I am curious as to what you fellow MAPers have experienced in self-defense type environments regarding keeping on your feet vs going to the floor. Strikers say that if you are good enough you will never go to the floor, while grapplers say that they could take any fight to the ground. However, logic tells us that the truth must lay somewhere in between. Personally, the times I have remained on my feet greatly outweight those that I have been taken to the ground, but I know that this is due in part to luck being on my side and the fact that staying on my feet was among my top priorities. I would like to hear from grapplers and non grapplers alike, I only ask we try and keep this civil and not turn this little survey into a war. :Angel:
depends entirely on the circumstances. In one of those "honour fights" in a schoolyard- you know, ring of people out on the football field and two guys having a fight, I would do my darndest to take them down. nice big grassy area to roll around on, chances heavily in my favour since most people have no idea what to do on the ground, and I could end the fight without anyone being seriously injured. If I was attacked by some drunk in a pub, I would try to get them on the ground and either ground n pound or submit. If I was attacked by a drunk with friends, I would run, and failing that I would try and put them on the ground while staying up. as ive said before though I dont get into fights. the one "real" fight I have had I ended up taking it to the ground and making the other guy submit.
The one "fight" I was in went to the ground because my drunk attacker essentially fell on me as part of a sloppy hook punch. I didn't stay there long, but it was a surprise. - Matt
I have been to the floor in the vast majority of my "fights". However, I have never been down without wanting to be there.
Whenever I've been in a situation when someone has been intent of injuring me - it's never ever gone to ground. This also applies to the majority of fights I've seen, very few end up on the floor - everytime someone has gone to the floor there was more than one attacker. I also asked a friend of mine who has been working as a doorman for a few years, it tends to only go to the floor when there are multiple fighters.
In fights I feel safer standing. Alot of this is because I'm so small (97 pounds :cry: ) it wouldn't take much to get me pinned down. It wouldn't take much to kick my butt standing but I least I can move out of the way quicker. But that's just me.
I can't recall any specific percentage, but as far as I recall, just about all of the fights I've been in and seen only went to the ground after somebody got knocked down, followed by standing punching or kicking to the guy on the ground.
Difficult to say. About 50/50? The reason they went there was usually a result of one or the other losing balance and dragging the other with them.
IMO, a fight goes to the ground when both people are on the ground. Very few of the fights I've been in have went to the ground. Sure, maybe one person gets knocked down, but I don't think that counts as going to the ground. I voted less than 20%.
the only fight i've had on the ground was a sparring match where my partner had a fit and was trying to hurt me rather than land a hit. the rest stayed standing, and many i never needed to really hit back. after a couple of blocks, and grinning at them, they gave up and walked off(this is only about 3-5 fights tho, and all but one at school)
it's gone down several times. enough times to make me consider the ground game as an important tool in self defense. the fight has three ranges that have to be covered in true self defense: weapons, stand-up, and ground.
I was tackled in my very first fight. The guy took me straight down and actually ended up in my guard, although, I had NO EARTHLY idea what that position was called at the time, nor what to do from there. Since then, most of the times I've had "street" (bar/parties/clubs, etc) fights have went to the ground because it was my preference. In most of my street fights, my opponents were drunk and were ACTING that way. I felt better dropping them and not hurting them that badly. In hindsight, this turned out to be the best strategy because I did in fact, NOT have to hurt them but just control them, making them see the futility of F'ing with me any further. In the sportive fights I've had, they've also ended up on the ground after a point. I like to trade a bit and then work for a shot when the timing is right. Not to say it's always the best strategy to take them to the ground, but it's always worked for me. -John
