| Since the early nineties, when cage fighting, no holds | | | | boxing stables specially prepare their fighters to defeat |
| barred fighting and the mixed martial arts became | | | | jiu jitsu fighters, it seems that the ground fighters don't |
| popular, there has been a lot of misinformation spread | | | | have a chance. |
| around that 80% of all "real" fights end up on the | | | | Now, let's compare that to street violence. Anyone |
| ground and the only way to be able to truly effectively | | | | who has seen a real fight will probably say that its true |
| defend yourself on the street was to spend years | | | | that many, if not most street fights end up on the |
| learning ground fighting. | | | | ground, but why is that? |
| OK, first of all, even if that were true, I still would have | | | | Well, what did one or both fighters do to end the fight |
| to say that ground fighting in a ring or cage is much | | | | standing up? Most likely nothing. Neither of the two |
| different than ground fighting on the streets. In reality | | | | fighters probably even tried to land any strong blows |
| you have to take other factors into consideration, like | | | | and, if one did, he didn't hit in the proper target areas to |
| your opponent pulling and using a gun or knife, or just | | | | cause immediate damage. Because one of the |
| the fact that people tend to have friends who would | | | | fighters was being hurt, but not damaged, he got |
| probably kick your head in if you put their buddy in an | | | | scared and moved in so he would be too close to be |
| arm bar. But that is another subject for another article. | | | | hit effectively. That means that they just clinched until |
| What I want to contest today is the myth that one | | | | one or both fell to the ground. |
| needs to become a ground fighting expert to survive in | | | | Well, let's see what they could have done. |
| a self defense situation, as well as discuss the reason | | | | If they were standing up and one of them was able to |
| why 80 % of real fights are decided on the ground. | | | | land a blow to an effective target area, then it would |
| OK, most fights in the cage "tended" to go to the | | | | not have gone to the clinch. |
| ground in the early days of mixed martial arts because | | | | If it did go to the clinch, one of the fighters could have |
| the boxers and kick boxers of the day simply didn't | | | | used headbutts, crushing the larynx, pressure against |
| know that ground fighting existed! | | | | the eyes or parts of the throat or even extremely |
| They were trained to stand up and punch and kick | | | | close-quarters kicks to the knee to damage his |
| and, should the two fighters clinch, or physically grab | | | | opponent before things went to the ground. |
| each other, the referee would come and create | | | | OK, but you do need to be able fight on the ground, |
| distance between the two fighters so they could | | | | because it is possible to end up there, even if you just |
| continue punching and kicking from a distance. Should | | | | trip over a curb or on a patch of ice, but that doesn't |
| one of the fighters slip or fall, the other fighter would | | | | mean that you need to formally learn a system for |
| be stopped and the referee would give the fallen | | | | ground fighting. |
| fighter a chance to stand up again. Now, all of a | | | | What you need to know for ground fighting in self |
| sudden, the ground fighters came and clinched, which | | | | defense is: |
| the kick boxers were totally unfamiliar with and just | | | | -How to land safely, which looks completely different |
| held onto the stand-up fighters until they were able to | | | | from that which is usually taught in the martial arts. |
| wrestle them to the ground! | | | | -How to defend yourself while on the ground against a |
| Fast forward about fifteen years and we see that the | | | | standing attacker and strike effectively from the |
| tide has changed. These days, the stand-up fighters | | | | ground. |
| know what the deal is and are prepared to knock an | | | | -How and when to stand up again, without being struck |
| opponent out before he can get close enough to clinch. | | | | in the process. |
| If the ground fighter does cinch with his opponent and | | | | -How to hurt an attacker while on the ground, which |
| try to take him down, the kick boxers of today can | | | | has nothing to do with chokes or armbars, rather |
| avoid falling, break the clinch and then go back to | | | | pressure to and crushing of vital points. |
| punching and kicking. These days, where the kick | | | | |