What is the best self-defense strategy if you get taken to the ground?

I know that writing this article is going to cause some difficult comments coming back at me. With the advent and the rage of mixed martial arts and ground fighting, there's a plethora of individuals who would just love to get on the ground and fight. I firmly do not believe you should be on the ground in a multiple attacker fight. And clearly you shouldn't go for these mixed martial arts submission holds during a self-defense multiple attacker scenario. I know guys, everybody wants to get down there and do a submission hold, but I have to tell you it's the wrong answer for self-defense situation especially against multiple attackers. If you are teaching women's self-defense practitioners and/or self-defense practitioners submission holds for self-defense then you have gotten lost in the part. Now to the point, what are you supposed to do?

The first thing you should be teaching your students is to go for primary targets. Those primary targets are the eyes, the throat and the groin. If you remove an eye from your attacker several things start to occur. First off they almost instantly get sick physically. The reason they get sick is they have vertigo because one eye is looking one direction and the other I might be looking down or somewhere else. You immediately lose all sense of balance and you get nauseated and start throwing up. Which if you think about it, is actually a very humane thing to do, you have not stabbed, shot, or killed your opponent. If you're successful to hit any one of those three targets, and maybe even more than once, the fight is pretty much over. Typically you can get up and be on your way; however if you have multiple attackers, now you have to deal with that.

Most self-defense and even or martial arts systems have a form of ground fighting or a ground fighting position. I am not talking about the guard right now either. Most grapplers talk about the guard and I'm not talking about the guard. I wouldn't let my opponent that close if I can help it. I would rather be on my back with my hands up to protect my face and head, my legs drawn up so I can kick out anybody that gets close to me. You will have to ask your instructor, what is the appropriate way to protect yourself against multiple attackers on the ground. Suffice it to say that there are ways that you can kick out their legs and knees as they reach over to try to get you or get on top you.

In conclusion, don't learn submissive moves as a form of self-defense. Rather learn to attack targets that can stop the aggression and yet still remain somewhat humane to your attacker. I know some people don't even care about that but there are lawsuits. I teach in California, or as I like to call it the People's Republic of California, where lawsuits are plentiful. So how dare you defend yourself against that poor person that doesn't have as much to eat or money like you do. After all, they need money to purchase necessary drugs from unlicensed pharmacists, how dare you not give them any money! Sometimes you have to think like that. Also in conclusion you should investigate a way to defend yourself on the ground against multiple attackers, typically using your feet to kick out and hit their knees or the like.

Master Peter Brusso