Ground combat attempted for the first time tonight

[tallgeese]

The key phrase you use is "imagining they'll work the same". They just won't, I agree. By understanding this, you can still utilize them successfully, just not in the same way.

For instance, you can often make someone move a given direction you need them to, like into a submission, by striking them. They aren't going because of the overwhelming power of the strikes, but because of the damage or discomfort you're inflicting. It's almost subconscious at times to move away from an irritant.

There are ways to generate more power, but you should always look at what you're accomplishing, or maybe better, what you're trying to accomplish with striking from the ground. You should look at it as a tool best utilized for making your "ground" tools work more efficiently.

[ShoriKid]

On the ground, as on your feet, any sort of preasure point work should be viewed as it should be applied, as octane boost, not the engine. Your basic, bread and butter, techniques are what drive your fighting. Wheather on your feet or on the ground. Knowing how to cause, maybe, a specific reaction, or weaken a joint, helps, but it's not a substitue for knowing how to break lose an arm to lock the shoulder or elbow.

Striking, from the bottom, as tallgeese says, does things. For one thing, even if your not knocking someone out, they are covering up and not hitting you. It might also cause them to move in a way that you need them to to secure a lock or choke. So, don't neglect it. But like a lot of other things, they have to be trained to know what your doing.

[JusticeZero]

Mostly, if you hit the floor, you should be using your striking skills to deal with the guy who hasn't joined you there and intends to capitalize on your position. That mostly means you need to know how to strike from the floor, and for the most part that means kicking. The idea that an attacker will automatically climb on top of anyone who hits the floor is a bit silly. If you get tackled, try to land on them with your elbow or shoulder or something and roll/bounce away. I study how to throw people from there, but that needs a good stance that most people won't have.

If you end up in wrestling range, it indicates that you've had several failures in a short span of time, not just the one that let you get knocked down. That, or you're a wrestler who is confident that 100% of people in the vicinity adore you and are willing to back you up. You lost control of your trajectory, you lost control of the one knocking you down, and you failed to space. A good grappler has some ability to force the issue on these, which means that you've also walked into an ambush in a space hostile to you, or the guy taking you down is a fool who's going to be joining you in the hospital.

[tallgeese]

All of the above could certainly be true.

It could also be that the guy who has decided to attack you is a good wrestler, or just a big, strong bull and had managed to hit a takedown on you because he was bigger, stronger, or faster, and maybe even better.

I agree, you shouldn't assume that someone will jump on you. Nor should you assume that they won't. Train to deal with both.

Getting back to original post, I think we've all been so busy interjecting our thoughts that we've forgotten to say good job for branching out. Glad you enjoyed the experience and keep us posted on your progress.

[Throwdown0850]

It's not a matter of 'not as powerful' it's a matter of beating on him with marshmallows. It's a waste of time and energy to just throw punches from the floor imagining they'll work the same. There's a few strikes you can do there, but they all look very different from standing.

I dont care if its a "marshmellow" or not. Im still gonna try and do what I can to get the attacker to get off me. if I have to strike so be it. im not going to rule anything out.

marshmellows, pillows, whatever you wanna call it, if I go to the ground im going to try and strike him, im not going to try and not strike him just because there not as powerful... and yes strikes still HURT when ground fighting. who said I was imagining they'll work the same??

[JusticeZero]

My concern mostly is that your attacker will take a moment to evaluate how much damage he is taking, and adjust their tactics accordingly by ignoring your punches completely and taking the time to worsen your situation while you tire yourself out.

[tallgeese]

That adjustment is often what you're looking for when striking from the ground. If you properly utilize strikes from the up position or from a less degree the down, it can make him move to an advantageous position for you to apply a fight ending tactic.