If you are wondering how to counter MMA techniques for street self-defence, look no further than Lori O’Connell’s book “When the Fight Goes to the Ground: Jiu-Jitsu Strategies and Tactics for Self Defense.”

The book includes a DVD that illustrates the concepts. She is the head instructor of Pacific Wave Jiu-jitsu—Martial Arts & Self-Defense in the greater Vancouver area.

According to the biography provided by the book,

“Lori O’Connell Sensei holds a 5th degree black belt and full instructor’s license in Can-Ryu jiu jitsu, having trained in martial arts for over 20 years and taught for over 17 years in Canada and abroad. She has trained extensively in a variety of other martial arts and she currently runs her own Jiu Jitsu dojo, operating in the greater Vancouver area in Canada.” In the introductory section, she is careful to note that she does not have a black belt in BJJ and has not competed in MMA. That being said, that does not detract, in any way, from the fact that this is an excellent book. According to her, her goal was to “learn what (she) needed to equip (her) students for self-protection against the realities of modern ground fighting.”

“When The Fight Goes To The Ground” tackles a specific topic: how to defend against standard MMA techniques when encountered in a street self-defence situation?

This book does a great job of covering concepts of defending himself/herself when on the ground due to a confrontation.

Some of the topics that Sensei O’Connell includes are:

  • Understanding the Ground
  • Primary Tools for Ground Defense- Body Shifting and Control
  • Primary Tools for Ground Defense- Attacks to Vital Targets
  • How to Breakfall on Concrete
  • Applying Neck Restraints
  • Defending Against Common Neck Restraints
  • Applying Joint Locks

Sensei O’Connell lays out the topics in a progressive and logical order. I particularly liked the emphasis on “Body Shifting and Control.” I considered it the most important chapter in the entire book.

Nearly every topic in the rest of the book came back to the principle of body shifting when on the ground.

In that chapter, she discusses important topics such as “Keeping Your Legs between You and Your Attacker,” “Bridging and Rolling,” “Shrimping,” and “Turtling.” She also discusses the “Dominant Position Strategy, ” particularly useful for law enforcement officers. I was delighted that the accompanying DVD covered ground defence topics in detail.

The accompanying DVD is a huge plus for this book. Tuttle Publishing decided to go with the book/DVD format even before they contacted Sensei O’Connell.

One of my beefs about martial arts books is that photographs do not always convey the concept. As a result, the reader is left to decipher the action being depicted.  No longer. One can pop the DVD into a computer. Voila! One can watch the appropriate section and better understand the ground defence concepts. In this case, the DVD covers all of the book’s topics, except for “Attacks to the Vital Targets” and “Defending against Multiple Attackers on the Ground.”

The book and the DVD do not cover every scenario. However, they excel in covering the major concepts that should cover most self-defence scenarios from the ground.

Sensei O’Connell writes exceptionally well and clearly expresses her concepts. Her martial arts repertoire has evolved to include defences against MMA techniques. I cannot say the same for other martial arts books that I have read in the past. They can be riddled with misspellings, less-than-stellar grammar, and poor photography. Sensei O’Connell expresses herself very well and is clear in her teaching progressions. The DVD is a tremendous compliment to the book and I hope that Tuttle Publishing does this for other martial arts books in the future.

I highly recommend “When The Fight Goes To The Ground.”
for those wanting to learn the concepts of self-defence when on the ground. MMA players and martial artists will learn much from this book and DVD. I recommend reading the book one chapter at a time, perusing the photographs and studying the DVD of the corresponding chapter. I look forward to Sensei O’Connell’s future works.

Additional Reading