Copyright © Geoff Thompson 2004
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Ground work is split into two categories: grappling on the floor and fighting from the floor. The former is when you and your opponent both fall to the ground; the latter is when you fall, or are knocked, to the floor and your opponent is still in the vertical position.

Both are very dangerous fighting areas to find yourself in, especially the latter. Some schools of thought advocate the latter as a first line of defence, advising their practitioners to throw themselves to the floor before an attacker and fight from there. This is about as sensible as telling someone to throw themselves into a fire to get warm. Don't do it. If I could find one word to describe this kind of advice it would have to be BOLLOCKS! Throwing yourself to the floor in front of an attacker is tantamount to throwing yourself at his mercy: after all, isn't the ground where he wants you to be in the first place?

Basically, if we are fighting from the floor it is because we are in the shit and trying desperately to fight our way out of it. I've been there, and it's not pleasant – so avoid at all costs.

It would be easy, again, to theorise and show illustrations and demonstrations of how a felled person may attack and break an advancing assailant's shin or knee-cap with a low-line thrust kick, or sweep him to the ground with a scissor throw. In reality, if you are on the ground and your attacker is standing, your chances of getting back up, especially as a novice, are minimal. Even an experienced fighter is facing defeat if he is on the ground. If both of you fall to the ground you have at least a 50 % chance of winning. If only you are on the floor, your attacker will almost definitely go in for the kill, so it is imperative that you quickly find a good defensive position. This may be lying on your side, left or right, where both arms and legs are used to provide support, enabling quick movement and position change.

The right knee and right elbow are easily available to provide cover for the body, groin and head. From this defensive position kick out rapidly at the attacker's groin or knees every time he approaches to attack. As soon as is possible, get up. The longer you stay down the less chance you have of getting back up again. If you find it impossible to get back up, try to catch hold of the attacker's legs or arms and pull him down to the floor with you, where you have a more even chance.

If you both fall to the floor it is important that you fight back hard and fiercely by striking the attacker in his vital areas: eyes, throat and groin. Try to make the attacks calculated and accurate; don't waste time and energy on attacking the more muscular areas of the body. Bite, pinch, gouge, butt, knee – do anything and everything.

Remember, the attacker needs a quick result. He cannot afford to be rolling around the floor with you, scrapping it out. As soon as he realises that he's got a fight on his hands, the sooner he's going to want to get away. If you are severely pinned down and cannot move, feign supplication, pretend you've had enough and that you will let the attacker have whatever he wants. As soon as he releases
his grip on you, strike him hard in the eyes or throat with your fingers or fist, then run.

Chokes and headlocks come into their own in ground work. All of the chokes and headlocks illustrated in Chapter 12 are hugely effective in ground work, as are the eye gouges, head-butts, bites, etc.

These are a few illustrations of ground work techniques that I have successfully employed over the years. The best way to practise these techniques is with a friend or your husband/wife or partner, using the tap system as a safety measure. Infliction of pain upon your foe will give you valuable extra seconds to flee.

Protect groin and head

Block kick

Kick on knee

Biting

I personally only bite as a last resort, when all else has failed or is not available. Other fighters I know work the bite as a first resort attack when inside grappling range, even seeking grappling range to employ the bite. The former is my personal recommendation, but the choice is yours.

What I will say is that today's enemy is a biter and if you do not know or are not accustomed to defending against bites in your training then the chances are you will fall victim to the bite in a real encounter. My reason for insisting on biting in training is twofold. One, it teaches you to use the bite to effect, very handy if the bite is all that you have open to you and the attacker is going to rape your wife or daughter after he has bashed you. And two, it teaches you to defend against people that bite. Omit it from your curriculum at your own peril.

Note: In training, biting should be used with control. It is enough to bite and release so that major injuries are avoided. There should only be a minimal use of force, not enough to cause a bruise, just enough to let the opponent know that he has been caught.

With the inherent danger of AIDS and blood-related diseases, one must be aware of the possible consequences of biting an adversary. However it is not always necessary to draw blood to stop an assailant when you bite, just bite deep enough to secure your release and escape.