8 Hand-To-Hand Combat Myths You Probably Believe

MYTH: 90 percent of all fights end up on the ground.

TRUTH: This is one of those claims that just can’t be proven beyond hearsay. Or, can it? According to BlackBeltForums, one study took 100 YouTube videos of fights — all of which had clear, decisive endings — and watched them to categorize certain aspects of the confrontations.

According to that process, only 12 percent of the viewed fights ever made it to the ground. While a study such as that one isn’t bulletproof, it’s also worth noting that many of the theory’s proponents — such as the legendary Gracie jiu-jitsu family — sort of have something to gain by selling ground-based self-defense.