Musings On Grappling and Groundfighting
It is axiomatic that most situations that get beyond the first few blows become scrappy, messy grabbing-and-grappling affairs. Some - perhaps even most - of these go to the ground.
That could be taken to mean that ground-fighting is all-conquering, but that’s a false conclusion. It is important – no doubt about that – but no amount of skill on the ground is worth anything without a solid ‘standup game’. That applies to ‘sport’ as well as ‘street’ – I’ve seen guys who loved the ground a bit too much and neglected their standup game. The usual result is that they have to eat a lot of shots before they can take the fight to their chosen arena, and often end up disadvangated to to the point where they can’t get a submission before the referee stands the fighters back up.
In self-defence terms, most fights that go to the ground are pretty much decided before or as they get there. Often someone gets hit and is dazed, and pulls the other guy down with him, or he is taken down so hard that he’s as good as out of the fight, or lands in such a disadvantageous position that he cannot fight effectively. A good set of standup skills is necessary to avoiding these fates.
If you can avoid being pummeled into near-defeat while upright, or dumped hard, then groundfighting becomes important, because it’s more likely that you’ll actually arrive on the ground in a condition to fight. It’s still not the first choice for a self-defence situation, though it’s an entirely valid gambit in a one-on-one sporting match if you have good groundfighting skills or are outmatched at standup striking and want to deprive your opponent of the advantage he enjoys.
Some arts teach students to choose to go to the ground ‘on the street’ (where is this street where all these fights occur? Seems to me that all you have to do is never go there and you’ll never be attacked). But anyway, choosing to go to the ground in an uncontrolled environment is usually a really bad idea, since once on the ground you are vulnerable to being kicked or just plain squashed by a heavier opponent, or kicked by random passers-by who feel like it.
That said, anyone who thinks they don't need to learn at least some groundfighting is wearing a set of blinkers. There are all kinds of ways you can end up on the ground, and if you have no idea what to do there, you’re in big trouble. That does not mean that you need to pursue Judo to world class, or learn submission fighting, Vale Tudo or Shoot Wrestling, merely that if you are serious about self-defence you should at least become familiar with basic grappling.
‘Vertical grappling’, ie the ability to grapple and wrestle without going to the ground, or to set up a takedown, is vital because if the first strike fails then an attacker will usually close in and try to grab you. This happens instinctively, so it’s a high-percentage bet that any fight that lasts more than a few seconds will become a grabbing and grappling match. Once someone has hold of you he will normally keep hold unless you make him let go.
Vertical grappling skills are vital whether you want to wrestle or to get free; either way you need the skills to make the fight go the way you want. It is important that you know how to escape or take the opponent down – or to avoid being slammed to the ground!
If you do end up on the floor, whether by your choice, the opponent’s or by accident, then you need to be able to do something while you're there. There are those that say that ‘sport’ grappling is invalidated ‘on the street’ because the opponent will bite and gouge. Well, thing is… biting and gouging eyes are grappling tools just like arm bars and chokes. The positional skills you learn in grappling training can be used to set up a bite or an arm bar, and to escape from one. Positional skills can also be used to get out of a bad situation or into a better one.
True, you probably should not attempt a formal arm bar on an opponent in the middle of the street with taxis driving over you while you do it, but the skills are still valid and some of the ‘submissions’ can be used to quickly disable an opponent by breaking a limb. In class you’d apply it slowly and firmly, and get a tap. On the street you crank it hard, break a joint, and bring the assault to a rapid close. Same skills, different application.
Most groundfights are won by the fighter who keeps his head and attains a good position. Whether you use that position to strike, bite, choke, lock or get up and run away, the training and practice are still highly useful. Groundwork training and ‘rolling’ in the class also teaches you not to panic when you end up on the ground. Most people have no idea what to do and there is little chance of coming up with something more effective than frantic wriggling. Similarly, most ‘street’ aggressors have little idea what to do other than ‘get on top and start hitting’ – such an opponent is much easier to dislodge than a skilled opponent in the class.
Thus even a little groundfighting training is well worthwhile, even if all you get from it is ‘all is not lost’. Everything else comes after that most important of factors: you must be calm enough to do something or you've had it. Exactly what you should do depends upon circumstances, but if you're frozen in panic then you'll not be doing anything of any use.
In most ‘street’ situations, groundwork skills are applied to the goal of getting back to your feet. There are a few situations where staying on the ground and looking for a finish may be valid, but usually you’ll want to get up. Typically that means not letting the opponent get a good hold on you, then wriggling free enough to pound on him, bang his head off the floor, knee, bite, headbutt or whatever, then get up and depart swiftly.
This all presupposes that you've had to go to the ground. As noted above, a good set of ‘standup’ grappling skills can help prevent that from happening, or at least ensure that if you do go down, it’s on reasonably equal or even advantageous terms.
