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Self-Defense Basics: Lesson 9 – On the Ground

Welcome to Lesson #9 in your Self-Defense Basics Course! In this video, we first discuss how to defend yourself FROM the ground when falling, then ON the ground when dealing with an attacker. ►Please SHARE this series of self-defense lessons with someone you love! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6eONibQBIamu8WScDNu_P2RDg6I2FdrN Some thoughts from Lesson #9… Did you know that the leading cause of injury-related death for people 65 and older in the United States is falling? You may never find yourself defending yourself from a violent attacker, but you will take a fall. So, let’s first talk about defending ourselves from the ground. At some point, growing up meant standing up. Suddenly, taking a fall was embarrassing and the ground something to fear. But that only works against us. So, try sitting down on the ground with control. If you have to fold your leg behind you or use a hand, that’s okay. Just learn to trust your butt! If you think about it, falling is just dropping your weight, like we talked about in Lesson #5. Of course, in self-defense, dropping all the way to the ground shouldn’t be your first choice, but if you have to, you shouldn’t be afraid to do it. Work up to sitting and falling on your back and sides. Just be sure to always protect your head. Imagine you head like a fish bowl. No matter how you fall, catch it before it hits the ground. In my experience, the most dangerous part of falling is trying to STOP yourself from falling. That just turns a small fall into a big fall. My advice—don’t stall the fall. When you know you’re going down, accept it. DEFENSE ON THE GROUND There are two basic ways you might hit the ground with an attacker–on top or on bottom. If I fall on top, I stay on the attack and drive to their side. I can use everything we practiced on the wall in Lesson #7– palm heels, elbows, and hammer fists. If I fall underneath my attacker, I still accept the fall and sit down as fast as I can. But rather than catch my head, I’m going to try to catch the attacker’s head. This will help me control the fall and the bad guy. Obviously, I don’t want to be crushed under a bad guy’s weight, so the sooner I start turning, the better. Like the idea of bullfighting in Lesson #8, making the bad guy slip past you to hit the ground is going to help you avoid injury and give you more space to kick yourself away or roll up on top. Of course, you can learn many specialized techniques for fighting on the ground, but for basic self-defense, I’d like to repeat the same concepts we applied standing up. If you think of the ground as a completely different situation that standing up, you might convince yourself that you have no idea what to do and freeze up. But you DO know what to do. You just have to train yourself to do it. The biggest difference when fighting on the ground is footwork. Here are three ways to use your biggest muscles… KICKING. If you fall to the ground, immediately get your legs between you and the attacker. That puts your head farthest away from his weapons and aims your strongest weapons straight at him. Remember– head out, feet in! BUMPING. This is like a gymnast’s bridge, only violent! It’s like driving your car and hitting a speed bump– you get jolted and spill your coffee. Same idea here. Don’t let your attacker settle down. Shake his body and shake his confidence. Bump your hips to make the space you need to get your legs in between and kick yourself back to safety. SCOOTING. Use your feet to walk backwards and forwards on your back. Try jumping backwards and forwards on your side, too. If you want to get back on your feet, you have to USE your feet. So, get down and have a little fun just rolling around with your old friend. THANKS FOR WATCHING! For more tips on martial arts training, self-defense, and living a happy life, check out these links… ►SUBSCRIBE on YouTube: http://bit.ly/SenseiAndo ►Listen to my PODCAST on Martial Arts in daily life: http://www.senseiando.com/fight-for-a-happy-life/ ►Get FREE Email Updates on everything I do: http://www.senseiando.com/updates/ ►TRAIN WITH ME in person, online, or at a seminar.
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Comments

The Kentucky Patriot says:

Great as always! Move to Ky and open a dojo!! 😀

TMNT FOREVER says:

I was taught to fall on my side when I did jodo back in the day it makes perfect sense. Thanks for the lesson Ando I always trust your advise and by the way I had that cold shower and man did it wake me up!! 😆

qaannat says:

In our school, doing a backfall, we slap the ground with both forearms to ~45°, hands out about level with hips. We tuck the chin.

Jumpy Dear16 says:

Ando, you're the best in your presentations. Practical value aside (which is very high) you are such a skillful communicator. Looks like you've been doing this a long time on national tv or something. You're a real pro! Thank you for your generous and very much appreciated efforts.

Mark McKenzie says:

Glad to see new content out, sir! Been anticipating your next video

Leo Daidone says:

Great lesson Sensei!!! looks like foundation for bjj.

Prince Xerakugo says:

Ando Crazy thing this guy hit me today in school so i hit him back and punched him in his head bad idea so i go for the ribs and mauy Thai kick to the tight and ran home to staftey this is after school should i have done that or talked to a teacher

president trump says:

Soon the government will issue a gravity tax.

George Goodyear says:

Sound advice. I’ll suggest to my self-defence instructor that we could spend a lesson on break-falls and ground fighting.

Dipankar Bhattacharya says:

Real food for practicing thought,just a quarry,Where can i get the happy life full sleeve you are wearing in training?OSU

RoseAnne Mussar says:

Another fantastic video Sensei Ando! I have a question re. breakfalls: is there a way to do a breakfall that doesn't involve bending the knees into a squat position (other than THUD-OUCH)? I'm an old lady with crunchy knees and bending them while weight-bearing is super painful!

Hari P Nair Unni says:

Hii Ando..What about guy sitting on your chest and punching?? Like Jon Snow did to Roose Bolton in the climax of Battle of the Bastards??

Luka Megurine says:

Great stuff! Thanks for the clear explanation. 👍

Shinwoo K says:

I'm loving this series : )

MR. GAMER says:

Now I can sleep easily on floor

Piotr Litwic says:

Like I said some time ago – Gravity is gonna try to kill you, with or without a bad guy to aid it. But I still think I'm going to break falls my own way. Still, for basics, good advice. Thank you.

Nadrojer says:

When on the bottom all that moving from open guard can allow them to pass your guard and be in side control

Ruiseart Alcorn says:

Great advice Sifu 🙂

TheJinzo says:

When we was taught to catch a fall we was taught to spread our legs and arms all the way out palms face down it absorbs most of the impact

TheJinzo says:

Man you get up early to upload

gudrun clarke says:

brilliant clear down to earth instructions with a wonderfully positive attitude. great presentation.

Jitender Bisht says:

Awesome 🇮🇳

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