When the Fight Goes to the Ground. Lori O'Connell
the principles of body shifting, weight transference and limb control developed so keenly for sport BJJ, Judo, wrestling, etc, have very practical applications on the street. These skills, in combination with street-oriented tactics and considerations, provide a strong base for self-protection.
The Disadvantages and Dangers of Ground Fighting on the Street
There are a number of potential disadvantages and inherent dangers when it comes to ground fighting in a street context. Anyone interested in self-protection should be aware of them, and they should all be taken into consideration when developing a personal ground defense strategy. Of course, every situation is different and some of these may be more relevant than others depending on the specific situation you find yourself facing.
1. Size Advantage. If your attacker is stronger than you and/or outweighs you (which is often the case in a street defense context), he can use his extra strength and weight to a greater advantage when on the ground. It is generally easier for a stronger or larger person to strike, choke, or control their victim. Given two people of equal technique, the person who is bigger and stronger usually dominates. Moreover, size/strength difference by a large margin diminishes the effectiveness of good technique even more so on the ground than it does in a standing position.
2. Environmental Dangers. Debris may be strewn about on the ground or floor from which you have to defend yourself. Whether it’s broken glass, rocks, a board with a nailing sticking out, or the concrete itself, these things can easily cause injury to you as you fight.
3. Exposure to Disease. When you fight from the ground, you are in very close quarters, making you vulnerable to bites and scratches. It can also potentially put you in contact with any open wounds your attacker may have. These factors increase your risk of exposure to communicable diseases.
4. Multiple Attackers. If your attacker has any cohorts nearby, they can easily deliver potentially fatal kicks to the most vulnerable parts of your body, particularly your head, while you are tied up fighting on the ground with their buddy. This is a common cause of death in street fights.
5. Edged Weapons. When you’re on the ground, you are more vulnerable to attacks with edged weapons, like knives, which may be concealed on your attacker’s person. It is more difficult to defend against such attacks from the ground as it is harder to move quickly, create space, and control the weapon arm.
6. Inability to use physical barriers. In most ground defense situations, you lose the ability to take advantage of any physical barriers the environment may offer. When standing, you’re more likely to be able to put things between you and your attacker, like chairs, cars, trash cans, trees, etc., to help you get away.
Legalities Regarding Use of Force
(*Note: The following is not legal advice and should not be treated as such. These are only broad guidelines to help you determine how much force might be considered acceptable for you to use to defend yourself in the case of a physical confrontation. Consult your local laws and/or talk to a lawyer to be sure.)
Most countries have a section in their criminal code of sorts intended to present the circumstances under which you are legally justified to defend yourself from a physical assault. The laws are intended to provide the victim legal grounds with which to defend themselves. They also prevent a person who perceives themselves as a victim from using excessive force against an attacker that could have been subdued more humanely. In Canada, this information is presented in Section 34 of the Canadian Criminal Code. In England and Wales, it is presented in section 3 of the Criminal Law Act of 1967 with a further provision about when force is «reasonable» contained in section 76 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008. In the United States, the laws can vary from state to state. No matter where you live, it is a good idea to look into what your area’s laws are regarding self-defense and use of force, especially if you are training in self-protection skills.
Determining if You are in Imminent Danger of Being Assaulted
Below are a set of questions that you should be prepared to answer for any situation in which you physically defend yourself from an assault. If you can answer “yes” to all these questions, and be able justify these answers, you will be in a better position in which to defend yourself legally if the case ever goes to court:
Did the assailant have or appear to have the ability to physically assault you in the way you perceived?
Did the assailant demonstrate intent? Did his or her words, actions or body language lead you to believe the assailant had the intent of attacking you?
Did the assailant have the means to attack you?
Assailant Factors
In addition to being able to prove that you were in imminent danger of being assaulted when you defended yourself using physical force, the courts are likely to examine additional factors surrounding the assailant when determining the appropriateness of the level of force used. These may include the following:
1. Age. Age can play a factor in a number of ways. For example, an elderly person who is confronted with a much younger assailant in the prime of adulthood may need to use a much greater level of force to defend themselves. Conversely, it would be expected that if it were the reverse situation, the able bodied adult should not have to use as much force to defend themselves. Children would also be likely to receive more lenience should they use more force against an adult in an assault.
2. Size. This is one of the clearest assailant factors to determine in that all a person needs to do is look at the attacker and defender side by side. Naturally, a relatively small person who encounters a larger assailant may need to use greater levels of force in order to defend themselves successfully.
3. Gender. In general, women tend to be both smaller and weaker than men. There are, of course, exceptions, so keep that in mind if you are a six-foot-three female body builder. As a result, a female defender who is assaulted by a male assailant may need to use a greater level of force in order to successfully defend herself.
4. Skill. The skill level of the defender and the assailant also enters into determination of acceptable use of force. The defender facing an assailant whose skill level is clearly higher than that of the defender may need to use a higher level of force to defend themselves, and vice versa a defender with decades of martial arts experience may be expected to use exercise greater control and restraint.
5. Disability. People with physical disabilities are much more likely to be injured during a physical assault and would likely need to use any means at their disposal in order to successfully defend themselves.
Explanation of the Totality of the Circumstances
In addition to the assailant factors, the courts will look at the big picture of an assault scenario to determine whether the level of force used in response was acceptable.
Imminent Danger: The assailant is known to be armed or has shown themselves to be dangerous in some other intentional way.
Special Knowledge: The assailant is known to have special skills that pose a greater threat.
Injury/Exhaustion. The defender is injured or exhausted.
Multiple Assailants: The defender must face more than one attacker.
Ground Fighting: The defender faces multiple tactical disadvantages (i.e. body weight, debris, communicable disease, weapons, multiple assailants, decreased environmental opportunities.
Footnote
* As with any statistical information, this must all be kept in context.
CHAPTER 2
How to Stay Safe on the Ground
Safety is our primary concern in ground defense training. This is true whether you are developing