Ground Fighting To Stand Up

Why I Am I Fighting On the Ground?

In many blogs on the Internet two phrases reappear. The first phrase states; ”ninety percent of fights end up on the ground”.  The second phrase states, ”one-hundred percent of the fights start standing up”.  These two statements are examples of an ongoing debate about learning grappling skills and the role grappling should play in self-preservation.  As a complete and balanced martial artist learning a wide spectrum of techniques that can serve one in many circumstances has an advantage.  The extent that one devotes to the study of grappling are also based upon personal preference, prior injuries, age, body type, strength and willingness to engage someone in a grappling tactically or strategically.  The debate has to do with a martialist seeking specific goals. Some martialists argue that from their point of view either stand up or grappling is more necessary than the other in self-preservation.  Still other martialists insist that a “true”  martialist must have skills in all ranges.

As I see it , from the perspective of violent criminal assault survival, the goal is to stay standing if one can, fight on the ground if one must but, stand up as soon as possible.  My reasoning is as follows.  In violent crime, very few persons walk up to you in a robbery and say, “give me your money or I will tackle you and put you in an arm bar”.  On the other hand, it might be that in trying to disarm the assailant who has a knife or a gun, both persons fall to the ground.  Despite one’s preference to stand up, one must now deal with this reality of being on the ground.  Some strategic points to consider when fighting on the ground are:  the ground is not user-friendly and can contribute to injuries and tear at one’s will to fight.  The attack may involve more than one adversary and the ground gives the assailants immediate advantage.  The ground also gives the assailant advantage if he is larger, weighs more, is taller (leverage) and is stronger.  In the case that you and your assailant are on the ground, your solution consists of  injuring your opponent while extracting yourself from the grapple, to stand up, finish the fight or escape.  Preventing your self from going to the ground is part of an essential skill set as, the ground in a criminal assault is dangerous at best and is to be avoided if possible.  Do we need ground fighting skills?  Absolutely but, only enough grappling to understand our  enemy (“know thy self and know thy enemy, Sun Tzu Art of War)  and a full knowledge of escaping the grappling situation, causing injury and terminating the fight.  “You do not try to out box a boxer, you do not try to out kick a kicker, you do not try to out grapple a grappler.”  One must learn the ways of defeating the enemy with your skills, applying advantage to his disadvantage, and your strength to his weakness. 

If you frequent places where a trained martial artist with grappling skills hang out and by getting in an argument, a grappler may use his skills to assault you then you might need to be ready for that event.  On the other hand if the only conditions that you see in your future are non consensual assaults of violence by a criminal with criminal intent, than learning to grapple a grappler is not the best strategy. You must learn to defeat the grappler using your fighting skills not compete with him at his forte’.

If grappling is your thing, I think that is wonderful all the power to you.  But, I would not rely on grappling alone, to save my life in all situations of violent criminal assault.  If survival in violent criminal assault is your focus then it will take more than a grappling knowledge to survive and grappling will fit in this way: one’s preference will be to stay standing if one can, fight on the ground if one must but, and stand up as soon as possible.  What are your thoughts?