That could be taken to mean that ground-fighting is all-conquering, but that’s a false conclusion. It is important – no doubt about that – but no amount of skill on the ground is worth anything without a solid ‘standup game’. That applies to ‘sport’ as well as ‘street’ – I’ve seen guys who loved the ground a bit too much and neglected their standup game. The usual result is that they have to eat a lot of shots before they can take the fight to their chosen arena, and often end up disadvangated to to the point where they can’t get a submission before the referee stands the fighters back up.
In self-defence terms, most fights that go to the ground are pretty much decided before or as they get there. Often someone gets hit and is dazed, and pulls the other guy down with him, or he is taken down so hard that he’s as good as out of the fight, or lands in such a disadvantageous position that he cannot fight effectively. A good set of standup skills is necessary to avoiding these fates.
If you can avoid being pummeled into near-defeat while upright, or dumped hard, then groundfighting becomes important, because it’s more likely that you’ll actually arrive on the ground in a condition to fight. It’s still not the first choice for a self-defence situation, though it’s an entirely valid gambit in a one-on-one sporting match if you have good groundfighting skills or are outmatched at standup striking and want to deprive your opponent of the advantage he enjoys.
Some arts teach students to choose to go to the ground ‘on the street’ (where is this street where all these fights occur? Seems to me that all you have to do is never go there and you’ll never be attacked). But anyway, choosing to go to the ground in an uncontrolled environment is usually a really bad idea, since once on the ground you are vulnerable to being kicked or just plain squashed by a heavier opponent, or kicked by random passers-by who feel like it.
That said, anyone who thinks they don't need to learn at least some groundfighting is wearing a set of blinkers. There are all kinds of ways you can end up on the ground, and if you have no idea what to do there, you’re in big trouble. That does not mean that you need to pursue Judo to world class, or learn submission fighting, Vale Tudo or Shoot Wrestling, merely that if you are serious about self-defence you should at least become familiar with basic grappling.
‘Vertical grappling’, ie the ability to grapple and wrestle without going to the ground, or to set up a takedown, is vital because if the first strike fails then an attacker will usually close in and try to grab you. This happens instinctively, so it’s a high-percentage bet that any fight that lasts more than a few seconds will become a grabbing and grappling match. Once someone has hold of you he will normally keep hold unless you make him let go.
Vertical grappling skills are vital whether you want to wrestle or to get free; either way you need the skills to make the fight go the way you want. It is important that you know how to escape or take the opponent down – or to avoid being slammed to the ground!
If you do end up on the floor, whether by your choice, the opponent’s or by accident, then you need to be able to do something while you're there. There are those that say that ‘sport’ grappling is invalidated ‘on the street’ because the opponent will bite and gouge. Well, thing is… biting and gouging eyes are grappling tools just like arm bars and chokes. The positional skills you learn in grappling training can be used to set up a bite or an arm bar, and to escape from one. Positional skills can also be used to get out of a bad situation or into a better one.
True, you probably should not attempt a formal arm bar on an opponent in the middle of the street with taxis driving over you while you do it, but the skills are still valid and some of the ‘submissions’ can be used to quickly disable an opponent by breaking a limb. In class you’d apply it slowly and firmly, and get a tap. On the street you crank it hard, break a joint, and bring the assault to a rapid close. Same skills, different application.
Most groundfights are won by the fighter who keeps his head and attains a good position. Whether you use that position to strike, bite, choke, lock or get up and run away, the training and practice are still highly useful. Groundwork training and ‘rolling’ in the class also teaches you not to panic when you end up on the ground. Most people have no idea what to do and there is little chance of coming up with something more effective than frantic wriggling. Similarly, most ‘street’ aggressors have little idea what to do other than ‘get on top and start hitting’ – such an opponent is much easier to dislodge than a skilled opponent in the class.
Thus even a little groundfighting training is well worthwhile, even if all you get from it is ‘all is not lost’. Everything else comes after that most important of factors: you must be calm enough to do something or you've had it. Exactly what you should do depends upon circumstances, but if you're frozen in panic then you'll not be doing anything of any use.
In most ‘street’ situations, groundwork skills are applied to the goal of getting back to your feet. There are a few situations where staying on the ground and looking for a finish may be valid, but usually you’ll want to get up. Typically that means not letting the opponent get a good hold on you, then wriggling free enough to pound on him, bang his head off the floor, knee, bite, headbutt or whatever, then get up and depart swiftly.
This all presupposes that you've had to go to the ground. As noted above, a good set of ‘standup’ grappling skills can help prevent that from happening, or at least ensure that if you do go down, it’s on reasonably equal or even advantageous terms.
