Ground fighting

Ground Fighting

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Ground fighting

Ground fighting (in martial arts

Martial arts

Martial arts are systems of codified practices and traditions of training for combat. While they may be studied for various reasons, martial arts share a single objective: to physically defeat other persons and to defend oneself or others from physical threat....
sometimes referred to as "ground work" or "ground game") is hand-to-hand combat

Hand to hand combat

Hand-to-hand combat is a generic term often referring to weaponless fighting conducted from a military based point of view. This distinguishes it from combat sport....
which takes place while the combatants are on the ground, generally involving a degree of grappling

Grappling

Grappling refers to the gripping, handling, and controlling of an opponent without the use of strike , typically through the application of various grappling holds, choke holds, and counters to various hold attempts....
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Encyclopedia

Ground fighting (in martial arts

Martial arts

Hand to hand combat

Grappling

Martial arts

Combat sport

A combat sport is a competitive contact sport where two combatants fight against each other using certain rules of engagement, typically with the aim of simulating parts of real hand to hand combat....
s to designate the set of techniques employed by a combatant that is on the ground, as opposed to techniques employed in stand-up fighting

Stand-up fighting

Stand-up fighting is hand-to-hand combat which takes place while the combatants are in a standing position. The term is commonly used in martial arts and combat sports to designate the set of techniques employed from a standing position, as opposed to techniques employed in ground fighting....
. Martial arts and combat sports that emphasize ground fighting include Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art and combat sport that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting. It is a derivative of early 20th century Kodokan Judo, which was itself then a recently-developed system , based on multiple schools of Japanese jujutsu....
, catch wrestling

Catch wrestling

Catch wrestling is a style of wrestling. Catch wrestling is arguably the ancestor of modern grappling, professional wrestling, mixed martial arts and no-holds-barred competition....
and mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts

Judo

, meaning "gentle way", is a modern Japanese martial art and combat sport, that originated in Japan in the late nineteenth century. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either Throw one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling manoeuvre, or force an opponent...
, sambo

Sambo (martial art)

Sambo is a modern martial art, combat sport and self-defense system developed in the Soviet Union and recognized as an official sport by the USSR All-Union Sports Committee in 1938, presented by Anatoly Kharlampiev....
and most types of wrestling

Wrestling

Wrestling is part of the martial arts. A wrestling match consists of physical engagement between two people in which each wrestler strives to get an advantage over, or control of, the opponent....
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Similarly to clinch fighting

Clinch fighting

Clinch fighting is the part of stand-up fighting where the combatants are grappling in a grappling position#Stand-up grappling position, typically using grappling hold#Clinch hold....
, ground fighting implies that the combatants are at a very close range, usually involving one or both combatants grappling

Grappling

Grappling hold

A grappling hold is a grappling, wrestling, judo or other martial arts term for a specific grip that is applied to an opponent. Holds are principally used to control the opponent, and to advance in points or grappling position....
s. Depending on the positioning

Grappling position

A grappling position refers the positioning and grappling hold of combatants engaged in grappling. Combatants are said to be in a neutral position if neither is in a more favorable position....
of the combatants, the proximity can allow for techniques such as biting, chokehold

Chokehold

A chokehold or stranglehold is a grappling hold that strangling the opponent, and leads to unconsciousness or even death. Chokeholds are practiced and used in martial arts, combat sports, self-defense, law-enforcement and in military hand to hand combat application....
s, fish-hooking

Fish-hooking

Fish-hooking is the act of inserting fingers into the mouth, nostrils or other orifices of a person, with the intention of pulling and tearing the surrounding tissue....
, eye-gouging

Eye-gouging

Eye-gouging is the act of pressing or tearing the eye using the fingers, other bodyparts, or instruments. Eye-gouging involves a very high risk of permanent eye injury, such as visual impairment....
, joint lock

Joint lock

A joint lock is a grappling technique involving manipulation of an opponent's joints in such a way that the joints reach their maximal degree of motion....
s, pressure point techniques, or various strikes

Strike (attack)

A strike is an attack with an inanimate object, such as a weapon, or with a part of the human body intended to cause an effect upon an opponent or to simply cause harm to an opponent....
.

Striking on the ground

Traditionally neglected by most grappling

Grappling

Strike (attack)

A strike is an attack with an inanimate object, such as a weapon, or with a part of the human body intended to cause an effect upon an opponent or to simply cause harm to an opponent....
on the ground is an important aspect of ground fighting. Typically, a top position is better for various strikes than a bottom position, simply because the combatant in the top position can generate the distance and movement needed for effective strikes, while the bottom combatant is restricted by the ground and by the combatant on top. Another factor is gravity, which is in favor of the top combatant when he or she is striking downwards. In addition, the effect of ground strikes may be amplified, depending on the area struck, by the strike driving the opponent into the ground. The types of strikes that can be employed effectively depend on the particular grappling position

Grappling position

Elbow (strike)

An elbow strike is a strike with the point of the elbow, the part of the forearm nearest to the elbow, or the part of the upper arm nearest to the elbow....
s, headbutt

Headbutt

A headbutt is a strike with the head, typically involving the use of robust parts of the cranium as areas of impact. Effective headbutting revolves around striking a sensitive area with a less sensitive area, such as striking the nose of an opponent with the forehead....
s, knee

Knee (strike)

A knee strike is a strike with the knee, either with the kneecap or the surrounding area. Kneeing is a disallowed practice in many combat sports, especially to the head, downed opponent....
s and punch

Punch (strike)

Example

A ground fighting sequence in mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts is a Contact sport combat sport that allows a wide variety of fighting techniques, from a mixture of martial arts traditions and non-traditions, to be used in competitions....
competition may begin, for example, with one combatant forcing another to the ground by using a double leg takedown and establishing a top mounted position

Mount (grappling)

The mount or mounted position is a grappling position#Ground grappling position, where one combatant sits on the other combatants torso with the face pointing towards the opponent's head....
. The top combatant may proceed to throw punches

Punch (strike)

A punch is "a thrusting blow, esp. with the fist." In some sports and disciplines, such as boxing or martial arts, where punches are regularly practiced, hand wraps or other padding such as gloves may be employed to protect athletes and practitioners from injuring themselves....
until the bottom defender attempts an escape by pushing away the top combatant. This creates an opportunity for the top combatant to transition

Transition (grappling)

A transition in grappling is a move from one grappling hold or grappling position to another. The process is called transitioning and is one of the most important aspects of grappling#ground grappling, as it allows the combatant performing the transition to advance in grappling position, for instance by using a sweep , or to attempt gra...
into a juji-gatame armbar

Armlock

In grappling, an armlock is a single or double joint lock that hyperextends, hyperflexes or hyperrotates the elbow and/or glenohumeral joint. An armlock that hyperflexes or hyperrotates the shoulder joint is referred to as a shoulder lock, and an armlock that hyperextends the elbow joint is called an armbar....
, and thus forcing the bottom combatant to submit

Submission (combat sport term)

A submission is a combat sports term for yielding to the opponent, and hence resulting in an immediate defeat. The submission is commonly performed by clearly tapping the floor or the opponent with the hand or sometimes with the foot, to signal the opponent and possibly the referee of the submission....
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External links

Illustrated explanations of groundfighting techniques
Guides to groundfighting and grappling techniques, with illustrations and some videos
Grappling Technique Videos

Ground fighting

Striking on the ground

Example

See also

External links