Mastering the Stand-Up Guys Fighting Method Grappling Arts: Integrated Ground Fighting Systems at CCS Martial Arts

Introduction to Integrated Ground Fighting Systems and the Stand-Up Guys Fighting Method

At Cali Combat Systems (CCS) Martial Arts in San Diego, grappling is taught under the banner of Integrated Ground Fighting Systems (IGFS), a reality-based program inspired by Sifu Larry Hartsell’s Integrated Grappling Systems but uniquely adapted by CCS to emphasize practical self-defense and tactical applications across standing and ground scenarios. Within this framework, the Stand-Up Guys Fighting Method Grappling Arts represents a specialized approach that integrates a diverse array of grappling disciplines, including Jeet Kune Do (JKD) Grappling, Judo, Russian Sambo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), Greco-Roman and Freestyle Wrestling, Japanese Shoot Wrestling (Shooto), Filipino Dumog, Indonesian Silat (Maphilindo and Harimau), Catch-As-Catch-Can Wrestling, and Kina Mutai, a brutal asymmetrical grappling system pioneered by Sifu Paul Vunak. Led by Head Instructor Sifu Jeramiah Giehl, an Associate Instructor under Sifu John Doty in the Jun Fan JKD Grappling Association, CCS’s IGFS combines these arts to create a versatile system that excels in the clinch and ground phases of combat. The Stand-Up Guys Fighting Method within IGFS focuses on maintaining control, achieving quick neutralizations, and transitioning fluidly between standing and ground fighting, making it ideal for street defense, law enforcement, military applications, and personal growth, particularly for women facing violent attacks such as assault, rape, or human trafficking. This article provides an exhaustive exploration of the grappling arts under CCS’s IGFS, detailing their philosophy, lineages, core components, techniques, training methodologies, real-world applications, and the distinction between CCS’s Integrated Ground Fighting Systems and Sifu Larry Hartsell’s Integrated Grappling Systems.

Philosophy and Principles of IGFS and Stand-Up Guys Fighting Method

The philosophy of CCS’s IGFS, and by extension the Stand-Up Guys Fighting Method Grappling Arts, is rooted in Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do principle of “no holds barred,” prioritizing adaptability and effectiveness over adherence to a single style. Unlike Hartsell’s IGS, which focuses on technical integration within JKD, IGFS is designed for the unpredictable nature of real-world altercations, where fights often transition from standing to ground. The Stand-Up Guys Fighting Method emphasizes maintaining a strategic advantage in both standing clinch and ground scenarios, allowing practitioners to control aggressive opponents with minimal harm (e.g., for law enforcement or security) or employ brutal, asymmetrical tactics for survival in life-threatening situations, such as those faced by women in cases of assault, rape, or human trafficking. Key principles include:

• Sensitivity and Flow: Drawing from JKD and Filipino Kali’s Hubud drills, practitioners develop tactile awareness to “feel” and counter opponents’ movements, ensuring seamless transitions between standing and ground grappling.

• Control with Minimal Harm: Techniques prioritize restraint and positional dominance, enabling practitioners to subdue opponents without excessive injury, ideal for controlled environments.

• Asymmetrical Tactics for Survival: Kina Mutai’s “Bite, Fight, and Get-Away” approach provides women and others with brutal, instinctive methods to escape violent attacks like assault, rape, or human trafficking, using biting, eye gouging, and finger breaks to create opportunities to get up and flee.

• Combat Flow Across Ranges: The method ensures fluid transitions between striking, clinching, and ground fighting, integrating with CCS’s broader curriculum for comprehensive combat readiness.

• Real-World Adaptability: Training emphasizes practical applications, addressing scenarios like multiple attackers, weapons, and confined spaces, aligning with the chaotic nature of street fights and survival situations, distinguishing it from the more structured IGS.

This philosophy fosters not only physical proficiency but also mental resilience, ethical decision-making, and mindfulness, empowering practitioners—especially women—to survive and escape high-stakes encounters.

Lineages and Influences

The Stand-Up Guys Fighting Method Grappling Arts within CCS’s IGFS draws from esteemed lineages that blend traditional and modern grappling systems:

• Sensei David Tice: As a mentor in Combat JuJitsu, ShorinJi Ryu JuJitsu, Tice’s Level 5 Professional Grappler curriculum informs Sifu Jeramiah’s expertise.

