What to Do if the Fight Goes to the Ground
What do we do if we end up on the ground
Self defence and Going to the Ground
In self defence, knowing what to do if a confrontation goes to the ground is a vital part of your toolkit. Unlike sport based ground fighting, where the objective is often to win by submission, the goal in a real-world self defence situation is to escape while reducing harm. This means the way we train and apply ground fighting skills must be different. We also have to account for additional dangers such as hard surfaces, multiple assailants, and the possible presence of weapons. In this article, we will explore these risks and how to manage them effectively.
Why You Don’t Want to Go to the Ground in a Street Situation
Multiple attackers: If there are multiple attackers, you should avoid going to the ground at all costs. If you do end up down, your priority is to get back on your feet as quickly as possible. Being on the floor makes you vulnerable not only to the attackers you can see, but also to potential hidden accomplices or even random bystanders who might decide to join in. Staying on your feet gives you the best chance to escape and protect yourself.
Weapons: If your opponent has a weapon, creating and maintaining distance is the most important thing you can do. This becomes extremely difficult if not impossible when you’re pinned to the ground. On the floor, you have less mobility, fewer escape options, and limited ability to control the weapon’s range. Staying upright gives you the best chance to manage the distance and protect yourself. The other challenge is that we often don’t know if someone has a weapon and do not want to find that out on the ground.
Environment: Being on the ground brings serious environmental risks. Hard surfaces like concrete can cause severe injury if you’re slammed down, and hazards such as broken glass, curbs, or other debris can make the situation even more dangerous.
Mobility: Being on the ground naturally makes it harder to create space and escape quickly. In self defence, the goal is always to get away while minimising harm to yourself, and being on the floor makes that much more difficult. That said, you still need to know how to protect yourself and get back up if you do end up there.
How You Might End Up on the Ground
In the chaos of a self defence confrontation, there are many ways you could end up on the ground you might be tackled, blindsided, grabbed and dragged down, or even simply slip. There’s no way to predict exactly how a violent encounter will unfold, but having the skills to handle any situation is vital if you want to escape and reduce harm to yourself.
Key Self-Defence Tools on the Ground
Damage Reduction
If you end up on the ground with someone on top of you, your first priority is to reduce damage. The most important areas to protect are your head and neck, tuck your chin and keep your hands up to guard these targets. Use your legs as a shield to keep distance between you and your attacker, and work to break any grips they have on you.
Controlling the Threat
Your next step is to control the threat. Use your arms and legs as frames to create space, limit their ability to strike, and set up your escape. If you’re being overwhelmed with strikes and can’t create space, closing the distance and holding them tightly can reduce the power of their punches and drain their energy. From there, you can use sweeps to break their balance and reverse the position.
Escaping
Once you’ve reduced the immediate danger, your primary objective, escape, comes into play. Use your frames to create space, then perform hip escapes to move away. If needed, use kicks to increase that distance. When you have enough space, use a technical stand-up to get back to your feet. If your attacker follows you and prevents you from standing, sweeps can be used again to reverse the position and give you another chance to escape..
You Will Need to Practise
The only way these skills will work under the pressure of a real attack is if you train them regularly. They need to become automatic so you can perform them without hesitation. Consistent drilling of break falls, quick recoveries to standing, and ground defence techniques combined with realistic pressure testing will give you the best chance of escaping safely if a self-defence situation takes you to the ground.
Come and Learn
Remember, your primary goal in self-defence is to escape and going to the ground makes that much harder. That’s why it’s essential to know what to do if you end up there. The only way to develop these skills is through regular practice and proper training. Come and try our class, where our expert coaches will teach you the vital techniques you need to protect yourself and get to safety.