Grappling yes or no

[Tyler1]

What real benefits does grappling really bring to the table if push cames to shove, I mean if you where attacked on pavement would you still bring them to the ground or how does one handle these types of stituation?
I know what I would do but a pure grappler or wrestler how do they benefit themself when this occurs. I'm not looking for any agruments just real serious answers.

I wrestled in high school but that was a sport and I would never try some of those move in a real fight especially on a pave ground or sidewalk.

There are tons of wrestling takedowns, and throws that work on hard surfaces real well, just make sure your the one doing them .

I've been around great wrestlers, my brother several time state place winner, best friend 2xstate champ, and others (I placed in state also). We'll wrestle on concrete, tar, gravel, whatever. It's all about how your going to land on the opponent if you throw, or if you sweep or trip.

In most confrontations I found most wrestlers will, like most martial artists, back away, they have nothing to prove/self control, distance control, and ability to read if they are going to be attacked.

I watched my brother get attacked after leaving a college wrestling dual, I was a block away, he spun around one of the three individuals and suplex threw him on the concrete, that person was done, before I got there my brother was kicked in the face by the other, got up, went into his wrestling stance, to attack "face first" (he was going to shoot), and got stabbed in the lead leg. No defense from a strike.

If I was being attacked from a "pure grappler" I would strike first and keep backing away and striking, they will lead face first, watch for the shot, if they get a hold of you they aren't going to be afraid to crash into concrete, tables, whatever. I threw a guy and myself onto a pile of bikes (I was defending myself) but I knew he was going to land on his back, on the bikes. No strikes were needed, I dropped on him and locked up his arms.

I always told my friends that if they are going to have to scrap get the guy in a bear hug first before he can start to swing, trap an arm and they are yours. But if they start swinging at you, and they are good, cover up and get away till you can get the distacnce you need to get a grab on them.

 

[Tez3]

Good posts and advice here! From a womans perspective being able to fight on the floor is invaluable as the chances are that if you are attacked it's more liable to be a rape situation than a straight street/bar fight (though increasingly we are seeing women fighting in this way, usually alcohol related) and there's a good chance the attacker will be bigger and stronger.Of course you can use all the usual SD weapons, nails, biting, eye gouging etc but knowing that many MMA/BjJJ fights are won from underneath and knowing how to do it lessens the panic factor and means you can work to get away. I wouldn't though unless very desparate take a fight to the floor purely because I am small. Even if I take some down I tend to go down with them due to their size, I've come up with the strategy of always landing elbows first on them lol! We practise defences against takedown a lot though and it's surprising how effective they can be even against bigger people.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Another great thing about grappling is that you become used to contact and also you will get in great cardiovascular shape!

In a real world self defense situation both of these attributes can pay off in a big way!

 

[Tyler1]

I just thought about another terrible habit wrestlers have, we don't fight off our backs, as soon as we feel we are tipping to our back we roll over to our stomach. On goes the choke hold, or if we stand up we are set up for a person to throw us in the suplex.

I think it would be a great idea (dangerous idea) to teach wrestlers how to tap out wrestle as a drill, add in a starndard arm bar, chokes, triangle, etc. and let them go at it. If it was a highschool wrestling room parents would freak out.

 

[Tez3]

I just thought about another terrible habit wrestlers have, we don't fight off our backs, as soon as we feel we are tipping to our back we roll over to our stomach. On goes the choke hold, or if we stand up we are set up for a person to throw us in the suplex.

I think it would be a great idea (dangerous idea) to teach wrestlers how to tap out wrestle as a drill, add in a starndard arm bar, chokes, triangle, etc. and let them go at it. If it was a highschool wrestling room parents would freak out.

We've had Judo players who've come and trained with us and been caught because they turn off their backs. I think if it was 'sold' it as a BJJ drill for self defence, have a special session for it, parents wouldn't freak too much? It's always interesting and helps training if you can introduce something new.

 

[Trent]

Groundfighting and grappling is a must to have in any comprehensive martial system. Aside from the advantages listed above, it is nearly impossible to learn how to avoid being taken to the ground and remain standing (i.e., have a genuinely good base and evasive movement) without learning how to grapple in some manner whether it be a western or easter style of wrestling, jiu-jitsu, judo, silat, qinna, etc. If someone doesn't have a clue, or much training, in grappling and the other person does, the stand-up guy's odds of avoiding being taken down and introduced rudely to the concrete is very low, and I'd much rather be punched in the face than thrown to the ground by someone who knows how to do both having experienced both many times.

It's almost like many grappler's attempting to enter a kickboxing match without having learned that peculiar footwork, how to take and give a punch or kick (many grappler's I've met are very leery of being hit in the face)-- odds are it won't be good at all for the grappler.

 

[rock_chick1991]

The one big advantage I see is pretty much *any* takedown practiced safely on a mat could become a potential instant fight ender on pavement.

Well i have been grappling for a bout 2 years now in goju ryu karate, i find it quite heplful to be able to know how to takedown a person mroe easily. It has alos helped me to see a different side to my style of karate, i practice it regularly with men larger than me as i am not of the exact great height i need 2 know how to find my opponents weaknesses. Grappling is a good thing to know as it is one thing which you could use to help defned yourself in many fights you may get into on the street.