• Sifu Paul Vunak: Through Progressive Fighting Systems (PFS), Vunak developed Kina Mutai, adding brutal asymmetrical grappling tactics for street survival, including the “Bite, Fight, and Get-Away” strategy for escaping violent attacks.

• Sifu Larry Hartsell: The inspiration for IGFS, Hartsell developed Integrated Grappling Systems, integrating JKD with Judo, BJJ, and Catch Wrestling, laying the groundwork for CCS’s expanded system.

• Guro Dan Inosanto: A direct student of Bruce Lee, Inosanto’s influence extends to Filipino Dumog and Indonesian Silat, integrating their grappling elements into IGFS.

• Guro Burton Richardson, Guro Daniel Sullivan, Guro David Seiwert, Guro Ron Balicki: These Kali and Silat masters contribute to Dumog and Silat grappling techniques, enhancing weapon-integrated ground fighting.

Sifu Jeramiah Giehl, with Black Belts in Combat JuJitsu and Shorinji Ryu JuJitsu, an Associate Instructor rank under Doty, and Level 5 Professional Grappler status under Tice, brings decades of experience since 1996. His inclusive approach ensures accessibility for all skill levels, with a particular emphasis on empowering women to survive violent encounters.

Core Components of Stand-Up Guys Fighting Method Grappling Arts

The Stand-Up Guys Fighting Method within CCS’s IGFS synthesizes multiple grappling disciplines, each contributing unique techniques and strategies for standing and ground combat, expanding on Hartsell’s IGS framework:

1. Jun Fan JKD Grappling: Rooted in Bruce Lee’s philosophy, JKD Grappling emphasizes adaptability, sensitivity, and flow in the clinch and ground phases, a core component shared with Hartsell’s IGS. Techniques include positional control, escapes, and submissions, often paired with JKD’s striking for seamless transitions (e.g., from trapping to clinch).

2. Judo: Known for powerful throws (e.g., Osoto Gari, hip throws) and sweeps, Judo excels in standing grappling, setting up ground control. It emphasizes leverage and balance, enabling smaller practitioners, including women, to dominate larger opponents.

3. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ): Renowned for leverage-based submissions (e.g., armbars, triangles, rear-naked chokes) and positional control (e.g., guard, mount), BJJ is adapted at CCS for street scenarios, minimizing sport-specific rules and incorporating strikes, unlike the more technical focus in IGS.

4. Greco-Roman and Freestyle Wrestling: Provides robust takedowns (e.g., double-leg, single-leg) and top control, emphasizing athleticism and dominance. Greco-Roman restricts holds below the waist, while Freestyle allows them, enhancing versatility.

5. Japanese Shoot Wrestling (Shooto): A hybrid of wrestling and submissions, Shooto incorporates strikes (e.g., punches from mount) and grappling (e.g., guillotines, ankle locks) for mixed martial arts-style ground fighting, adding a dynamic element to IGFS.

6. Filipino Dumog: Filipino wrestling focuses on standing and ground locks, throws, and control, often integrated with weapons (stick/knife grappling). It emphasizes off-balancing and joint manipulations for quick neutralization, a key addition to IGFS not prominent in IGS.

7. Indonesian Silat (Maphilindo, Harimau): Features fast, off-balancing sweeps, takedowns, and ground finishes. Maphilindo Silat uses low-line attacks and submissions, while Harimau Silat employs tiger-like ground movement for mobility and control, unique to IGFS.

8. Catch-As-Catch-Can Wrestling: A dynamic submission grappling system with no limitations, focusing on catches (e.g., neck cranks, heel hooks) and aggressive ground control for rapid submissions, shared with IGS but adapted for street applications in IGFS.

9. Kina Mutai: Paul Vunak’s asymmetrical grappling system, known as the “Bite, Fight, and Get-Away” method, incorporates biting, eye gouging, and finger breaks to create opportunities for escape in violent encounters like assault, rape, or human trafficking. Designed for street survival, particularly for women, it focuses on quick, brutal tactics to disrupt an attacker and facilitate getting up and fleeing to safety, a distinctive feature of IGFS not found in IGS.

10. Trap Fighting: An offshoot of Shoot Fighting (Shooto), Trap Fighting incorporates Jeet Kune Do, Wing Chun, and Shooto/Catch Wrestling, as exemplified in the early UFC by fighters like Paul Varelans. It focuses on close-quarters limb control (e.g., trapping arms in the clinch) to set up takedowns or submissions, blending JKD’s sensitivity, Wing Chun’s trapping mechanics, and Shooto/Catch Wrestling’s aggressive grappling for dynamic transitions between striking and grappling, adding a unique layer to IGFS.

