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About Real life 'Street Grappling' (JuJutsu) not for the Ring
there seems to be a lot of talk about "street effective grappling" in these forums & with the sudden wave of interest in ground grappling techniques sweeping through the Martial Arts world, it may be interesting just for a brief moment to sit back and read my post.
Hopefully I can shed some light on just where ground grappling fits into the world of Combat Martial Artists repertoire of techniques and also it's strengths and weaknesses, plus what
is essential to know if you go to the floor/paving area in a fight!
Firstly just look again at the words above, 'If you go to the floor in a fight', what I mean is a real street situation not a Judo, Wrestling or Ju-Jutsu contest or match including NHB.
Floor grappling in the street is a whole different world to any form of contest no matter how 'no holds barred' it is, it is just not the same.
Let's look at the major differences between 'street' and 'contest' floor grappling and see why some of the 'good moves' you see being executed in a ring, or contest area, will not necessarily hold up in a real situation.
Firstly let's get it straight, the floor is the last place you want to be in a 'live' street fight. It is an extremely dangerous and vulnerable position to be in, the bottom line is avoid going to the 'deck' unless you have no other choice. Why? Well look at the negatives.
Number one, ground grappling may be strong against one to one opponent but if he has a weapon, or there is more than one opponent, it could be suicidal. Number two, when two opponents are rolling around on the floor any onlookers, no matter how impartial they may be, suddenly get the urge to 'pitch in', they will start either kicking away at one or the other person on the ground (normal in this situation, either of the two will take the
damage) or they might decide to batter the 'top' man with a chair, bar stool, dustbin lid (depending on where the fight may be), even worse they may come in at an exposed back with a
knife or a broken glass or bottle.
Another scenario is for some 'hero' to rush over and proceed to pull the two combatants apart, then usually one gets a good shot at the other or we have a third person to the fight and then all hell can break loose. A crowd 'fired up' can be like a rabid pack of dogs. It is a very frightening situation and I have experienced this from being in crowds at football matches when trouble has erupted, and I tell you on the floor is not the place to be.
Thirdly think of environment (no not if the ozone layer is still deteriorating!) but where you might be if you hit the deck. Remember most grappling arts like Judo and Wrestling are
done on mats or canvas, so you have no fear of hitting the ground. Arts like the now famous Brazilian Ju-Jutsu were practised in a warm climate on country where the exponents fought on sandy beaches, lush grassland. They were not rolling round on icy, hard, cold, uneven and uncompromising pavement in the middle of January on a winter night, nor was it designed for
thrashing around on a beer soaked or glass covered bar floor or dance floor after trouble has started or neither for struggling on a urine drenched toilet floor!
Remember, if you are out for a quiet night with your 'lady', with your best 'designer' gear on, looking cool, the last thing you want to be doing is rolling about in three different kinds of dog excrement (note how I cleaned that up, I wish someone would!) in front of the local 'takeout'.
So hopefully by now you can see some of the down points to floor grappling. Also to be considered is the time factor, the longer you are on the floor the more dangerous it becomes
for you.
Wrestling and Judo pins are not much good in 'real combat' they can only serve as time buying 'manoeuvres' to get into a better finishing technique. In the street you will not be looking for a quick finish and get back onto your feet, it won't be timed bout with the 'ref' ready to step in. an opponent who may submit to a hold or a lock can and may get up and suddenly up the stake by drawing a weapon or fashioning one out of something at hand. It
really is best to make sure he doesn't get up again in a hurry so you can make your exit!
So what do I do if I go to the floor? Well there's plenty but the rule for the street is to make it quick, do not let your opponent settle into a good hold or get into a superior position.
The following techniques, concepts and theories are taken from the system of Martial Arts I teach 'Kempo Goshin Jutsu', they have worked for me in and out of the dojo, they are not by
any means unique but they are what I teach my students to do on the floor, remember 'how you train is how you react'. I believe if you don't have command of the following techniques you
will struggle badly on the floor, especially against a large and aggressive opponent. These techniques are an overview, not the whole picture, otherwise it may take a whole book to
demonstrate.
