Getting Back On One’s Feet
Ground-fighting is becoming recognized as a real threat to the serious student; indeed, many people are reluctantly admitting their training in this dimension of fighting was, traditionally, little more than “don’t get knocked down.”
The reality is much more serious, in that many fights begin with one opponent being knocked down; indeed, the longer the fight lasts, the more probable that one individual will, at least, be toppled over.Chongdo sees a distinction between grappling (both opponents are on the ground) and ground-fighting (only you are on the ground), as the rules to each are distinctly different. As far as ground-fighting goes, the most popular question we get is “How do you get back to your feet?”
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As the accompanying photo sequence shows, a typical scenario involves getting back to your feet quickly but safely. The common Hollywood technique of arching the back and hand-springing to the feet is, of course, the worst idea since it takes gymnastic skill, sufficient space, and is completely unguarded. In this sequence, note how the student (in yellow) protects himself at each step in the event something goes wrong. The thrust kick in the second photo shows how the student widens the interval a bit by driving the attacker’s foot back. He can, if the situation warrants, try to kick again—although each additional technique merely eats up precious time. He then gets three points of contact (hand, knee, and foot) on the ground. His left hand is ready to respond, since the attacker will only be delayed by that first kick, and will in all probability be angrier. With that base of stability recovered, the student can stand upright or push forward (as shown) into a counterattack. If the attacker does not step back with that initial kick but instead dives forward, the student is protecting his front and back from immediate impact, and is better prepared for a grappling situation. Note also that the student should move continuously in the last three photos: these are not set body positions, but a rapid rise upward to cover the opponent’s likely counterattack. |
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