| One of the more intriguing aspects of Ki Chuan | | | | strategy as KCD stand-up fighting: Use |
| Do (KCD) for beginners and outside observers is | | | | SENSITIVITY and the DISENGAGEMENT |
| Master Perkins' "Modified Native American Ground | | | | PRINCIPLE to as quickly as possible DESTROY |
| Fighting." Not only have most people never seen | | | | THE ENEMY while maintaining a firm ROOT NO |
| or experienced authentic Native American martial | | | | ONE CAN FIND (through balanced MOBILITY), |
| arts (because of the dearth of practitioners alive | | | | looseness, and body unity.The major differences |
| today and the even smaller number interested in | | | | that require additional training are the use of |
| sharing their skills with the public), but most martial | | | | different ROOTING POINTS on the ground--hips, |
| artists and combative sport fans cannot even | | | | back, shoulders, etc.--as opposed to just the feet |
| conceive of an effective method of fighting on | | | | while standing up, and the increased availability of |
| the ground that differs significantly from the | | | | TOOLS, in that both legs may be used |
| grappling methods (wrestling, jiu-jitsu, etc.) so | | | | simultaneously from the ground and in ways |
| universally practiced today. To even suggest that | | | | different from when standing up. Seeing as the |
| a very different method may be equally or even | | | | legs (especially with sturdy boots on them) are by |
| more effective for real violence immediately | | | | far the more powerful limbs of the body, it |
| evokes skepticism, so conditioned are most | | | | makes sense to take advantage of their |
| people to consider "groundfighting" synonymous | | | | increased usability on the ground through additional |
| with "wrestling" or "grappling."Let's take an | | | | training. Hence, the main foci of solo training for |
| analytical look at what KCD Modified Native | | | | KCD groundfighting should be the development of |
| American Groundfighting actually is, why it is, and | | | | BALANCE on and transition between the various |
| how and why it differs from conventional | | | | rooting points available on the ground, and the |
| groundfighting (grappling) | | | | development of the musculature and coordination |
| methods.DISENGAGEMENT vs. ENGAGEMENTKCD | | | | necessary to use all the available tools in all |
| groundfighting, unlike grappling, emphasizes | | | | possible ways . . . and, of course, the |
| DISENGAGEMENT, rather than ENGAGEMENT | | | | development of the ability to get up off the |
| with the enemy. "Engagement" here means the | | | | ground from any position as quickly as |
| merging of two bodies into a single system of | | | | possible!GROUND AVOIDANCEAlthough this article |
| forces for more than a split second's duration. Put | | | | primarily addresses how the KCD practitioner |
| more simply, conventional grappling methods | | | | fights while on the ground, because the |
| emphasize engagement with the adversary in that | | | | prevention of going to the ground is such an |
| the practitioner seeks to "tie up with" the | | | | important factor in real combat, we will address it |
| adversary in order to apply his techniques. The | | | | briefly here.There are no special "anti-grappling" or |
| grounded grappler on the offensive seeks to | | | | "counter-takedown" techniques in KCD. One |
| minimize the distance between his body and his | | | | problem with such techniques would be that by |
| opponent's, hence gaining maximum control over | | | | the time one realizes their necessity in a fight (i.e. |
| and awareness of all of the opponent's | | | | when one recognizes the takedown attempt), it is |
| movements, maximizing opportunities to apply | | | | usually too late to apply them! Instead, the basic |
| attached joint locking/breaking and choking | | | | concepts of KCD, if trained diligently, will usually |
| strangling techniques.Minimizing the space available | | | | prevent the circumstances that typically result in |
| to the opponent minimizes the opponent's | | | | fighters' going to the ground against their will. |
| opportunities to strike the grappler (using | | | | Specifically:1. BALANCE: The "hyper-balance" that |
| conventional strikes, at least), and allows the | | | | is a result of KCD training makes it less likely that |
| grappler to use his full bodyweight and the | | | | a KCD practitioner will lose his/her footing and fall |
| strength of his core muscles against the isolated | | | | to the ground, regardless of the cause.2. |
| weaker joints of the opponent, provided the | | | | SENSITIVITY and the DISENGAGEMENT |
| grappler has sufficient sensitivity, agility, endurance | | | | PRINCIPLE: The trained KCD attribute of external |