If you go to the ground and you are on top of opponent, cushion your fall by landing on them. There is a certain sickening feeling about landing on a pavement on your kneecaps or elbows. Try and drive your knee into their groin and then fall dropping the point of your elbow into the sternum (breastbone) or solar plexus. Naturally from there let your head snap forward in a butt to their face, best target the nose. Climb so you straddle their chest, consolidate your balance and bang away with fist, elbows, palm heels and butts, then get out quick.
If pulled down close by an opponent immediately bite into nose, ear, cheek or neck for a release then gouge into the windpipe with a claw hand squeezing it shut or thumb gouge into the eyes or ram finger up their nostrils and rip. Grabbing the hair or ears and banging the head on the floor has quite a 'sobering' effect on your would be attacker, so has a fast choke hold.
If you feel you are losing balance in this 'mount' position lean over and rest hands on floor put your chest into opponents face, when he pushes you off take his straight arm pivot off his chest to the side and dislocate the elbow with the famous cross armbar (Jujugatame), make sure you drive the heel of your arm locking legs into the face and body of ,your opponent to prevent them attempting biting your leg.
If you go down underneath, then get opponent between your legs in 'the guard' position. If he attempts to punch you, pull him
forward in the scissors until he loses his balance, pull his head down to yours and bite into his ear, get one of your feet between his legs and flip him over and off.
If he is strangling you, push back with your legs and hips, grab his straightened arm and swing your foot over his neck and pull him over and down for the cross armbar again. If he has mounted your chest and is choking you, drive your thumbs up into his eyes, then grab the back of his head and his chin and crank his neck around in a hard twist to take him off your body.
Gouging or finger thrusting into the Jugular Notch (the indentation at the base of the windpipe) is a good move, as is ripping the side of his mouth with your thumbs or digging a
knuckle into the mastoid behind the ear. Combine these with butts, then twist the opponent off you. If opponent is on his stomach and you straddle his back, hit him with elbows and
short punches to spine and back of neck. If he attempts to push himself up, then go straight for a choke or kneel on the back and pull up on his chin to finish.
If you are lying sideways across opponent's body and he has your neck locked then grab and squeeze his testicles (this would appeal to a gay boy like crazyJoe380 who is typical of one of those people who goes to a Taebo aerobics class then comes into a forum to mouth off behind a screen...lol) or pinch flesh high on his inner thigh, also push your bony forearm into his neck or up under his nose to relieve pressure then bite his body anywhere (nipples, pec's, flesh on floating ribs) until you can get out.
When you are under in the same position, hammer away at his exposed kidney's and floating ribs, get a hand under and between to squeeze his testicles and bite at any exposed target,
then twist out and get on top. The list could go on and on but hopefully this will show you the different sort of technique and mental attitude you need for 'street wrestling', these moves are equalizers especially for smaller people.
I know loads of armbars, locks, leg locks, strangles, etc, but in a street situation you will not have time to execute them, you have got to adapt.
Some say the moves are brutal, but in answer to that, unless you have experienced a situation where your strength is ebbing, your arms feel like lead, your guts feel sick and you have a larger, heavier opponent lying on you, you will have to know and use the techniques mentioned.
One of my regular training partners and fellow instructors is a 14 stone + guy in the prison service. He is a good grappler and a hard opponent, he makes me work and takes me to the limit of physical endurance, which is great because I know my techniques will get me out along with good physical conditioning (which is essential in ground grappling) and mental stamina.
How many instructors out there grapple or spar or whatever with their instructors or students? .You will learn a lot about yourself, your belt or position won't matter once it goes down. Win or lose you will learn, if you are prepared to give it a go!
