Self-Defence Federation (c) 2001
2002
|
The Nuts and Bolts of Self-Defence by Peter Ratcliffe 4th
Dan Goshindo Jujitsu |
|
The Dave Turton
Interview by Neill Hall 4th Dan & Darrin Richardson 4th Dan |
By Dave Turton 8th Dan: Founder and Head of SDF
This
article appeared in Issue No. 4 Dec 2001.
Self-Defence Federation (c) 2001 2002
The first few seconds, and the first few moves in
ANY violent or potentially violent situation are the most vital. What does or
does not occur here can dictate the whole outcome.... In other words, whether you
win or lose.
The Martial Arts are full of the types of openings
that not only WON'T happen in the street, actually CAN'T happen in the street.
In my system and teachings, we emphasize something we call 'The Sandwich
Theory'...By this I mean that nearly every Martial System on the planet teaches
how to defend against an attack that has actually happened...you know the kind
of thing I mean...
'If he grabs you like this... you do this in defence'..'When he steps in to
punch, you do this'...
The major problem here in many cases, is that
firstly you have already lost some valuable opportunities for a good defence, and secondly your defences
may not work once a determined attack is already 'IN YOUR FACE'
Your priorities are to control the SITUATION, not
just the ATTACK.....Distance, Time, Space etc. are all there to be influenced
by YOU not your attacker...so use them. Let's now throw in a few methods of
controlling these points, and then after you have read this, think how you
might bring these points, both into YOUR training and subsequently into YOUR defences.
More often than not, a fight will have a verbal
opening..I admit some attacks, like muggings etc. have
no verbal, just someone jumping out on you...but the principles still apply
here, simply you have lost the opportunity to implement some of them..But you still have some left to you.
OK..If you are confronted
with a stranger yelling in your face, why argue back with him... simply TELL
him you don't want any trouble, then seek a simple escape route...However DON'T
plead with him, or look around in panic for somewhere to run..Just walk away
looking at him, with one hand outstretched, in a 'Fence', saying something like
"Look Mate, I don't want any bother...I'm going home" or similar...He
has to decide whether or not to continue his assault on you...and you now have
increased DISTANCE, TIME and SPACE.. You are actually taking some control over
the scenario. Because you have not stayed rooted to the spot, arguing, with
your octave levels going higher, and his blood getting hotter, you have taken
some of HIS control away from him... If he still comes towards you still
shouting the odds, the stage two sets in... Keep moving around a bit, still
keeping the 'Fence' on him. After all it's harder to hit a moving target... Now
make your voice more determined and stronger, ""LOOK I'VE TOLD YOU
(not asked)..BACK OFF..I
DON'T WANT TROUBLE...GET AWAY FROM ME".. Again
using your own words and, continuing to analyze the positions of both you and
him... Where are the doors, what's behind you, what can you use to your
advantage...
Now HE is finding it harder to get a purchase on
you... move side to side a bit, change lead hands in the 'Fence' as you do so,
DON'T wave your arms around under poor control, simply maintain your opening
posture, but keep it mobile.
Try to read the signs that he is either a BARKING
DOG or a BITING DOG..If he is just shouting his mouth
off, let him have that very poor victory, and try to walk away.. If the shouts change to single words, and become more
menacing, he is probably ready to launch his attack... When it doe's turn violent you MUST do your utmost to get your shot
in FIRST.
Don't plan to block his attack, instead hit him.
If you are a fraction of a second too late, (and it always IS just a fraction).. The COVER UP and GRAB his head...this way his punches
will not have the impact they would if you were further away, and you can start
again to gain control.
Remember that although we practice and preach good
ground fighting, and we also agree 100% with the statement that "50% of
fights go to the ground"..don't forget 99% of
them START upright!! YES! OK in training get your partners to vary their
approaches, and opening verbal attacks.. If you are
not using some verbal attacks in your training..
WHY THE BLOODY HELL AREN'T YOU
??
Don't just practice.. If
he grabs you like this or punches you like that.. defences.. Instead get your
control of the situation EARLIER in the confrontation..DO
NOT get into an argument with someone shouting at you..it
only fuels his anger.. If he is already in that shouting, gesturing, aggressive
mode..a few pleading words from you won't alter the
situation very much.
I could go on and on giving training and real
examples of this aspect of your defence skill
development, but this is best left for actual training sessions... so I will
close with this...
