When & Why to Go to Ground
by Jim King
Going to the ground in an
exchange where the particular movement is not specifically intended to be
offensive (instead of "falling") is for the benefit of person going to the
ground. As a baseline, going to the ground has much more to do with the
individual always being solid in the context of being able to move freely to
exploit any available option. Consequently, going to the ground is one of the
hardest skills to maintain control when working "real."
Quite often, tension on any
plane will go unnoticed until a specific movement highlights the restriction.
Rolling and going to the ground is a fundamental litmus test to determine a
person's internal degree of restriction. At the risk of coining a new term,
going to the ground clearly delineates the individual's boundaries of his Total
Tension Quotient (the grand sum of tension in all planes of movement-physical,
mental, and spiritual). An individual who is hesitant to make a particular
movement, such as rolling face first or going to the ground as an escape, can be
easily defeated by an opponent who is capable of exploiting that particular
weakness.
Bad movement is not good even
when the motivation for doing it correct. Our detractors see an action they
believe is unnecessary when they personally would stand and fight with tension,
notwithstanding that tension is precisely the action the partner is hoping to
see.). So, I do not believe you should do bad movement on a consistent
basis, even in training environments, as you will succeed in ingraining bad
habits into your good movement. If the goal is to give the partner a feel for
the movement, then the partner should do the movement correctly. If you go down
when the partner is not doing the movement right, you are giving the partner a
false sense of what works. You have a responsibility to be an honest training
partner, not a training dummy.
For me, going to the ground is a movement to keep ME free inside. Every time I
choose to roll or go down for reasons other than personal internal freedom, I
effect my Total Tension Quotient and restrict my movement and ability to move in
an exchange. If the only reason you are going to the ground is to make the
partner feel better about not being able to do the movement honestly the first
time-whether it be from inexperience, shyness, under-commitment, or lack of
commitment-then I strongly suggest you choose to work from your strength and
continue moving while standing. 
