By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Bob_Pierce]Bob Pierce
Few topics are more filled with myth and legend than fighting. Exaggerating about the size of an opponent or the strengths of a fighting system is one thing, but pure myths like "all fights go to the ground" are dangerous and put people's lives at risk every day.
This dangerous myth (all fights go to the ground) can get you into a lot of trouble (I'm talking about landing in your local hospital's trauma ward, or eating through a tube for the rest of your life kind of trouble so listen up). Before I tell you why this myth is so dangerous I first want to tell you how and why this myth was created.
Where Does This Fighting Myth Come From?
The "All fights go to the ground" myth has a lot of so called 'research' to back it up. The main source of this research is police reports. Without a doubt most police encounters which turn physical do end up on the ground. Seems pretty straight forward right? Wrong...you are not a police officer (if you do happen to be a law enforcement officer you already know why this logic is faulty).
Police are required to follow the three 'C's when a violent encounter occurs. They first have to Contain the situation or suspect (keep him from fleeing the scene). Next they Control the suspect(s) (stop their movement or violence) usually by pinning him or her on the ground. Finally they force the suspect to Comply (the whole hands behind your head...hand cuffs...'Miranda Rights' stuff).
I don't know about you but this doesn't sound like something that happens at a bar room fight (unless you decided to fight a police officer...a bad idea)
So the moral of the story is that if you get into a fight with a police officer yes the fight will end with you most likely being pinned on the ground. But these police statistics are meaningless if you want to know what happens during a real fight or a mugging or any other sort of attack.
The other source of this myth is practitioners of certain fighting styles (especially Gracie Jiu Jitsu) which are heavily based in ground fighting. This is pretty simple to understand. If you are really into ground fighting and are really good at it you are going to want people to think that what you have to offer are the most useful fighting skills around.
Ground fighting is really useful...if you are on the ground, but as you will see later you should be avoiding the ground as much as possible (and intentionally taking a fight to the ground is about the worst thing you can do).
Please don't get me wrong, I am not bashing ground fighting. Ground fighting is a key component of any well rounded fighting style or system. I am simply against the myth that all fights go to the ground because the majority of fights simply don't (in most fight only one guy goes to the ground...he is called the loser).
Why You Should Avoid Ground Fighting at All Costs:
The ground is where serious injuries are most likely to occur. Unlike UFC fights the ground in a street fight is not padded. This is where a key distinction must be made between controlled environments and uncontrolled (street) environments.
Any fight that doesn't occur in a dojo or ring should be considered an uncontrolled environment (aka a street fight) even if it happens in a mall, friend's house party, bar etc.
3 Biggest Dangers of Ground Fighting:
Random objects including the ground will cut you. This is not a maybe it is a sure bet. Tables, stools, gravel, nails, broken glass, cracks in the concrete, or even a flat smooth piece of concrete or asphalt will cut you. This may not seem like the end of the world now but when you have blood on your hands making you lose your grip or blood running into your eyes hampering your vision you will be at real disadvantage.
The ground can be used as a surface to hit with. The ground becomes a shared weapon in a ground fight. An opponent can slam your head into the ground just as easily as you can do this to him (I don't like sharing especially when it comes to weapons).
Being on the ground severely limits your mobility. This isn't a problem if you are fighting just one guy, but this is rarely the case. Fights often occur in large groups of people. Thugs and predators often bring back up. We have all heard horror stories about head stomping etc. Ground fighting is where this happens. Ever wondered why gangsters wear heavy work boots (hint: it's not because they work in the construction industry)? Heavy boots are a weapon that can be used to inflict major damage and even kill a person who is on the ground.
Okay so I just finished telling you why this fighting myth is around and why it can get you hurt, but you may be wondering how most real fights actually play out. The fact is (through my own extensive and unbiased research - I am not advocating any martial art in particular) most fights last between 3 and 8 seconds long. At the end of these fights one guy is still standing the other is on the ground or running away.
But if the fight goes longer than 12 seconds it will most likely go to the ground. Because of this you should still learn how to defend yourself on the ground.
For more free tips on fighting systems and techniques that actually work check out my blog at rel=nofollow [http://www.fightfast.com/blog]Fightfast.com/blog.
Stay Smart and Stay Safe,
Bob Pierce
President
Fightfast.com
Bob Pierce is the President of [http://www.fightfast.com]Fightfast.com which specializes in providing its customers the practical knowledge and skills they need to keep themselves and their families safe. TRS the parent company of Fightfast.com has been a self defense industry leader since the early 1990s bringing costumers highly skilled instructors with real world self defense and combat skills.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Biggest-Fight-Myth:-All-Fights-Go-To-The-Ground&id=6590034] Biggest Fight Myth: All Fights Go To The Ground
No comments:
Post a Comment