniquet body opposing the end with the receiver attached, the slider being sized and shaped such that the slider can be positioned at any one of a plurality of positions between the carriage and the end of the tourniquet body opposing the end with the receiver attached, and the slider and receiver sized and shaped to mate with one another; wherein when the torsion bar is rotated, the tightening strap is suitable to be tightened and the tourniquet body is suitable to be pulled in two opposite directions, equally, toward the carriage thereby causing bunching of the portion of the tourniquet body extending between the opposite ends of the tightening strap, the base plate of the carriage being configured to absorb forces associated with such bunching and to disperse such forces circumferentially.