Eye-gouging as an Anti-Grappling Technique

An Observation of the Stand Up Fighter's Secrete Weapon

Oct 19, 2009

If someone tries a takedown, just poke him in the eye! How much validity does this statement really hold? Take a look at the following scenarios.

Ever since Brazilian Jiu-jitsu choked its way onto the martial arts scene, the martial arts industry has never been the same. Instead of acknowledging their weakness in the area of ground fighting, a lot of the traditional martial art schools would simply discount the effectiveness of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu by making up their own “anti-grappling” methods.

The most common tactic that a traditional minded martial artist would propose to counter the effectiveness of grappling would be “eye gouging.” They would argue that by employing the eye gouging technique, takedowns can be deterred, and submission chokes can be broken.

So is eye gouging really the ultimate kung fu weapon? Here is a breakdown of a couple possible scenarios.

Eye Gouging VS Double Leg Takedown

A correctly executed double leg takedown involves the wrestler changing his level by dropping down to his knees and shooting in with his head turned to the side. Once the wrestler gets a hold of the opponent’s legs, the wrestler would then tuck his head closely against the outer thigh of the opponent then proceed with the takedown.

The only chance for the stand up fighter to perform the eye gouging technique would be the split second before the wrestler grabs the legs. With a lot of practice and super quick reflexes, a martial artist might be able to pull it off. However, if the stand up fighter misses that one opportunity, then he has lost the precious time to sprawl out his hips to stuff the takedown, and the subsequent body slam becomes inevitable.

Eye gouging VS Submissions

How about using eye gouging to escape from a choke hold? After all, sticking a finger into the eye causes the attacker to instantly cover up the eye and rolls on the floor crying, right?

In reality, a lot of the choke holds are applied in such a position that the face of the one holding the choke is fully protected. A good example would be the arm triangle. The choker has one side of the face pushed up against one arm of the opponent, and the other side of the face is turned away from any possible attack from the opponent.

In the case of the rear naked choke, or the infamous “sleeper hold”, the one applying the choke usually tucks the head in behind the choking arm in order to apply added pressure. This practice leaves very little room for getting a finger in the eye; not to mention that the one being choked has to blindly reach behind his head to look for the target.

Even if the finger does find its target, it might not necessarily be a good thing. Since the one applying the rear naked choke holds the dominant position with the potential to kill, it might not be the best idea to anger him by sticking your finger in his eye.

Learning Grappling is the Best Way to Defend against it

Ultimately, the best way to “anti-grapple” is to learn how to grapple. Defense is easier to master than offense. By just focusing on the proper ways to escape from submissions and how to get back to the feet, a striker can more easily negate the effectiveness of grappling rather than learning those so called “anti-grappling” techniques.

The copyright of the article Eye-gouging as an Anti-Grappling Technique in Martial Arts is owned by Min-ju Chiang. Permission to republish Eye-gouging as an Anti-Grappling Technique in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.