These components are unified under the Stand-Up Guys Fighting Method, which prioritizes maintaining control in standing clinch situations while being prepared to dominate on the ground, ensuring versatility across all grappling ranges.

Key Techniques and Attributes

The Stand-Up Guys Fighting Method Grappling Arts within CCS’s IGFS emphasizes a wide array of techniques tailored for real-world effectiveness, expanding on IGS’s foundation:

• Standing Grappling:

  • Throws and Takedowns: Judo’s hip throws and Osoto Gari, Wrestling’s double-leg and single-leg takedowns, Dumog’s off-balancing throws, and Silat’s sweeps for rapid transitions to the ground.

  • Clinch Control: JKD and Kali-inspired trapping, enhanced by Trap Fighting’s integration of Wing Chun and Shooto/Catch Wrestling, combined with Sambo’s dynamic clinch work and Wrestling’s pummeling for dominance.

  • Trap Fighting: Close-quarters limb manipulations, drawing from JKD’s sensitivity, Wing Chun’s trapping hands, and Shooto/Catch Wrestling’s aggressive holds, to set up throws or submissions, often paired with JKD’s ballistic strikes.

• Ground Fighting:

  • Submissions: BJJ’s armbars, triangles, and chokes; Sambo’s leg locks; Catch Wrestling’s neck cranks and heel hooks; Silat’s ground submissions; and Kina Mutai’s “Bite, Fight, and Get-Away” tactics, using biting, eye gouging, and finger breaks to escape violent attacks.

  • Positional Control: BJJ’s guard, mount, and side control; Wrestling’s top pressure; Silat’s mobile ground positions (Harimau); and Dumog’s joint locks for control.

  • Escapes and Reversals: Sensitivity-based escapes from JKD and Silat, allowing quick recovery to standing or dominant positions, critical for women escaping assault or trafficking scenarios.

• Weapons Grappling: Dumog’s stick and knife grappling, integrating disarms and control with JKD’s striking for transitions to or from the ground, a key feature of IGFS.

• Striking on the Ground: Incorporating Shooto and BJJ’s ground strikes (e.g., elbows, headbutts from top position), amplified by the ground’s resistance for greater impact, with Trap Fighting adding Wing Chun-inspired short-range strikes.

Attributes developed include sensitivity (via Hubud, Chi Sao, and Trap Fighting drills), balance, leverage, timing, power, agility, stamina, and flow. Training requires 1,000 repetitions for muscle memory and 10,000 for instinct, ensuring intuitive responses under pressure.

Integration with Other Systems

The Stand-Up Guys Fighting Method Grappling Arts within CCS’s IGFS integrates seamlessly with the broader CCS curriculum, distinguishing it from Hartsell’s IGS:

• Jeet Kune Do: Combines JKD’s striking and trapping with grappling for fluid transitions (e.g., from punches to clinch to takedown), enhanced by Trap Fighting’s JKD and Wing Chun influences.

• Kali-Silat Motion: Dumog and Silat provide weapons-based grappling, enhancing IGFS’s ability to handle knives and sticks in close quarters, a feature less emphasized in IGS.

• Krav Maga: Adds Retzev (relentless pressure) for aggressive clinch work and real-world scenario training, complementing IGFS’s control tactics.

• Rapid Assault Tactics (RAT): Incorporates clinch and ground RAT, using Kina Mutai’s “Bite, Fight, and Get-Away” approach for rapid threat termination in under 9 seconds, particularly effective for women escaping violent attacks.

This integration ensures practitioners can transition between striking, clinching, and ground fighting, addressing the full spectrum of combat ranges, a hallmark of IGFS’s real-world focus.

Training Phases and Methodologies

IGFS training, including the Stand-Up Guys Fighting Method, follows the Progressive Fighting Systems (PFS) phased approach, adapted from IGS but tailored for street applications:

1. Phase 1 – Foundational: Introduces takedowns, submissions, and escapes from Judo, BJJ, Wrestling, and Dumog, focusing on mechanics, control, and clinch work. Includes basic Trap Fighting (integrating JKD, Wing Chun, and Shooto/Catch Wrestling) and Kina Mutai’s “Bite, Fight, and Get-Away” tactics for survival.

