This illuminating book outlines the core principles and techniques that define the art of ground fighting in most martial arts. Expertly written and designed by the author of the 1136-page Hapkido-widely acclaimed the most comprehensive book ever written on a single martial art-this exceptional work will enrich your training, regardless of style, and deepen your understanding of the unique qualities embodied in our own martial art.

This illumninating work outlines the essential principles and techniques that define the art of ground fightng in most martial arts. More than 1200 outstanding photographs introduce over 195 practical techniques encompassing all types of ground skills: chokes, head locks, joint locks, pins, ground kicks, sacrifice techniques, and defenses and counters from seated, reclining, and kneeling positions. Comprehensive introductory chapters provide an authoritative overview of imortant technical principles, East Asian energetic concepts, and 109 fundamental skills encompassing body positions, stances, footwork, groundmovement, transitional movement, and common methods of tumbling and falling. Precise anatomical illustrations and descriptions of 106 common Oriental pressure points, and a visual comparision of different martial arts, make this an invaluable resource for all martial styles.

Expertly written and designed by the author of the 1136-page Hapkido-widely acclaimed the most comprehensive book ever written on a single martial art-this exceptional work is designed to stand alone, or function as a companion text with the author's other works on martial techniques and anatomy. Regardless of the style you practice, these books will enrich your training, improve your technique, and deepen your understanding of the unique qualities embodied in your own martial art.

Marc Tedeschi is an internationally respected artist, designer, and educator, who holds a fifth-degree black belt in Hapkido, a martial art that integrates both healing and combative techniques. He has practiced martial arts for more than 25 years, training extensively in Hapkido, Taekwondo, Jujutsu, Judo, and Karate. Mr. Tedeschi's unique ability to blend his skills as a designer, writer, and martial artist has resulted in numerous books, widely acknowledged for their design excellence, outstanding imagery, and clarity of content. He is the author of seven works, incuding the landmark 1136-page Hapkido: Traditions, Philosophy, Technique; Essential Anatomy for Healing and Martial Arts; Hapkido: An Introduction to the Art of Self-Defense; and the series noted below.

The Art of Ground Fighting is part of a remarkable new series of books that provide an in-depth look at the core concepts and techniques shared by a broad range of martial arts. each of these stand-alone books is dedicated to a specific technical area, such as strikes, holds, or throws. Other series titles include: The Art of Striking, The Art of Holding, and The Art of Throwing.

Contents

Overview
Introduction
Different approaches
Types of techniques
Responsible use of force
Comparing martial arts
2 Fundamentasl
Introduction
Energetic concepts
Basic principles
Stances
Standing footwork
Ground movement
Transitional movement
Breakfalls
Blocks from the ground
Pressure point targets
Pressure point locatons
Gound summary
3 Chokes and head locks
Introduction
Basic concepts
Choke holds
Hed locks
4 Pinning holds
Introduction
Pinning holds
5 Ground kicks
Introduction
Drop kicks
seated kicks
6 seated defenses
Introduction
Seated defenses
7 Reclining defenses
Introduction
Reclining defenses
8 Kneeling defenses
Introduction
Kneeling defenses
9 Sacrifice techniques
Introduction
Sacrifice techniques
10 Reference
Further reading (bibliography)
Acknowledgements