THE EARLIER IN THE CONFRONTATION THAT YOU GAIN
CONTROL, THE BETTER...TRY TO CONTROL SPACE, DISTANCE, AND TIME FROM YOUR
OPPONENT..LOOK FOR ESCAPE ROUTES THAT ALLOW YOU TO GET AWAY SAFELY, NOT 'PANIC'
ROUTES FOR YOU TO RUN WITHOUT CONTROL..
MAINTAIN AS MUCH VERBAL CONTROL AS YOU CAN WHILST
PREPARING FOR HIS ASSAULT, BUT TRY TO KEEP MOBILE WHILST DOING IT.
THEN IF OR WHEN HE LAUNCHES HIS ATTACK, TRY TO HIT
HIM FIRST, THEN KEEP MAINTAINING CONTROL.
There's a lot more to this that can be practiced
in class work, if and when anyone wants it...It can even be the subject of one
of the SDF National Courses. Let me know and stay safe.
Dave Turton 8th Dan
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By Peter
Ratcliffe 4th Dan Goshindo
Jujitsu
This
article appeared in Issue No. 4 Dec 2001.
Self-Defence Federation (c) 2001
2002
A prime motivation for people taking up study of
the Martial Arts is to become skilled in self-defence.
After a short period of training many fall into the trap of believing that the
techniques they are studying will transport directly into a street situation.
Often techniques are emphasised in training because
they easily catch the eye of a judge in competition or combination techniques
are practised to show flamboyant displays to the
public. There is nothing at all wrong with any of this, providing it is recognised for what it is and not confused with self-defence.
I encourage my students to develop their own
physical self-defence repertoire using techniques
from the overall system, but within a fairly strict framework of selection. The
techniques should be few in number, perhaps only four or five, be able to be
used pre-emptively, versatile in application and
based on Gross Motor Skills, not intricate or complicated, resulting in
breakdown under pressure.
An analogy I like to use when explaining the
formulation of personal self-defence drills is that
of a motor mechanic with a garage packed with tool chests containing specialised equipment to carry out work on all vehicle
systems. If we now place our mechanic in the situation of planning a driving
holiday with the family, where space will be at a premium, it is obvious he
cannot take all his equipment along in case of breakdown. What the mechanic can
do, however, is select a small number of his most versatile tools, wrap them in
a doth and store them under his seat.
Providing our mechanic has chosen wisely, if a
breakdown should occur, he will have a good chance of effecting
a roadside repair sufficient to get him out of a spot. It is fair to say that
some tools may be used in a manner which is not technically correct, but if
they get the job done ..........what the hell!
As Martial Artists we can regard our full system
as equivalent to the mechanics garage full of equipment. As the equipment was
too space intensive to take on holiday, so our Martial systems can be too extensive for a sudden, in your face situation. So we must
develop our limited, but versatile emergency tool kit.
The practise of the
total Martial system is not wasted effort, because it provides support to cover
'the unknowns' or 'what ifs' of an attack. If we recognise
that winners and losers are determined in the opening seconds of a
confrontation, the emergency tool kit will get the job done in the majority of
cases, with the Martial systems in support if needed. A student should beware
of adding to his emergency system as his overall repertoire of technique
increases. The secret here is to substitute techniques, if they are identified
as being more versatile or effective than those already in place. Think how
easy it would be if one single piece of equipment could undertake roadside
repairs to all the systems of a car! Because we are all different in height,
build, weight, skill etc., it is important that the emergency self-defence system is designed by the student instead of him
struggling to perform techniques of somebody else's choosing whilst in a highly
stressful situation. All chosen techniques should be practised
regularly and realistically under pressure situation and they should be
considered only a small part of self-defence with the
non-physical and psychological strategies and tactics providing the remainder.
PLEASE NOTE MY WEBSITE ADDRESS http://gojitsu.itgo.com PAY US A VISIT AND PLEASE SIGN MY GUESTBOOK.
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By Neill
Hall 4th Dan & Darrin Richardson 4th Dan
These
extracts are from an article that appeared in Issue No. 5 Spring 2002.
Self-Defence Federation (c) 2001
2002
Neil Hall. Can
you describe the GOSHINKWAI COMBAT SYSTEM for us?
Dave Turton. The Goshinkwai is, more or less,
a Combat Ju-Jitsu. In fact,
the only associations back in the 60's to let us in were the Ju-Jitsu ones. Yet it is more
than Ju-Jitsu, because of
the extras. The kicking techniques are from several systems, with a great
emphasis on the French systems of Savaux, Chausson and Boxe Marseilles. (And from Savate, but not a lot).