| and knowledge to make the techniques work | | | | tactile sensitivity along with its application |
| against his opponent. Even when conventional | | | | according to the disengagement principle (whereby |
| striking methods are integrated into grappling, as | | | | the practitioner strives to remain as disengaged |
| in the popular "ground and pound" strategy of | | | | with the enemy as possible while remaining |
| Mixed Martial Arts competitions, the striking is | | | | engaged enough to cause damage--to "stick but |
| usually performed from prescribed positions of | | | | not get stuck") can prevent a grappler from |
| maximum engagement (e.g. punches from the | | | | achieving a strong clinch with the KCD practitioner, |
| Mount position or knee strikes from the Side | | | | as the KCD practitioner's body always seems to |
| Control position) so as to maintain control over | | | | "squirt" out of attempted grips and holds while |
| the opponent's movements while creating just | | | | striking into vital areas and disrupting the grappler's |
| enough space for the grappler to strike.KCD | | | | balance from unexpected angles. This negates a |
| groundfighting, on the other hand, implores us to | | | | common grappling takedown strategy: to first tie |
| remain as disengaged as possible. Rather than | | | | up the opponent in a standing clinch in order to |
| tying up with the enemy, a KCD practitioner | | | | suppress his strikes and gain control over his |
| strives to maintain his/her own freedom of | | | | balance, and then to take him down from there.3. |
| movement, rather than committing his/her body | | | | DROPPING ENERGY ("absorbing the overtravel") |
| to merging with the movements of a single | | | | and the SPHERE OF INFLUENCE: KCD practitioners' |
| adversary. Contact with the enemy, rather than | | | | use of dropping energy to "absorb the overtravel" |
| being tight and constant as in conventional | | | | of strikes (as Master Perkins has explained in |
| grappling, is fleeting and minimal, consisting | | | | Newsletter #18) as well as keeping strikes within |
| primarily of kicks, strikes, slams, gouges, rips and | | | | the sphere of influence (to prevent "reaching" with |
| quick wrenches. The principle of disengagement | | | | strikes) means that KCD practitioners are unlikely |
| allows the KCD practitioner to utilize an element | | | | to overcommit to strikes. Taking advantage of a |
| relatively unavailable to the conventional grappler: | | | | striker's overcommitment to his strikes is the |
| MOBILITY.GROUND MOBILITYWhile a good | | | | main means whereby an experienced grappler can |
| grappler is mobile relative to his opponent, in that | | | | shoot in for a successful takedown from outside |
| he is able to rapidly climb all over and around the | | | | of contact distance. If he cannot force the |
| opponent's body, the engaged aspect of grappling | | | | opponent to overcommit to long-distance striking |
| prevents the grappler from being mobile relative | | | | attacks, it becomes very difficult for a grappler to |
| to the total environment. While he is attached to | | | | achieve a clean takedown without first achieving a |
| his opponent, working towards the opponent's | | | | controlling clinch (addressed above in point #2). |
| defeat, the grappler is not free to rapidly move | | | | Additionally, dropping energy (along with BODY |
| around the environment he is fighting in.The KCD | | | | UNITY) allows very powerful strikes from very |
| practitioner, specifically because he remains | | | | close range, which can further frustrate a |
| disengaged from the enemy (through trained | | | | grappler's efforts to safely close distance.4. |
| rapid, convulsive and yielding movement and | | | | LOOSENESS: The KCD practitioner's trained |
| sensitivity), is free to move wherever s/he | | | | looseness makes it very difficult for a grappler to |
| wishes. Further, rapid mobility across the ground | | | | control the KCD practitioner's body, even if a grip |
| (primarily in the mode of rolling) is something that | | | | is achieved. For example, against an untrained |
| is trained constantly in KCD groundfighting training. | | | | person, a grappler can force the whole body |
| This kind of training is notably absent from most | | | | off-balance simply by manipulating one arm, as |
| conventional grappling programs, simply because it | | | | the untrained person naturally tenses up against |
| does not fit into the grappling paradigm of | | | | the grappler's grip. However, many a grappler has |
| constant engagement.SPORT vs. COMBATThe | | | | grabbed a KCD practitioner's arm only to realize |
| contrasts explored thus far expose the primary | | | | that "he's got nothing," as the KCD practitioner's |