2. Phase 2 – Self-Perfection: Refines techniques, sensitivity, and combat mindset, incorporating advanced Silat, Catch Wrestling, and Trap Fighting submissions for street and tactical scenarios, with a focus on escape strategies for women.

3. Phase 3 – Self-Expression: Encourages personalization, blending IGFS with other arts to suit individual needs, emphasizing flow and adaptability.

Training methods include:

• Semi-Private and Private Sessions: Held at Patriot Park in 4S Ranch, offering personalized instruction for all skill levels, including women-focused self-defense.

• Drills: Sensitivity (Hubud, Chi Sao, Trap Fighting drills), flow drills, takedown/sparring sessions (standing and ground), and weapons grappling for real-world applications.

• Stress Inoculation: Simulates chaotic scenarios (e.g., multiple attackers, low-light conditions, weapons) to build resilience, critical for surviving assault or trafficking situations.

• Workshops: Street Grappling & Weapons Grappling courses cover modified Jiu-Jitsu, Kina Mutai’s “Bite, Fight, and Get-Away” method, Dumog, Trap Fighting, and JKD’s ballistic hits for mass attacks and bar survival.

• Mindfulness and Ethics: Meditation and philosophical discussions foster responsible use of lethal techniques, emphasizing empowerment and safety.

Real-World Applications

The Stand-Up Guys Fighting Method Grappling Arts within CCS’s IGFS is designed for practical self-defense and tactical scenarios, with a particular focus on empowering women:

• Street Defense: Effective against multiple opponents, using Kina Mutai’s “Bite, Fight, and Get-Away” tactics and Dumog’s quick throws to neutralize threats in chaotic environments (e.g., bar fights, mass attacks).

• Women’s Self-Defense: Kina Mutai’s brutal, asymmetrical techniques are tailored for women facing assault, rape, or human trafficking, enabling them to disrupt attackers with bites, eye gouges, and finger breaks to escape and get to safety.

• Weapon Defense: Counters knives and sticks via Dumog and Silat, with grappling techniques to disarm or control opponents while transitioning to standing positions, enhanced by Trap Fighting’s limb control.

• Law Enforcement/Security: Judo and BJJ’s control techniques allow restraint without excessive harm, while Kina Mutai and Catch Wrestling address extreme threats in high-stakes encounters.

• Tactical Scenarios: Wrestling’s dominance, Sambo’s dynamic submissions, and Shooto/Trap Fighting’s hybrid approach suit military and security applications, ensuring rapid threat termination.

• Overcoming Size Disadvantages: Leverage-based techniques from BJJ, Judo, and Silat enable smaller practitioners, including women, to dominate larger opponents, critical for real-world self-defense.

Instructor Profile and CCS’s Unique Approach

Sifu Jeramiah Giehl’s credentials—Black Belts in Combat JuJitsu and Shorinji Ryu JuJitsu, Associate Instructor under John Doty, and Level 5 Professional Grappler under David Tice—bring unparalleled expertise to IGFS. His roles as a kids’ instructor and anti-gang educator ensure an inclusive, safe, and community-oriented environment. CCS’s unique approach lies in its adaptation of Hartsell’s IGS into a broader, street-focused IGFS, integrating diverse grappling arts under the Stand-Up Guys Fighting Method, balancing control-oriented techniques with brutal street tactics like Kina Mutai’s “Bite, Fight, and Get-Away” method and Trap Fighting’s JKD/Wing Chun/Shooto synthesis, all while fostering mental and ethical growth, particularly for empowering women in self-defense.

Conclusion

The Stand-Up Guys Fighting Method Grappling Arts within CCS’s Integrated Ground Fighting Systems is a masterful synthesis of JKD Grappling, Judo, Sambo, BJJ, Wrestling, Shooto, Dumog, Silat, Catch Wrestling, Kina Mutai, and Trap Fighting. Building on Larry Hartsell’s Integrated Grappling Systems, CCS’s IGFS expands its scope to address real-world survival, integrating a broader range of arts and emphasizing asymmetrical tactics for street defense, particularly for women escaping violent attacks. With Kina Mutai’s “Bite, Fight, and Get-Away” approach and Trap Fighting’s unique blend of JKD, Wing Chun, and Shooto/Catch Wrestling, IGFS equips practitioners with versatile, reality-based skills for standing and ground combat. Under Sifu Jeramiah’s expert guidance, IGFS offers a holistic path to grappling mastery, blending physical prowess with mental resilience and ethical responsibility.