Because it is a Japanese name, most people want to link it with something
Japanese, but the origins are both Orkinawan and
Japanese. But because we try to cater for all shapes, sizes, individual
personalities etc. of students, there has to be enough variety to cope with
these differences.
The Principles and Theories of the Goshinkwai are more important than the actual moves. If you
are not following a Monkey See - Monkey Do approach, and don't wait to be hit,
like many systems seem to advocate, and that the moves work in reality,
regardless of how NICE they look, then you are following many of the tenets of
the Goshinkwai.
We cover all aspects from Locks, Chokes, Throws, Takedowns, Punches, Kicks, Other hand strikes, etc. etc.. In fact. we do most forms of combat, what we don't do is train in ancient spears or swords etc. It must be valid for the 21st Century streets.
Neil Hall.
Having just released your first batch of excellent training videos, what plans
do you have for the future Dave, any more tapes, or books maybe?
Dave Turton. We have 4 titles on video at the moment, and these are
quite popular thankfully. I hadn't ever intended being a writer or video maker,
I genuinely thought there was enough choice around. But on courses, and through
people like GEOFF THOMPSON, who has constantly badgered me to "get in
print" or "get it on tape", and my students and friends, such as
yourself, who have always shown faith in me to get onto this type of production.
I felt the time was right, and I am working on at least 5 more Video Titles, as
well as writing my first book.
The book I am really getting into, as it gives me as much space as I want and as deep as I want to go. It won't be a technique book, one of the 'how -to-do-it' types, hopefully it will be in print sometime this year depending upon available time. The videos have been fun to do, and I want to get as much stuff on them as I can. As you know Neil, we have special Black Belt only sessions that allow me to get to the REAL core of Combat. I am no longer a YOUNG man, although I don't class myself as old just yet. I want to get as much as I can down in print or on tape whilst I am still capable of performing the moves reasonably well.
Neill Hall. You have spoken about the "Fear Factory" before.
Is there anything you can tell us about this experience, and do you think it
necessary for a persons development?
Dave Turton. The "FEAR FACTORY"... I shudder at the memory,
and certainly would not want to repeat the process. Certain higher ranking
students were "Treated" to the advanced stuff, and part of this
involved facing fear, dealing with it, and hopefully coming out of it stronger
mentally. I was glad I went through it, but not sure I recommend it. Maybe I do
believe in it, but it would certainly chase away some students. Maybe I do
believe in it, but it would certainly chase away some students.
What happened was that I was locked in a small
room, no windows, one door, nothing else in the room,
other than several higher-ranking Dan grades than I was at the time. (I was 1st
Dan). I simply had to get out of the room, I thought
it would be just a test of my physical prowess. BUT NO, whatever I tried was
countered by the sheer numbers of silent, unceasing endless pressure from my
peers. I was slapped, pushed, pulled, tripped, mauled etc. NEVER actually hit
that hard or kicked hard, never held long enough to facilitate a defence.
First you get angry, then
you get submissive, saying things like OK I'VE HAD ENOUGH. But when you get no
response, just a continuation of the slapping etc. you eventually just want to
give up. Then it stops, and you think BRILL I'VE DONE IT. But no, it starts
even more aggressive at some unseen signal. The 6 or so attackers continue if
anything even harder, but this time they are not silent, which was pretty
daunting anyway. But now they are screaming at you, spitting, cursing, wearing
you down, making you feel like there's no way out.
It's hard to describe the feeling or the time distortion that occurred. It felt
like HOURS, I was near to tears, then I just broke down, whimpering in a corner
begging them NO MORE PLEASE, NO MORE. Then it stopped, as quickly and now as
silently as it began. They all left the room, and nothing was said about it,
just was I OK?.. But this wasn't the real end.
A few weeks later my teacher looked at me and said
"BACK IN THE LITTLE ROOM DAVE". My heart sank, my mouth dried up,
legs shook etc. all the symptoms of REAL FEAR. Most of me wanted to turn and run
and never see this bloody club again. A small part of thought of the shame of
running etc. so with my legs shaking I slowly (bloody slowly) went in. There
they were the same bunch. In all honesty, I just CRAPPED
IT. They all laughed and slapped me gently this time on the back. WELL DONE.
THE TEST WASN'T JUST IN THE SURVIVING THE FIRST EXPERIENCE, BUT FACING THE
SECOND KNOWING WHAT WAS TO HAPPEN.
I had conquered my fear of the FEAR FACTORY.
