# New CBD article:The "90% of all fights go to the ground" Myth examined



## lklawson (Jan 7, 2012)

New CBD article:
The "90% of all fights go to the ground" Myth examined

http://cbd.atspace.com/articles.html

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk


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## Sukerkin (Jan 7, 2012)

Good article that puts forward the salient points about 'ground fighting'.  

For myself, what I was taught about 'grappling' is that if anyone tries it on me then I break whatever comes close first - if that doesn't work and the 'wrestler' actually knocks me down, then taking out an eye or crushing the throat usually does the trick.  

As you can tell, I was taught in a very un-PC decade when what martial arts schools taught you was avoid fighting if at all possible, avoid escalating if you possibly can but, if it comes to it, then do what it takes to make sure it's the other fellow going to hospital.  It was a simpler legal dynamic thirty years ago - that sort of thinking is shocking now (which is why decent, law abiding, people need to start thinking about how they need to ensure that their right to defend themselves remains as un-curbed as possible).


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## lklawson (Jan 7, 2012)

Sukerkin said:


> Good article that puts forward the salient points about 'ground fighting'.


Thanks.



Sukerkin said:


> For myself, what I was taught about 'grappling' is that if anyone tries it on me then I break whatever comes close first -


Which is, as you know, harder to do than to say.  




Sukerkin said:


> if that doesn't work and the 'wrestler' actually knocks me down, then taking out an eye or crushing the throat usually does the trick.


Crushing the throat is freaking hard to do, particularly when in grappling and, to be honest, gouging eyes is way easier to do when you have a superior grappling position and way harder to do when in an inferior grappling position.  To sum up, eye-gouges work really well, but it's hard to do them to a grappler.  If you've got some training in grappling, then it becomes more of an option.



Sukerkin said:


> As you can tell, I was taught in a very un-PC decade when what martial arts schools taught you was avoid fighting if at all possible, avoid escalating if you possibly can but, if it comes to it, then do what it takes to make sure it's the other fellow going to hospital.  It was a simpler legal dynamic thirty years ago - that sort of thinking is shocking now (which is why decent, law abiding, people need to start thinking about how they need to ensure that their right to defend themselves remains as un-curbed as possible).


The rules really haven't changed.  You have to be in fear of your life or serious bodily harm to inflict serious bodily harm or deadly force on an attacker.  I have a whole section on the subject in my rec.martial-arts FAQ.  

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk


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## Sukerkin (Jan 7, 2012)

lklawson said:


> Thanks.
> 
> Which is, as you know, harder to do than to say.



I've only had to do it once but it was frighteningly easy.  It helps to be terrified .




> Crushing the throat is freaking hard to do


  To be a little clearer, "crushing" is really the wrong word.  A quick poke in the throat with any body part works quite well.




> The rules really haven't changed.  You have to be in fear of your life or serious bodily harm to inflict serious bodily harm or deadly force on an attacker.  I have a whole section on the subject in my rec.martial-arts FAQ.



I think it's something that will obviously vary from country to country.  I know in my heart of hearts that if I did today what I had to do all those years ago I'd be in legal trouble (back then the police reckoned that three-on-one and armed meant the 'bad guys' had little cause for complaint about what happened).


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## bjjcompete (Mar 6, 2012)

I have used BJJ 3 times, all in fights that happened while in college at parties. Even while standing up grappling is very effective if the other person has no training. None of the fights ended on the ground 100% of the fights ended with me getting behind him and finishing it with a rear naked choke.

I think it is accurate to say that more than 90% have no experience in grappling, so you will have an advantage if you do have BJJ training. If the fight is striking only then you have not lost anything by studying BJJ. Some training in muy thai or krav maga in addition to BJJ will make you a very tough fighter.


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