Ground fighting (also called ground work or ground game) is

hand-to-hand combat Hand-to-hand combat (sometimes abbreviated as HTH or H2H) is a physical confrontation between two or more persons at short range ( grappling distance or within the physical reach of a handheld weapon) that does not involve the use of weapons.Hu ...

which takes place while the combatants are on the ground. The term is commonly used in

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on strike (attack), striking, grappling and ground f ...

and other

combat sport A combat sport, or fighting sport, is a competitive contact sport that usually involves one-on-one combat. In many combat sports, a contestant wins by scoring more points than the opponent, submitting the opponent with a hold, disabling the opp ...

s, as well as various forms of martial arts to designate the set of

grappling Grappling, in hand-to-hand combat, describes sports that consist of gripping or seizing the opponent. Grappling is used at close range to gain a physical advantage over an opponent, either by imposing a position or causing injury. Grappling is ...

techniques employed by a combatant that is on the ground. It is the main focus of

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting ( ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

and is featured in varying amounts in

Catch wrestling Catch wrestling (originally catch-as-catch-can) is a classical hybrid grappling style and combat sport. It was developed by J. G. Chambers in Britain . It was popularised by wrestlers of travelling funfairs who developed their own submission ...

Judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo") ...

Jujutsu Jujutsu ( ; ja, link=no, 柔術 , ), also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu, is a family of Japanese martial arts and a system of close combat (unarmed or with a minor weapon) that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subd ...

Sambo , aka = Sombo (in English-speaking countries) , focus = Hybrid , country = Soviet Union , pioneers = Viktor Spiridonov, Vasili Oshchepkov, Anatoly Kharlampiev , famous_pract = List of Practitioners , olym ...

Shoot wrestling Shoot wrestling is a combat sport that originated in Japan's professional wrestling circuit of the 1970s. Professional wrestlers of that era attempted to use more realistic or even "full contact" moves in their matches to increase their exciteme ...

Dishuquan Dog Kung Fu, i.e. Gǒuquán (), i.e. Dìshùquán (), is a martial arts style native to Fujian province China. While sharing many similar features to styles like Wuzuquan, Huzunquan, and many others from the same region, this southern style of ...

Dog Kung Fu, some schools of

Shuai Jiao Shuai Jiao () is the term pertaining to the ancient jacket wrestling wushu style of Beijing, Tianjin and Baoding of Hebei Province in the North China Plain which was codified by Shan Pu Ying (善撲营 The Battalion of Excellency in Catching) ...

and other styles of

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

. Similarly to

clinch fighting Clinch fighting is the part of stand-up fighting where the combatants are grappling in a clinch, typically using clinch holds. Clinching the opponent can be used to eliminate the opponent's effective usage of some kicks, punches, and melee weap ...

, ground fighting implies that the combatants are at a very close range, usually involving one or both combatants

the opponent using various

grappling hold A grappling hold, commonly referred to simply as a hold that in Japanese is referred to as ''katame-waza'' ( "grappling technique"), is any specific grappling, wrestling, judo, or other martial art grip that is applied to an opponent. Grappli ...

s. Depending on the

positioning Positioning may refer to: * Positioning (marketing), creating an identity in the minds of a target market * Positioning theory, a theory in social psychology * Positioning (critical literacy), reader context * Positioning (telecommunications), a t ...

of the combatants, the proximity can allow for techniques such as biting, chokeholds, fish-hooking, eye-gouging,

joint lock A joint lock is a grappling technique involving manipulation of an opponent's joints in such a way that the joints reach their maximal degree of motion and hyperextension. In judō these are referred to as, 関節技 ''kansetsu-waza'', "joint lo ...

s, pressure point techniques, or various

strikes Strike may refer to: People *Strike (surname) Physical confrontation or removal *Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm *Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...

Striking on the ground

Traditionally neglected by most

arts,

striking Strike may refer to: People *Strike (surname) Physical confrontation or removal *Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm *Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...

on the ground is an important aspect of ground fighting. Typically, a top position is better for various strikes than a bottom position, simply because the combatant in the top position can generate the distance and movement needed for effective strikes, while the bottom combatant is restricted by the ground and by the combatant on top. Another factor is

gravity In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the str ...