Whether it is vital to each person's development is debatable. If like yourself Neil, a person works the door for a long period, or
someone who was in the Falklands etc. In other words someone who faces the
terror and fear in other ways, they don't need this extra, they already have
it. This is why the 70 plus pensioners in our society are less afraid than a
lot of the younger ones. They have lived through WARS, deprivations, rationing,
bombing etc. They are not too intimidated by what they see as a couple of
snotty kids in baseball hats kicking a ball at their wall. If I faced bloody
Hitler, I can face a couple of young thugs, was how one 70 plus man put it to
me. I feel that you MUST find some way of knowing you can handle fear/s whether
it is by hypnosis or whatever. What you need to know though, is that when you
are faced with any form of danger, that you can overcome the very natural
feeling of fear and get on with the job.
Neil Hall.
You use the term "Training For Reality". Do
you think that anyone teaching Reality Training should have to prove or qualify
themselves in some way?
Dave Turton. TRAINING FOR REALITY.... If you proclaim to train for
reality, then there are certain provisos to that statement. Firstly, you have
to be 100% honest that you know that some methods wont work so well. You can't teach say for example
ONLY sport Tae Kwon Do, and expect it to have all the answers for the street.
This isn't meant to knock Tae Kwon Do, just an example in showing my
explanations. Somewhere along the way, someone in the system should have had
SOME form of realistic experience, whether this be a
DOORMAN, POLICEMAN, or whatever.
The following example may help. I once knew a guy
who was born, and lived for all his life to then, in a very small rural
community of 800 people in Staffordshire. He did JUDO. He was a member of the
Young Farmers etc. etc. At school, he had NO fights, he saw only a couple. He
witnessed NO violence up close for nearly 40 years. Then he went to stay with a
dying relative. He got into a bit of a fight in a pub, more a pushing and
shoving situation. He actually had a small heart attack, brought on by the
stress of the situation. His younger brother got as bit of a smacking from 3
guys, and the first man just could not help. He hadn't got a clue what to do,
even with his 20 years in Judo. He had entered a realm totally alien to him.
Could this man then realistically TEACH self-defence?
Of course not. BUT, if HIS Instructor, or a member of
his club, had been a Doorman or whatever, then at least that person could
relate to the different situations.
We have about 7 or so EX Bouncers as Black Belts
in our system, including myself. This way, between us, we can say with varying
degrees of authority what WE feel works and doesn't. Provided of course, that
is what you want to train in, in the first place.
Neil Hall.
My own experiences taught me to adapt and personalise
my Martial Arts techniques in "Reality". Did this happen to you, and
how much did "Reality" influence your Martial Arts training?
Dave Turton. Yes, you are right Neil.... Real situations did help me
change, or rather adapt my knowledge. It wasn't so much altering the actual
techniques, moreso the timing, distances, different
attacking postures, and more the totally different postures etc. of the
attackers. I went back to the drawing board trying to remember as much as I
could about situations both I and my fellow Doormen were in. I thought about
"where was the attacker when he moved, what openers did
he use, physical, verbal or whatever". In other words, I recreated
the events, and tried to alter what I knew to fit these instances.
Neil Hall. Pressure
Point Fighting is on the increase, what are your views on this area of Combat
and where do you see it fitting into the scheme of
things with regard to Self Protection?
Dave Turton. A CAN OF WORMS MY FRIEND....
PRESSURE POINTS, VITAL POINTS, ATEMI POINTS, NERVE STRIKES, MUSCLE STRIKES ETC,, are ALL different. Some work on the alternate"
Acupuncture Meridians" Others, the neuromuscular response lines, others,
the electro-biological impulses etc. They look and sound the same, but in fact
are different.
I know 308 "points" on the body to cause
various pains, damages etc., but 90 % of these are useless in a real fight. I
have used SOME in real situations, but either I wasn't skilled enough, or I
didn't have enough confidence in them, or whatever, but I didn't feel I could
put my life in their abilities.
Another point worth mentioning, without trying to
cause offence to anyone, is that with say THROWS, you can put these under all
forms and all degrees of pressure. This way you will KNOW that they will work
for you when you need them. I have yet to see anyone, other than one or two
dead old timers, actually perform these strikes under
attack.
It is fairly easy to stand a man in front of you, and prod him in a certain place and get a reaction. It is somewhat harder to do the same thing when he is doing HIS best to take your head off. THAT MOST WORK is undeniable to me, I have seen too many cases to deny it, but to train hard enough in them to be able to perform them in most defence situations isn't that easy. After all, what use is the DELAYED DEATH TOUCH ?? I want my opponent out of it as soon as he is a danger, NOT tomorrow when I might be in the morgue myself.