| difference between conventional ground grappling | | | | looseness allows him/her to move the rest of his |
| and KCD groundfighting: Most modern grappling | | | | her body decisively independent of the controlled |
| methods are designed for a SPORT paradigm, | | | | arm to retain balance and attack the grappler. |
| while KCD groundfighting is intended for REAL | | | | The importance of this combination of Looseness |
| COMBAT. Because of the always present | | | | and Sensitivity cannot be over-emphasized. It is |
| possibility of multiple attackers in real combat, | | | | the emodiment of all the internal principles talked |
| purposefully engaging with a single adversary on | | | | about in KCD. The practitioner learns to move his |
| the ground, thereby sacrificing mobility, is an | | | | body as if his attacker's skin is red hot and |
| extremely risky strategy. While the story exists | | | | scalding yet he must still feel where he is and |
| of a grounded grappler's buying time against | | | | where he's going; this completely changes the |
| multiple attackers by manipulating his engaged | | | | mindset from force and control to touch, evasion |
| opponent as a shield against the kicks and | | | | and destruction. The image is, as we like to say, |
| punches of the other attackers, this is hardly a | | | | one of carrying a hot potato in your hands across |
| reliable enough strategy to count on. A far better | | | | a room without dropping it. It's too hot to hold but |
| strategy is the exact same one a KCD | | | | too important to let go.Generally, training the KCD |
| practitioner would use on his/her feet: Remain | | | | principles will allow the KCD practitioner to deal |
| MOBILE and disengaged in order to prevent the | | | | with a grappler as with any other fighter. Special |
| attackers from targeting you for effective strikes | | | | attention is given to aspects of contact flow and |
| and grapples while lashing out with powerful, | | | | combat application particularly germane to |
| accurate, full-body attacks against the closest | | | | grappling (e.g. feeling the level change, finding and |
| attackers, while attempting to create a window | | | | indexing on the head, body unity and dropping to |
| to escape the crowd.This is exactly what the | | | | stop momentum, close range destruction, |
| KCD multiple attacker strategy consists of: | | | | destroying the grappler while being taken down, |
| constant, unpredictable movement (in the mode | | | | etc.)INTENTIONALLY GOING TO THE GROUND: |
| of rapid, stomping steps while standing, and rolling | | | | "EMERGENCY OFFLINING"While going to the |
| when on the ground); rapid, powerful, full-body | | | | ground in a real combat situation should generally |
| striking at all angles (dropping strikes and kicks | | | | be avoided, under certain circumstances, going to |
| while standing, and dropping kicks [primarily], body | | | | the ground in particular ways may be the best |
| slams and strikes on the ground); and looking to | | | | course of action.In KCD, intentionally going to the |
| escape the mass attack (breaking out of the | | | | ground may be characterized as a form of |
| crowd to run away while standing, and creating | | | | "emergency offlining." Getting offline from an |
| space to get up and then run when on the | | | | attacker's charge is a fundamental concept in |
| ground).PROVEN IN WORLD WAR IIIf this | | | | KCD. It is usually accomplished while standing by |
| groundfighting strategy sounds novel or unproven, | | | | stepping to the side (and preferably forward) of |
| note these excerpts from the book Kill or Get | | | | an attacker with appropriate timing, positioning and |
| Killed by Lt. Col. Rex Applegate, one of the | | | | follow-up. However, sometimes the practitioner |
| greatest works on close combat of the World | | | | may not have the space or time to move to the |
| War II era:"Avoid, if at all possible, going to the | | | | side (e.g. in a confined area multiple attacker |
| ground with your adversary. . . . One injunction | | | | situation), or must immediately get his/her vital |
| you should heed: Once going to the ground, never | | | | organs further away from the attackers' |
| stop moving. Start rolling and try to get back on | | | | weapons (e.g. knives) than a sidestep in the given |
| your feet as quickly as possible. If you can't get | | | | environment would allow. If offlining cannot be |
| up and can't roll, pivot on your hips and shoulders | | | | accomplished to either side, and if the KCD |
| so you can face your opponent and block with | | | | practitioner cannot levitate, changing the angle can |
| your feet any attempt to close with | | | | be accomplished in only one direction: downwards. |
