Beginner Ground Fighting Curriculum

First Lesson - Tapping

Falling and Moving on the Ground
Rolls (barrel, forward, reverse, shoulder roll)
Falls (from stances, falling and rolling away, falling and lashing out with kicks)
Basic Floor Work (box drill, circling face down and face up, floor running with knee drive technique, scissor walking)

New Positions
Mount (balance, moving, settling, pressing the opponent away) (both sides)
Guard (balance, moving, settling, pressing the opponent away) (both sides)

Second Lesson - Energy Conservation

Kicking and Defending a Standing Opponent
Kicks (sk, fk, rhk, hhk, rk) (air, shields, body)
Leg Defending (blocking, reaching out to the opponent)
Protecting the Head (by rotating the body, blocking with the arms, crawling and rolling away)
Escaping a Foot Grab (sloughing, scissoring)

Takedowns
Double Leg Takedown (lifting, driving, single leg, from the side)
Tripping (front and side, throwing)
Rear Headlock Dragdown (choke, hang, slam)
Ankle Roll (from the ground against a standing opponent, against the front, rear, and side)

Getting Up
Street Fighter Stand Up
Knees to Feet Rising

New Positions
Side Mount (balance, moving, settling, pressing the opponent away) (both sides)
North/South (balance, moving, settling, pressing the opponent away) (both sides)
Scarf (balance, moving, settling, pressing the opponent away) (both sides)

Getting Position
Around the Legs (mount)
Through the Legs (guard)
From the Head (north/south)
From the Side (side mount)

Third Lesson - Balance

Defending on the Ground
Mount (bucking, hugging, trapping arms and legs, grabbing the belt)
Guard (pressing away with the hips and knees, rolling to the side and pressing away)
Side Mount (posting, shrimping, rolling hips out and away)
North/South (vulnerable, strike first and move, pushing the legs away, rotating the upper body)

Attacking on the Ground
Mount (smothering, posting, "cowboy" mount)
Guard (grabbing the belt, wedging with the elbows, lifting and slamming, butterfly and half guard)
Side Mount (plank versus hands and knees, lifting and compressing the opponent's legs, knee on stomach)
North/South (scissor walk to scarf, drop knee and rotate to side mount position)

Getting Up From the Ground
Mount (palms on chest pressing up to fighting stance)
Guard (stacking the opponent's legs over their chest and driving with the feet to a standing position)
Side Mount (knee on stomach, flip opponent to knee on back)
North/South (rising from hands and knees, scrambling away)

Fourth Lesson - Psychological Combat

Basic Escapes
Mount - Rolling Mount Escape (arm wraps and hooks, snow angels to escape arms pinned)
Mount - Elbow Wedge to Shrimping Escape (shrimping and scooting on the back, pressing the opponent away)
Guard - Stack and Roll (over the lungs, to the side)
Guard - Elbow Wedge and Knee Drive (straight or cross knee, swimming on the opponent)

Transition Exercises
360 Degree Spin Face Down on Opponent (moving through positions)
Lateral Rolling in Top Position (pressing the opponent with the back and using crab walk to push him away, moving high to mid to low and back)
Knee on Stomach Movement (hop over opponent, rotate around head, switch knees, roll opponent to knee on back)
Mounted to Guard to Side Mount to Mount (alternating with opponent, combining escapes)

Basic Strikes and Blocks
Mount (straight and hook strikes)
Guard (striking the body, groin area, and legs)
Side Mount (striking with the knees and elbows)
North/South (striking the legs, knuckle strikes)
Knee on Stomach (bracing strikes, grabbing the head and slamming it into the ground)

Basic Grapples
Mount (gi choke)
Guard (straight arm bar)
Side Mount (paintbrush)
North/South (ankle lock)
Scarf (headlock)

Fifth Lesson - Poison Hands

Pain Techniques
Frictional Burns (rubbing with the gi)
Positional Asphyxia (smothering and compressing the chest)
Crushing the Head (forearm to head, neck, and jaw, sitting on the head)
Biting and Pinching (vulnerable targets)

Takedowns
Bearhug Dragdowns (sacrifice techniques, dragging into guard)
Clinch Takedowns (foward dragdown, twisting takedown to scarf)
Inside Reaping Takedown (defense against kick from knees and standing)
Knee Bar Takedown (kneeling from ground, front, side, rear)
Hooking Leg Sweep (from ground to standing opponent's knee, rolling with the sweep)

Escapes
Side Mount - Roll Hips Out (push away)
Side Mount - Elbow Wedge and Shrimp (to guard position)
Rear Mount - Roll to Face (stomach to stomach)
Scarf - Roll to Hands and Knees (behind opponent, pushing headlock away)
Guard - Scissoring Guard Sweep (from bottom position)

Sixth Lesson - Adaptation

Grapples
One Handed Gi Chokes (knuckles to carotid)
Straight Arm Bar from Mount (pendulum movement)
Rear Naked Choke (alternate grip positions)
Guillotine (from bottom position, rolling sideways to increase angle of arch)

Striking out of Position
Mount (aiding Rolling Mount Escape with strikes)
Guard (kicking out of the guard position)
Side Mount (elbows and knees from bottom position)
North/South (bracing and pushing explosively away)

Rolls
Rolling to Standing Position
Rolling Away to Guarded Ground Position
Kicking off Opponent to Roll Away
Backwards Rolling Throw