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By Johny Verheyden 5th Dan and
Founder of Yamato Martial Arts
This
article appeared in Issue No. 3 Sept. 2001.
Self-Defence Federation (c) 2001 2002
Hi! My name is Johny Verheyden, I'm 38 and I come from Belgium. I'm working and
living in the UK at the moment. I'm in the Martial Arts for more than 25 years
now and have been practising many different arts,
styles and systems. I obtained several Black Belts and Instructor Certificates
in various disciplines. My highest rank at the moment is 5th Dan in Karate. I
became a member of the SDF in April this year and also took a subscription on
"FIGHTING CHANCE" which I enjoy reading a lot.
I'm a flight attendant and work as a Purser at
British Airways on International long distance flights. Thanks to my job, I
have the wonderful opportunity to travel extensively and to train in the
Martial Arts all over the world. So I could train in Japan, Thailand,
Indonesia, America, South America and all across Europe. I also had the honour and privilege of meeting and sometimes training with
famous Martial Artists and Grandmasters such as Bill Wallace, Benny Urquidez, Hee II Cho, Bong Soo Han, Dan Inosanto, John Liu
(Movie star), Kurosaki, the late Ed Parker, Tom Harinck,
Henri Plee, Lee Kwan Young, Dominique Valera,....
In 1997 I created a method of fighting called
"YAMATO MARTIAL ARTS" based on the fighting spirit and rich cultural
heritage of old Japan. This method contains full contact striking, grappling
and ground fighting and is only for Self Defence,
without forms (Kata) and without any competitions.
Technically "YAMATO MARTIAL ARTS" is very similar to Nippon Kempo, Daido - Juku Karate and
Japanese Shootfighting. After all my years of
training and studying of the fighting arts world wide,
I'd like to share some of my thoughts with other fellow Martial Artists and SDF
members.
"Best" Martial Art
According to me there is no "Best"
Martial art. I don't think any style is superior to any other. The different
Martial Arts styles usually work within the context for which they were
designed. They each work in certain situations, but no one of them works in all
situations. It also depends on the person, on how good or how poor the
individual is. Every existing Martial Art is good and can be very efficient if
the practitioner is an expert in it and also has enough knowledge and
experience of "real" fighting. Asking which martial Art is the best
is like asking which car; aeroplane, video camera or
computer is the best. The answer is that it all depends on the intended use and
the ability and skills of the user. In the case of car races for example, all
participating automobiles have more or less the same power and performance
abilities, but it is the skill of the driver that will be the deciding factor
at the end.
Cross-Training
No Martial Art has it all. Every art, style,
system or method has it's
own limitations. So it really all depends on how good and skilful someone is
and how much that person is open-minded and willing to add knowledge,
techniques, strategies, tactics and training methods from other arts, styles,
systems or methods to his art to make it more complete and as efficient as
possible. In the first and most important stage a practitioner of the Martial
Arts should try to acquire strong basics in any chosen art, (their
"core" art), which acts as fundamentals on which many other things
can be built successfully afterwards. This base should be supplemented later on
with techniques, strategies, tactics and training methods from other arts
called cross training. No martial Art fits every ones needs in all situations.
In some cases there will even be a need to modify and adapt certain techniques,
strategies and tactics to fit realistic self-defence
situations.
Techniques, Strategies,
Tactics?
Confusing, isn't it? You're strategy when facing
an opponent for example Could be to fight him on the
ground. The tactic you are going to use is slightly dropping your guard so that
he will see an opening and try to punch you. You duck and then shoot in with a
tackle to the ground and then finish him off with a punch to the face, a choke
or leg-lock, which is the technique.
The Different Ranges In
Combat
In order to become a good and well-rounded
fighter, every Martial Artist should be proficient in the four different ranges
of combat; foot/kicking range; hand/punching range, close/grappling range and
ground/wrestling range. _ Most arts, styles, systems
and methods only specialise in one or just a few. ranges of fighting and only in certain, specific situations.
You can be a master kicker, but if someone grabs you from behind in a telephone
booth and puts a knife on your throat, you can't kick. If you are very good
with your hands like a boxer but are taken o the ground, you are pretty
helpless. A grappler, used to fighting one unarmed person at a time (especially
on the ground), will feel very uncomfortable when surrounded by several armed
attackers. It doesn't matter how good someone is in a certain range, he must
gain expertise in all other ranges. A chain is only as strong as its weakest
link!