, which is in favor of the top combatant when they are striking downwards. In addition, the effect of ground strikes may be amplified, depending on the area struck, by the strike driving the opponent into the ground. The types of strikes that can be employed effectively depend on the particular

grappling position A grappling position refers to the positioning and holds of combatants engaged in grappling. Combatants are said to be in a neutral position if neither is in a more favourable position. If one party has a clear advantage such as in the ''mount'' ...

. Common strikes include

elbow The elbow is the region between the arm and the forearm that surrounds the elbow joint. The elbow includes prominent landmarks such as the olecranon, the cubital fossa (also called the chelidon, or the elbow pit), and the lateral and the m ...

s, headbutts,

knee In humans and other primates, the knee joins the thigh with the human leg, leg and consists of two joints: one between the femur and tibia (tibiofemoral joint), and one between the femur and patella (patellofemoral joint). It is the largest join ...

s and

punch Punch commonly refers to: * Punch (combat), a strike made using the hand closed into a fist * Punch (drink), a wide assortment of drinks, non-alcoholic or alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice Punch may also refer to: Places * Pun ...

es.

Gallery

Image:Strikes from guard.tif, Although the guard is generally considered an advantageous

position Position often refers to: * Position (geometry), the spatial location (rather than orientation) of an entity * Position, a job or occupation Position may also refer to: Games and recreation * Position (poker), location relative to the dealer * ...

in pure

, punches can be very effective from the top. File:Bokatorgroundfighting.jpg,

Bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

of knee mount. Located at

Angkor Wat Angkor Wat (; km, អង្គរវត្ត, "City/Capital of Temples") is a temple complex in Cambodia and is the largest religious monument in the world, on a site measuring . Originally constructed as a Hindu temple dedicated to the g ...

( 1100's A.D.) in the Kingdom of

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...

. File:Silek Lanyah Kubu Gadang, Minangkabau.jpg, Submission lock on grounded opponent in Silat Minangkabau. File:Two_men_wrestling_-_Tashrih_al-aqvam_(1825),_f.203v_-_BL_Add._27255.jpg, Ground fighting from

Pehlwani Pehlwani, (पहलवानी) also known as Kushti, is a form of wrestling contested in South Asia. It was developed in the Mughal Empire by combining Persian Koshti pahlevani with influences from native Indian Malla-yuddha. The words '' ...

in a drawing from 1825. File:Gangaram_Chintaman_Tambat_-_Two_Jeyties_Wrestling_-_B1977.14.22290_-_Yale_Center_for_British_Art.jpg, Drawing of ground fighting in Indian wrestling(1792 A.D.). File:Rawla_Mandi_Sports_Wrestling.jpg, Ground fighting in Indian wrestling. File:Judo_at_the_2016_Summer_Paralympics_–_Men%27s_81_kg,_Safarov_vs_Drane_6.jpg, Ground fighting in

. File:Capoeira_de_Rua.jpg, Ground fighting in

Capoeira Capoeira () is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, music and spirituality. Born of the melting pot of enslaved Africans, Indigenous Brazilians and Portuguese influences at the beginning of the 16th centur ...

File:Lutte_sénégalaise_Bercy_2013_-_Mame_Balla-Pape_Mor_Lô_-_35.jpg, Ground fighting in Senegalese wrestling File:Grand_Prix_Paris_de_Sambo_2017_IMG_2301_(34121533944).jpg, Ground fighting in

File:Grand_Prix_Paris_de_Sambo_IMG_1980_(34575715540).jpg, Ground fighting in

File:Grand_Prix_Paris_de_Sambo_IMG_1962_(34963130265).jpg, Ground fighting in

Notes

References

* Løvstad, Jakob
The Mixed Martial Arts Primer
(PDF format) {{martial arts Martial art techniques

Striking on the ground

Gallery

See also

Notes

References