In the street the attacker will not give a darn what who you are and when it goes to the floor you will have to separate contest grappling and street grappling to survive.
It isn't important to come out on top, what matters is to come out alive.
just my 2 cents
Hopefully I can shed some light on just where ground grappling fits into the world of Combat Martial Artists repertoire of techniques and also it's strengths and weaknesses, plus what
is essential to know if you go to the floor/paving area in a fight!
Firstly just look again at the words above, 'If you go to the floor in a fight', what I mean is a real street situation not a Judo, Wrestling or Ju-Jutsu contest or match including NHB.
Floor grappling in the street is a whole different world to any form of contest no matter how 'no holds barred' it is, it is just not the same.
Let's look at the major differences between 'street' and 'contest' floor grappling and see why some of the 'good moves' you see being executed in a ring, or contest area, will not necessarily hold up in a real situation.
Firstly let's get it straight, the floor is the last place you want to be in a 'live' street fight. It is an extremely dangerous and vulnerable position to be in, the bottom line is avoid going to the 'deck' unless you have no other choice. Why? Well look at the negatives.
Number one, ground grappling may be strong against one to one opponent but if he has a weapon, or there is more than one opponent, it could be suicidal. Number two, when two opponents are rolling around on the floor any onlookers, no matter how impartial they may be, suddenly get the urge to 'pitch in', they will start either kicking away at one or the other person on the ground (normal in this situation, either of the two will take the
damage) or they might decide to batter the 'top' man with a chair, bar stool, dustbin lid (depending on where the fight may be), even worse they may come in at an exposed back with a
knife or a broken glass or bottle.
Another scenario is for some 'hero' to rush over and proceed to pull the two combatants apart, then usually one gets a good shot at the other or we have a third person to the fight and then all hell can break loose. A crowd 'fired up' can be like a rabid pack of dogs. It is a very frightening situation and I have experienced this from being in crowds at football matches when trouble has erupted, and I tell you on the floor is not the place to be.
Thirdly think of environment (no not if the ozone layer is still deteriorating!) but where you might be if you hit the deck. Remember most grappling arts like Judo and Wrestling are
done on mats or canvas, so you have no fear of hitting the ground. Arts like the now famous Brazilian Ju-Jutsu were practised in a warm climate on country where the exponents fought on sandy beaches, lush grassland. They were not rolling round on icy, hard, cold, uneven and uncompromising pavement in the middle of January on a winter night, nor was it designed for
thrashing around on a beer soaked or glass covered bar floor or dance floor after trouble has started or neither for struggling on a urine drenched toilet floor!
Remember, if you are out for a quiet night with your 'lady', with your best 'designer' gear on, looking cool, the last thing you want to be doing is rolling about in three different kinds of dog excrement (note how I cleaned that up, I wish someone would!) in front of the local 'takeout'.
So hopefully by now you can see some of the down points to floor grappling. Also to be considered is the time factor, the longer you are on the floor the more dangerous it becomes
for you.
Wrestling and Judo pins are not much good in 'real combat' they can only serve as time buying 'manoeuvres' to get into a better finishing technique. In the street you will not be looking for a quick finish and get back onto your feet, it won't be timed bout with the 'ref' ready to step in. an opponent who may submit to a hold or a lock can and may get up and suddenly up the stake by drawing a weapon or fashioning one out of something at hand. It
really is best to make sure he doesn't get up again in a hurry so you can make your exit!
So what do I do if I go to the floor? Well there's plenty but the rule for the street is to make it quick, do not let your opponent settle into a good hold or get into a superior position.
The following techniques, concepts and theories are taken from the system of Martial Arts I teach 'Kempo Goshin Jutsu', they have worked for me in and out of the dojo, they are not by
any means unique but they are what I teach my students to do on the floor, remember 'how you train is how you react'. I believe if you don't have command of the following techniques you
will struggle badly on the floor, especially against a large and aggressive opponent. These techniques are an overview, not the whole picture, otherwise it may take a whole book to
demonstrate.
