Strike Back Against Grappling by Chuck Sudds

Strike Back Against Grappling by Chuck Sudds

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Strike Back Against Grappling by Chuck Sudds - Mar. 5th, 2007, 6:23:08 PM

Zoran

Posts: 144
Joined: Mar. 4th, 2007,
From: Chicago Area, Illinois
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When the "No Holds Barred" shows first came upon the scene several years ago, there was a sudden upsurge in the popularity of the grappling arts. I believe that grappling is good. I enjoy practicing it, and I enjoy teaching it. But, would it be my first response in a street fight? Not a chance.

Grappling is never the best option in a street fight. In fact, going to the ground is never something you should do by choice. I train my students to stay on their feet, and if they do get taken down, to disengage and get back up as quickly--and safely--as possible. In my opinion, every second spent on the ground leaves you open to mortal danger. As a military policeman (and also as a civilian), I’ve seen people who have tried to wrestle multiple opponents, and they’ve ended up being brutally beaten.

You’re probably familiar with the conventional wisdom that 90% of all fights end up on the ground. Well, that hasn’t been my experience. Using kenpo’s power strikes, my students and I have had great luck knocking other people to the ground.

As the owner of a martial arts school, I’m often asked which art is most effective. I have no problem admitting that the top Brazilian fighters are great ground fighters. One-on-one, they’re very difficult to beat. But I believe that kenpo is superior to jujitsu when it comes to real-life self-defense on the streets. If you doubt that assertion, ask yourself this question: Who would you bet on to escape from a room full of violent sociopath, Keith Hackney or Royce Gracie? If you think being intertwined with a writhing opponent for ten minutes or more is an effective way to get out of a jam, all I can say is "Good Luck!" If I were a betting man, my money would be on Hackney.

The basic problem is that although the grappling arts are great martial arts, they simply don’t offer the best in self-defense techniques. That doesn’t mean you can afford to ignore grappling--you just can’t make it your primary means of self-defense. At my school, we have classes exclusively devoted to grappling, because I believe that my students should be prepared in the event that they get taken down in a street fight.

However, when two students do go to the ground in class, I give them ten seconds to get up. If they’re still down after the count of ten, I start smacking the one on top with a padded stick, as a friendly reminder of what’s likely to happen in a real-world encounter. That’s usually all it takes to get them up on their feet, where they can launch a barrage of punches and kicks. In the final analysis, it’s never good strategy to fight the opponent’s fight. If an attacker wants to grapple with you, don’t give in. Stay disciplined to you what you’ve learned in kenpo, keep your distance, and strike back with a powerful counterattack.