Ground Fighting In Mixed Martial Arts

There used to be a misconception of the relevancy of ground fighting in martial arts. However with the staggering growth of mixed martial arts in the past decade, it has been realised that ground fighting (also referred to as ground game or ground work) is an essential part of a fighter's game. More so for those who intend to compete in the mixed martial arts circuit. Ground Fighting in essence is where two individuals are fighting to take control of dominant positions on the ground in order to submit the opponent. Ground Fighting usually involves grappling with the incorporation of styles such as Brazilian Ju Jitsu, Submission Wrestling and Catch Wrestling.

In relation to Clinch Fighting, the ground game asserts that the fighters are at close range; this generally involves one or both combatants grappling the opponent using various  holds. There is a huge dependency on attaining correct positions by the fighters. The techniques that can be incorporated include Locks, Chokes, and dominant positions to ground and pound.

Usually there is an assumption that Ground fighting doesn't include striking. However this assumption is incorrect. Generally negated by most grappling arts, carrying out strikes on the ground is an integral aspect of one ground game. Usually, a Mount Position is better for executing punches and elbows than a bottom position, this is  due to the fighter in the top position can generate the distance and movement needed for effective strikes, while the one in the bottom position cannot execute ant effective strikes due to lack of leverage and the restricting nature of the position. The most common techniques that can be executed from this position are head butts, elbow strikes, knees and the obvious one punches.

Due the staggering growth of mixed martial arts in the world, most people that tend to compete in this particular discipline need to be proficient at ground fighting. There are certain fighters that tend to specialize n this particular field. They normally include wrestlers and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In these cases there is an emphasis to take the fight to the ground.

A typical fight sequence in MMA competition such as the UFC may begin, for example, with one competitor forcing the other to the floor by using a takedowns and establishing amounted position. The competitor on the top may start to throw punches until the one at the bottom tries to get away by pushing away the top competitor. However the Brazilian Jujitsu tends to favor the Guard Position s it allows deployment of various submission techniques. Some of these include the following:

Arm bar
Triangle Choke
Ankle Lock
Heel Hook
Guillotine Choke
Oma Plata
Knee bar

There are many others. In order to execute these effectively there needs to be a clear understanding of positions and a good balance.