Buck

I don't know about everyone else, but I am baffled to hear that people often think ground work is only, found only, and devoid in everything else in BJJ/MMA. Maybe it is a generational thing of those past the year 2000 to present who at this time grew up with the popularity of MMA. Groundwork was first discovered right after the first guy who fell to the ground in a fight and fought from there. That probably happen right after the first case of being caught having an affair with another caveman's woman. Or the first caveman stealing food from another.

I am not surprised to see the Judo moves at all. ( I don't practice Judo so I am going off that it was Judo ). Before BJJ and it's popularity there was Judo. I think it is a stable in all Japanese martial arts used in feudal times not to go to the ground which spawns the concept of, to defeat your opponent you must first be successful with kuzushi. You lose in Sumo if you go to the ground first before the other guy. Japanese martial combatants didn't want to go to the ground in all those centuries of war, right?

Spartans, Greeks and Romans had wrestling/groundwork. But, I don't think either of them as soldiers in combat wanted to go to the ground on the battlefield. I think that would be the last place the wanted to go.

BJJ made it popular for many people to think that it was an advantageous position to fight from to go to the ground and do ground work their way. And Kudos to that art for being good at it, in they arena. But it is sad to think that there might be any indication that people will think BJJ pioneered or was the father, mother of all ground work. And that- yes, fights do go to the ground - no other art ever thought and developed ways to fight when on the ground other than BJJ.