AFOOT AND FLOORED-GROUNDED.
Previously here, I explained why I use the term “emergency” throughout the Survival Centric Hand, Stick, Knife and Gun courses’ fight modules. If you are fighting in crime and war it’s an emergency. Part of this is “emergency maneuvering.” Only I use differing terms for those altitudes. I introduce “afoot maneuvers and exercises ” and “floored-grounded maneuvers and exercises.” Why the nomenclature?
I use the word, the term “afoot” instead of just “standing” or “upright,” because afoot already means standing and upright, but it also possesses an inherent vibe-sense of motion. You are afoot therefore up and doing…something.
I use the dual noun term “floored-grounded” because it instantly makes people realize “Oh yeah.” “There too,” there where the negatives of inside and outside surface fighting exist. Notice the word “mat” is not included. Because it ain’t …”really there.” Mats are a fake floor-ground.
If instructors are trying to convince you that sport-art-mat “submission ground fighting” is also “real” world, mixed weapon, self-defense? They are quite partially, “concretely” wrong, (pun intended) either somewhat ignorant or somewhat deceptive. If they know they are just doing an art-sport only. Great.
Mats are still very handy. Here’s a formula for reality mat introduction and regular use. Have practitioners first train on real surfaces. Work out on a real floor or outside for a period-segment. Then after that time is considerably clocked in, that inoculation-reality-feeling is regularly experienced, switch over to the mats for extended time training. Mats will extend the experimentation, rather than end it. You’ve clocked-in, touched-base with your reality time. You and your body know that sucked. Now onto the mats to practice more. Concentrate on moves, etc. without ripping your skin off.
Beyond the hand, the stick, knife and gun courses require maneuverings with weapon carry, weapon drawing and weapon use. Overall, afoot and floor-ground fight maneuvering is four-part study consisting of:
1) Natural walking, running and crawling-rolling about.
2) Footwork from all sports, not just boxing and kick boxing, but basketball, football, soccer, tennis etc. Make this connection. Use what you are already doing. I have many stories about this.
3) Obstacle course challenges. (There’s a reason the police and military use them. But it is important that the obstacles be real-world predictable, mission-oriented. Reduce the abstract.)
4) Absorb the floored-grounded maneuvers that are directly helpful and related to survival, not sport. Not art. For just one example, their chokes are fantastic, while endless chess-like-submissions are mostly off-mission rabbit holes for crime and war fighting. Fun. Addictive. Amazing, but off-mission.