We have all heard the question asked by many a MMA fighter, "Why don’t you like to go to the ground?" It’s a fair question. Usually when listening to the MMA enthusiast and traditional martial artist debate over the topic the MMA practitioner will be quick to point out that statistically most fights end on the ground.
There are other statistics that can be thrown in to debunk the above-mentioned theory but that is not the current topic of discussion. There is no doubt that having a good ground game is in its own right an essential tool to be kept with the rest of the learned curriculum within any dojo.
To answer the question appropriately one must do a little homework. If we look into the history of combat a little less then 200 years ago in Japan, Korea, or China, you will understand why for the most part Traditional Martial Artists do not like to go to the ground whether they realize it or not. It all comes down to the method by which duels and ground warfare were fought in that time. At that time duels were for the most part to the death, and they were fought with weapons. Any time someone went down the odds were overwhelmingly against them as from that front they were now vulnerable to the potential finishing blow of their opponents sword, hammer, spear, halberd or some other weapon. The tactical disadvantage they faced from the ground was substantial. The same was especially true on the battlefield in much the same way it is on the battlefields of today. Getting knocked to the ground or taking an opponent to the ground left the warrior in a very precarious position and vulnerable to fatal attack from another opponent. The short of the long is “if you got to the ground, you die”.
In that regard, yes, statistically most fights end on the ground; because at that point being on the ground means you lost. We train to stay on our feet, providing the greater tactical advantage to deliver the finishing blow.
To answer the question appropriately one must do a little homework. If we look into the history of combat a little less then 200 years ago in Japan, Korea, or China, you will understand why for the most part Traditional Martial Artists do not like to go to the ground whether they realize it or not. It all comes down to the method by which duels and ground warfare were fought in that time. At that time duels were for the most part to the death, and they were fought with weapons. Any time someone went down the odds were overwhelmingly against them as from that front they were now vulnerable to the potential finishing blow of their opponents sword, hammer, spear, halberd or some other weapon. The tactical disadvantage they faced from the ground was substantial. The same was especially true on the battlefield in much the same way it is on the battlefields of today. Getting knocked to the ground or taking an opponent to the ground left the warrior in a very precarious position and vulnerable to fatal attack from another opponent. The short of the long is “if you got to the ground, you die”.
In that regard, yes, statistically most fights end on the ground; because at that point being on the ground means you lost. We train to stay on our feet, providing the greater tactical advantage to deliver the finishing blow.
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