ONE STEP AHEAD

Strong. Certain. Sovereign.

For the woman who owns her world.

OSA Training: Let's Get Up. 

 

Ground Basics & The Get Up

 

Short truth: we don’t want to be on the ground. 

But if we end up there, we don’t stay there. 

Today let’s get comfortable with the floor and learn The Get Up - the high-percentage move that puts you back on your feet. 

 

Watch these in order and enjoy the short practice after

 Video 1: Ground Reality: Why We Don’t Stay Down

 

What changes on the ground: his weight/leverage/size are amplified, visibility/help drops, and serious assault becomes easier. 

So our plan is - avoid the floor when possible, get up fast, and get away.

There are many things you can do on the ground but first, I want you to have familiarity so it’s not the first time your body is down there when it’s a real situation.

Quick familiarisation (do this now):
Sit on the floor → stand up 5× (calm, unhurried). That’s it. Make the floor familiar. Feel the earth! Get in touch!

Video 2: The Get Up: The Fast Track to Your Feet.

 

The intention is always “JUST GET UP.”

The technique just makes it work under pressure, when an attacker doesn't want you to get up.

  • Works on room floors, corridors, beds, car/train carriage floors, sandy beaches - and everywhere else there is a floor.

 

Video 3: The Three Get Ups: Standard, Quick, Slow.

 

Dial the Get Up to your situation:

  • The (Standard) Get Up: baseline version you’ll use most in training and reality.
  • The Quick Get Up (athletic version): when there’s space and you can create distance fast. Takes a little practice and requires a bit of athleticism to perform. 
  • The Slow Get Up (controlled): when you’re being held/tangled, or are not feeling so athletic - methodical, one thing at a time will get you out. You MUST know this move. It is a scramble sometimes to get out and this allows you to do one thing at a time and fight your way up to your feet.

Note: The Get Up adds to the engine you already own: push his centre of mass, get to Fence once you stand, strike, shout, exit.

 TODAY'S PRACTICE

 

  • Can be done solo or with a partner.

    Just so you know - I’ve done thousands of these on my own. It’s great exercise that also builds body-brain coordination. You can even use it as a meditative exercise by doing it slowly and just enjoying the process. 

    Practice the Get Up often and you’ll come up with some variations of your own that will strengthen this most useful of techniques. It really is a very useful technique and will take you one major step ahead. 

A) Warm-up (familiarise) - 1–2 min
Sit (or start from lying down) → stand 5×. Don’t worry about using any technique but do end in The Fence as you move away.

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B) Slow Get Up
From lying: post hand + opposite foot → lift hip → get to a knee → stand and push away if your partner comes close → Fence/strike/run.

Repeat 5 slow reps Focus: correct posts, controlled technique, calmness. Althogh this is called the Slow Get Up, it can be done much quicker too! 

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C) Standard Get Up - your reliable baseline
Same pattern, slightly quicker, and you don’t usually go to your knee first. 

Once standing: Fence → light Palm-Heels (to air/pad/partner) → Shout → exit.
Repeat 5 reps each side.

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D) Quick / Jumping Get Up
Use both posts to spring up and move off as shown in the video. Don’t forget your Fence and be ready to strike or grapple your way out.
Repeat 5 reps

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If mobility or athleticism is limited (we are all going to get old one day, right?!): stay with the Slow and Standard Get Up. These are super useful in themselves. The athletic one is just taking things to another level (and showing off a bit!)

Why This Matters 

 

  •  On the ground, his size/strength advantages are exaggerated. That’s a major reason why we don’t want to be there. 
  •  You’re less visible; a bystander is less likely to see you. 
  •  Sound doesn’t carry as far. Your shouts and any noise you make has less chance of getting heard (but continue to be loud anyway - that’s good practice for many reasons). 
  •  Serious assault risk is higher when you are not standing.
  • Good news: very few people actually know how to hold you down. Very few people are technically proficient at holding someone down - but also note that these skills are the ones used by the masters of ground fighting. This knowledge, well-practised, goes a long way.

Coach notes: fundamentals win. They really do. Having a strong baseline knowledge is one of the most important things you can do in any topic. So please practice and own these moves!

 

Tomorrow : learn the Ground positions - so you know exactly how to deal with that. 

Optional extra training for swots!

 

Get Up & Strikes: An Advanced Option

 

If you practice this, read carefully:

It might be better to practice this against a wall rather than kicking your partner like I do in the video. 

 

If you do use a partner:

  • Dear Partner: keep the pad and your leg light so it can move on impact. Otherwise your leg will get jarred and you will increase the chance of injury.
  • Trainee: do not kick a partner’s leg hard. They will likely need to use that leg again that day or week. Use a wall or bag (or bottom of your sofa) as your main target if you want to hit harder to practice. 
  • BOTH: Go slow, agree intensity, stop if anything hurts. DON’T DO ANYTHING THAT IS GOING TO HURT OR INJURE ANYONE. 

After the Get Up - Add palm-heels/hammer-fists and a push-kick from the floor to stop a forward surge as you stand. Finish with a straight!

Now, head to Video 4 for your extra swot training!

Video 4: Get Up with Strikes. Advanced Training.

 
 
FULL PRACTICE

When on floor → Sit → Posts → Strike his shin or kneecap  → Get to your Feet → Fence → Strike + Shout + Exit.