| you.Remember, it is not necessary to go to the | | | | The KCD practitioner must go to the ground.The |
| ground once YOU have placed your opponent | | | | methods by which the KCD practitioner goes to |
| there. You can finish him off with your feet. Your | | | | the ground are very different from those used |
| enemy can do likewise if you remain immobile on | | | | by most sport grapplers. Nearly all the methods |
| the ground and stay within range."(p. 15--emphasis | | | | sport grapplers use to take a fight to the ground |
| included in original)"When on the ground, subjected | | | | (e.g. wrestling takedowns, judo throws) involve |
| to attack from a standing opponent, the individual | | | | bringing their most vital areas (head, neck, chest) |
| can use his feet to prevent the adversary from | | | | very close to the opponent's hands. This creates |
| closing in or administering a coup de grace." (p. | | | | a major problem in real combat situations that |
| 16-17)"At the first opportunity he should try to | | | | require going to the ground--situations in which |
| regain his feet."(p. 20)Despite being an expert in | | | | one GOAL of the maneuver is to GAIN distance |
| sportive methods of ground grappling, Lt. Col. | | | | between the fighter's vital areas and the weapons |
| Applegate, like John Perkins, understood that | | | | of the enemy! The methods used in KCD, based |
| under real combat conditions, where multiple | | | | on Native American takedown maneuvers, do not |
| adversaries may have boots and other weapons | | | | suffer from this problem. They involve dropping, |
| fully capable of ending things in an instant if | | | | diving, spinning and rolling to the ground at angles |
| offered a good (stationary) target, a) lying on the | | | | that present the practitioner's feet towards the |
| ground is generally a bad place to be, and b) when | | | | enemy, while moving the upper body away from |
| on the ground, the sportive strategy of | | | | the enemy's weapons. The simultaneous |
| engagement must be abandoned for one of | | | | takedowns are done with the feet and legs and |
| disengagement and mobility.THE STRATEGY | | | | have a good chance of seriously damaging the |
| MUST MATCH THE GOALThe grappling approach | | | | enemy's lower body (primarily breaking the |
| of full engagement with a single adversary in | | | | knees). They also set up the practitioner to use |
| order to apply pins, joint locks and chokes is | | | | his/her legs on the ground (again keeping the vital |
| ideally suited to allowing a grappler to convincingly | | | | areas of the upper body away from the enemy's |
| and demonstrably control and dominate a single | | | | weapons) to quickly end any subsequent |
| opponent without seriously injuring him. This is | | | | groundfight.TIPS FOR SURVIVALHere are some |
| why grappling is such a perfect method for sport | | | | training tips to consider as you begin your path to |
| competition, where the object is to demonstrate | | | | combative groundfighting expertise:1. STICK |
| one athlete's superiority over another while | | | | WITH THE PRINCIPLES: Because KCD |
| preserving both athletes to perform another | | | | groundfighting looks different from KCD stand-up |
| day.In contrast, the KCD approach of | | | | training, people sometimes assume that the basic |
| disengagement, with contact limited primarily to | | | | KCD principles of balance, sensitivity, looseness |
| the impacts of powerful, full-body kicks, body | | | | and body unity do not apply. NOTHING COULD BE |
| slams, strikes, wrenches, rips and gouges, is not | | | | FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH! Balance in any |
| very well suited to pinning an opponent in place or | | | | position on the ground is what allows all the |
| forcing him to admit defeat before serious | | | | "crazy" maneuvers to be effective. Sensitivity |
| damage is done. What it IS suited for, however, is | | | | (including tactile and subcortical visual) is necessary |
| maintaining the KCD practitioner's freedom of | | | | to guide the practitioner's movements across the |
| movement and mobility, allowing him/her to move | | | | ground and into the enemy, even when the |
| sufficiently to prevent a lethal pile-on or boot | | | | practitioner's head may be moving and turning |
| party from multiple attackers and create space | | | | rapidly to keep away from danger. Without |
| to stand up, while dealing out disabling and possibly | | | | looseness, the practitioner's body will quickly be |
| lethal damage to the attackers.THE WEAPON | | | | broken against the ground itself, especially during |
| FACTORAnother contrast between KCD | | | | the falling and diving maneuvers. Looseness |
