Getting Up and Away from the Ground
By Lee Aldridge
Introduction
The possibility of being knocked to the ground and having to get back up safely, while an attacker looms overhead, can be a grim one. I've seen several "streetfight" videos where the individual who is knocked down actually receives far more damaging blows from the opponent AS THEY ATTEMPT TO GET BACK UP! Most often, kicks to the head (football punt style) are used as the hapless person's head becomes an easy target.
Starting with the assumption that we should face upwards when on the ground, so that we can fight with all our limbs and see the largest area, here's Lauren after being pushed to the ground by Bruce:
Notice Lauren gets her feet in between her and the attacker to make it harder for him to subdue her. The photos are relatively "still-posed" to show the mechanics of the movement.
Kicking from the grounded position
Now, Lauren will kick "bicycle-style" to strike Bruce's legs, preferably at the knee. She may get a lucky groin kick in, or simply pound on his shins as he attempts to close the distance:
Notice how Lauren improves her mobility by staying low, but having the ability to "spin" and keep her legs in between herself and the attacker!
Getting ready to get up
As Lauren delivers the kicks to the attacker's legs, she'll look for the opportunity to begin to get up. You can use the lines on the mats to get a reference for her motion.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER ABOUT GETTING UP:
YOU CAN GET UP EITHER BY BRINGING YOUR HEAD UP ABOVE YOUR FEET AND STANDING UP (BAD, BECAUSE YOUR HEAD GETS CLOSER TO YOUR OPPONENT, GIVING HIM AN EASY TARGET....
OR
YOU CAN GET UP BY BRINGING YOUR FEET UNDERNEATH YOUR HEAD ;-) WHICH KEEPS YOUR HEAD AWAY FROM THE ATTACKER!
To begin to get up, Lauren will turn onto one side, usually after delivering a kick that creates a bit of space and has hurt the attacker somewhat.
Here's the start of the process:
Getting up
Now that Lauren has begun to turn onto one side, she will plant the "high" foot as close to her rear end as possible. She will also place her bottom hand on the ground so that she has two points of contact with the ground. This structure forms the beginning of a "body bridge" that will allow her to swing her bottom leg backward to get that foot underneath her.
If the attacker rushes in, she can "collapse" back onto her back easily and begin the cycle all over again.
In these photos, I had Lauren keep her top hand down for clarity....she would have it up to guard her head during these moves!
Here's the foot plant:
Bringing the bottom leg underneath you
Now that Lauren has formed the two-point "bridge" of hand/foot, she is able to lift her body off the ground slightly. When she lifts up, she will drag her bottom leg underneath her, so that she is kneeling on the shin of the bottom leg.
Here's Lauren assuming the "kneel", and notice again (by using the lines on the mat) that her head never comes closer to the attacker:
Continuing to stand
If she feels that she can continue getting up, Lauren will now rise from her kneeling position, taking care to keep her head away from Bruce. This places her in an "almost-standing" position, and she can still sit/roll back to the ground if he pressures her:
Finish
Lauren now stands fully up, ready to continue her defense or run away.
Thanks to Bruce for holding so still to show the distance relationships as Lauren went through the moves!
Another option and problems
Another option which we've worked with is to turn over and face the ground as you assume a "sprinter's start" position. You can then simply run away, because you're all set to go.
The problems we've had have been two major things:
1. by turning your back to the attacker, he was often able to jump on top of the grounded person too quickly, ruining the escape attempt
2. the attacker was also able to grab an ankle and restrain you as you tried to start running
I'd encourage folks to try out both of these tactics and see what works for you!
Thanks, that's it for this escape!
You can contact Lee Aldridge care of his site: http://www.fightingconcepts.com/
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