If you go to the ground and you are on top of opponent, cushion your fall by landing on them. There is a certain sickening feeling about landing on a pavement on your kneecaps or elbows. Try and drive your knee into their groin and then fall dropping the point of your elbow into the sternum (breastbone) or solar plexus. Naturally from there let your head snap forward in a butt to their face, best target the nose. Climb so you straddle their chest, consolidate your balance and bang away with fist, elbows, palm heels and butts, then get out quick.
If pulled down close by an opponent immediately bite into nose, ear, cheek or neck for a release then gouge into the windpipe with a claw hand squeezing it shut or thumb gouge into the eyes or ram finger up their nostrils and rip. Grabbing the hair or ears and banging the head on the floor has quite a 'sobering' effect on your would be attacker, so has a fast choke hold.
If you feel you are losing balance in this 'mount' position lean over and rest hands on floor put your chest into opponents face, when he pushes you off take his straight arm pivot off his chest to the side and dislocate the elbow with the famous cross armbar (Jujugatame), make sure you drive the heel of your arm locking legs into the face and body of ,your opponent to prevent them attempting biting your leg.
If you go down underneath, then get opponent between your legs in 'the guard' position. If he attempts to punch you, pull him
forward in the scissors until he loses his balance, pull his head down to yours and bite into his ear, get one of your feet between his legs and flip him over and off.
If he is strangling you, push back with your legs and hips, grab his straightened arm and swing your foot over his neck and pull him over and down for the cross armbar again. If he has mounted your chest and is choking you, drive your thumbs up into his eyes, then grab the back of his head and his chin and crank his neck around in a hard twist to take him off your body.
Gouging or finger thrusting into the Jugular Notch (the indentation at the base of the windpipe) is a good move, as is ripping the side of his mouth with your thumbs or digging a
knuckle into the mastoid behind the ear. Combine these with butts, then twist the opponent off you. If opponent is on his stomach and you straddle his back, hit him with elbows and
short punches to spine and back of neck. If he attempts to push himself up, then go straight for a choke or kneel on the back and pull up on his chin to finish.
If you are lying sideways across opponent's body and he has your neck locked then grab and squeeze his testicles (this would appeal to a gay boy like crazyJoe380 who is typical of one of those people who goes to a Taebo aerobics class then comes into a forum to mouth off behind a screen...lol) or pinch flesh high on his inner thigh, also push your bony forearm into his neck or up under his nose to relieve pressure then bite his body anywhere (nipples, pec's, flesh on floating ribs) until you can get out.
When you are under in the same position, hammer away at his exposed kidney's and floating ribs, get a hand under and between to squeeze his testicles and bite at any exposed target,
then twist out and get on top. The list could go on and on but hopefully this will show you the different sort of technique and mental attitude you need for 'street wrestling', these moves are equalizers especially for smaller people.
I know loads of armbars, locks, leg locks, strangles, etc, but in a street situation you will not have time to execute them, you have got to adapt.
Some say the moves are brutal, but in answer to that, unless you have experienced a situation where your strength is ebbing, your arms feel like lead, your guts feel sick and you have a larger, heavier opponent lying on you, you will have to know and use the techniques mentioned.
One of my regular training partners and fellow instructors is a 14 stone + guy in the prison service. He is a good grappler and a hard opponent, he makes me work and takes me to the limit of physical endurance, which is great because I know my techniques will get me out along with good physical conditioning (which is essential in ground grappling) and mental stamina.
How many instructors out there grapple or spar or whatever with their instructors or students? .You will learn a lot about yourself, your belt or position won't matter once it goes down. Win or lose you will learn, if you are prepared to give it a go!
In the street the attacker will not give a darn what who you are and when it goes to the floor you will have to separate contest grappling and street grappling to survive.
It isn't important to come out on top, what matters is to come out alive.
just my 2 cents
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