| groundfighting and conventional grappling that | | | | combined with sensitivity is also what allows the |
| illustrates their respective foci (combat vs. sport) | | | | KCD fighter to not be dragged into an immobile |
| is how the hands are utilized in each. In | | | | grappling clinch. You must learn to move your |
| conventional grappling, the hands are used almost | | | | body like a writhing mongoose or a furiously |
| constantly to hold and control the opponent, and | | | | twisting, spitting alleycat. Would you want to |
| also at times to balance on and push off of the | | | | grapple a 160 pound alley cat? Try putting it in a |
| ground or strike the opponent. In KCD | | | | headlock or a mount or a figure 4? Of course |
| groundfighting, however, the hands are almost | | | | not, it would be insanity: you'd never get a grip on |
| never used against the ground or to hold the | | | | its body as you're being torn to shreds.Finally, |
| enemy, and are used only secondarily for | | | | body unity is what makes the ground kicking and |
| momentary striking, gouging and ripping. During | | | | rolling maneuvers so damaging to the enemy. The |
| training, the KCD practitioner is admonished to | | | | attacks come from the whipping and dropping |
| keep his/her hands as free and unencumbered as | | | | (yes, even on the ground!) of the whole body, not |
| possible. This is because KCD acknowledges the | | | | just the legs, allowing them to cleave through the |
| fact that in real combat, hand-held weapons are | | | | enemies' bodies rather than bouncing off |
| often a factor in the outcome. Therefore, KCD | | | | harmlessly. The original Native American fighting |
| groundfighting is designed to integrate seamlessly | | | | methods KCD groundfighting was distilled from |
| with weapons use. This is inherent in the art's | | | | were characterized especially by a loose |
| Native American roots, when a practitioner would | | | | gracefulness and uninhibited use of the entire |
| have been expected to have tomahawks and/or | | | | body as a united weapon to destroy the enemy.2. |
| hunting knives in his hands while fighting in close | | | | REMEMBER CONFINED SPACE: Remember that if |
| combat, on the ground or otherwise. The modern | | | | one of the possible reasons to go to the ground |
| KCD practitioner may instead have in his/her | | | | is to be able to get your vital targets further |
| hands a carry knife, a cane, or a weapon of | | | | away from a weapon in confined space, you need |
| opportunity that may be picked up from the | | | | to be able to do all the maneuvers in a confined |
| ground (e.g. a brick, a bottle, or dirt to throw in | | | | space! Do not practice all of the diving and falling |
| the enemies' eyes). Groundfighting with weapons, | | | | attacks only by diving across the room into wide, |
| as well as picking up weapons from the ground in | | | | ballistic arcs. You should be able to drop to the |
| the midst of a fight, are frequently practiced | | | | ground within your own space and take out the |
| aspects of KCD training.SENSITIVITY AND | | | | legs of the person right next to you. Going to the |
| DESTRUCTION vs. CONTROL AND | | | | ground like this starts out with a sensation similar |
| SUBMISSIONTo sum up what we've covered so | | | | to dropping on your feet. Like a marionette that's |
| far:Sportive grappling SEEKS the ground in order | | | | had its strings cut, your whole body suddenly |
| to gain CONTROL over a single opponent in order | | | | goes limp and drops--only rather than catching |
| to make him SUBMIT to the grappler's will. | | | | yourself within an inch, you let the drop go all the |
| KCD AVOIDS the ground due to the dangers of | | | | way to the ground while spiraling or collapsing to |
| being on the ground in a real combat situation (as | | | | land at the correct angle to allow you to take out |
| opposed to in a sporting match). However, if | | | | the enemy as you fall. When you do it properly, |
| forced to the ground, the KCD practitioner uses | | | | you should seem to your enemy to suddenly |
| DISENGAGEMENT (through sensitivity), MOBILITY | | | | disappear--only to reappear next to his broken |
| and MAXIMUM, IMMEDIATE DESTRUCTION OF | | | | legs, your boots against his neck and head.Ari |
| THE ENEMY (including use of WEAPONS if | | | | Kandel is a 1st degree Black Belt in Ki Chuan Do, |
| available), just like while standing up, in order to | | | | the adaptive, free-form internal art created by |
| minimize the danger while on the ground and | | | | former forensic homicide investigator John Perkins. |
| stand up as quickly as possible. | | | | He also appears in the KCD Guided Chaos |
| Generally, KCD groundfighting uses the same | | | | Groundfighting DVD. |