Knowledge Is Power....Only If You Can Apply It!
It's not "how much" you know in the
martial Arts that counts, but "how well" you
know. No amount of knowledge has any value if it cannot be put into practise. Some people know countless techniques, strategies
or tactics but not always seem to be very efficient in a "real"
fight. Others, on the contrary, sometimes only have a handful of techniques,
strategies or tactics but are devastating fighters!
The Way You Train Is The
Way You Will React
When confronted with a "real" threat and
fighting skills have to be used to defend yourself, you will most likely react
the way you have been training. Therefore it is of the utmost importance to
learn simple but good, strong, efficient and reliable techniques and always to
train as realistically as possible with non-cooperative opponents in different
situations and environments. Correct training, use of equipment, conditioning
of the body and mind are crucial in the development of a proficient fighter.
One Strike - One Kill
Several Traditional Martial Arts are based on this
theory of finishing your opponent with (only) one fatal blow. People who have
lots of experience in realistic fighting, self-defence
and combat know very well that it is extremely difficult to completely neutralise an attacker or totally end a fight with only one
fatal blow, in most cases one will need several hard and well placed strikes in
order to be able to get away safely or to control the situation. However, a
"real" fight should be ended as quickly as possible. The longer a
fight lasts, the more chances your assailant has to counter and hurt you. A
real "fight" is not a kickboxing or wrestling match lasting several
rounds! The "3 second fight" theory from Geoff Thompson is the
perfect example of what I want to make clear here. A quick and sudden blast of
just a couple of finishing blows and it could (or should at least) be all over.
If not, it should be enough to be able to run away like hell!
Traditional Martial Arts vs
Combat Sports
Everything is changing in this world. Every living
creature or any other thing cannot escape the constant process of evolution,
neither the Martial Arts. We no longer live the same way as several centuries
ago nor do people fight or use the same weaponry as during the old days. That's
why some Traditional Styles are not really up to date anymore and lack a
certain kind of realism in their approach to a real fight. Some even use
techniques that could really get you into serious trouble when having to fight
for your life. Combat sports on the other hand might seem more realistic and
practical but are still diluted and watered down forms of the original Martial
techniques that were used to kill on the battlefield or to fight for one's life
in a self defence situation. Also, on the street
there are no rules, no referee, no mats, no time limits, no protective gear,.... A "real" fight is even more devastating,
dangerous and unpredictable than a NHB cage fight like in the UFC. I respect
all Traditional Martial Arts and Combat Sports and have lots of admiration for
those who train hard and diligently to be on top in what they are doing. But if
we talk about pure self defence (and that's what the
Martial Arts are all about basically), I think it's important to be aware of
the need of a realistic, practical and no-nonsense Self Defence
Art in order to cope successfully with real threats. Although one tries to
perfect his techniques for decades or one is physically fit and conditioned to
stand several rounds in a full contact fight, it still takes more to get alive
and unhurt out of a deadly confrontation. I cannot over emphasise
the importance of actual experience in real fights. I'm convinced that a
vicious and experienced street fighter can certainly be more dangerous than a
Black Belt in the Martial Arts.
Striking vs Grappling
Events like the UFC have clearly proven to us the importance of ground fighting. As the Grade's have shown us, most fights end up on the ground and that's where many Martial Artists lack experience. Although this is true, most fights "start" in the upright standing position. If you talk with people like police officers, law enforcement personnel, security guards, body guards, bouncer's etc. They will certainly be able to confirm that almost all the fights they ever witnessed started in the upright standing position. We are "Homo Erectus" and stand up and walk upright and when fighting, start to fight from this position. It seems to be a natural and instinctive reflex of a human being to afterwards use the limbs (hands and feet) to attack and try to hit the opponent. Soon after that, many fights get into the close range where there is a lot of grabbing, pulling, pushing and close quarter striking. Finally, a great deal of fights go to the ground and are decided there. Every fight is different and it is impossible to conclude that striking would be superior to grappling or visa versa: Generally, grapplers have an edge over strikers if they can quickly bridge the gap and get in grappling or ground range from where many strikers are unable to strike (effectively). On the other hand, if a striker can keep the distance and successfully counter the grappler's attacks, the striker has the advantage. Fighters like Maurice Smith (USA) adapted their training and strategy in such a way that they now knock out many grapplers including Brazilian Jiu Jiutsu fighters.