Deadside and Positional Control
Once committed to a fight, your goal is to put yourself in a dominant position. Never turn your back to your opponent in any type of fight situation, especially if this puts you face down on the ground, the worst possible position. From this position the back of your head and neck are exposed to attack. Nearly as dangerous is if the opponent secures you from behind or “takes your back” with his legs pincered around your torso or a body triangle clamp where he folds one leg under a knee creating a “figure 4.” As with deadside position in a standing fight, optimally you will a sidemount or rearmount position in a ground fight. There are four preferred krav maga ground positions:
Punishing combatives, joint break-locks and choke options are readily available from these positions.
Krav maga rarely relies on joint-break-locks and chokes without first engaging in retzev combative attacks. Think of it as softening up your opponent. An opponent defending against combative strikes may put himself in a vulnerable position for joint-break-locks and chokes. Many fighters rely heavily on the hands for combatives and the feet primarily for movement. Keep in mind that in a ground fight the legs become highly important for gaining control over an opponent. To achieve a lock, it is paramount that you keep your hips close to your opponent’s targeted joint. Positional control is crucial. Ease of transition or ground retzev must be second-nature.
The following table is an overview of your most and least advantageous positions with respect to an opponent. These positions specifically take into account groin, throat and neck strikes and your ability to defend against an opponent using these same attacks:
| The positions you most want to be in. | The positions you least want to be in. |
| 1) You are straddling your opponent from behind while he is face down with your legs hooked into his sides – the rearmount position. | 1) You are face down with your opponent straddling you from behind with his legs hooked into your sides – the rearmount position. |
| 2) You are behind your opponent with your legs pincered around him but not crossed at the ankles or one leg is placed parallel across his midsection while the other leg hooks the ankle and clamps down to form a “figure 4” lock | 2) Your opponent is behind you and has his legs pincered you him but not crossed at the ankles or one leg is placed parallel across your midsection while the other leg hooks the ankle and clamps down to form a “figure 4” lock. Alternatively, you are facedown resting on your elbows and knees covering your head with your hands or the “turtle position” |
| 3) You are mounted high on your opponent trapping his arms and keeping his back flat to the ground limiting his escape options | 3) Your opponent is mounted high on you with your back is flat to the ground limiting your escape options, and has trapped your arms |
| 4) You are sidemounted your opponent controlling his arms or have a knee on stomach mount with control of the opponent’s nearside arm. | 4) Your opponent is sidemounted on you controlling your arms or has knee on stomach position controlling your nearside arm. |
| 5) You have side control of your opponent chest down | 5) Your opponent has side control of you chest down |