Passers-by taking a stroll on a lazy Friday afternoon stopped and peered through the glass window as four combatants grabbed and grappled with each other on the floor.

No, this was not a fight that broke out in one of the bars across from MSU's campus — the four fighters were really good friends honing their skills in ground fighting skills.

It was just another day of training at the Institute of Traditional Asian Martial Arts, 130 W. Grand River Ave.

In the past 10 years, ground fighting has been steadily gaining popularity in the United States and all over the world because of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, or UFC, a series of tournaments that has been pitting fighters specializing in different martial arts against one another since 1993. It is the oldest mixed martial arts competition in the world.

Ground fighting, or grappling, emphasizes chokes and locks that can potentially dislocate the elbow, knee, shoulder and wrist joints once fighters are off their feet and rolling on the ground.

"Because the UFC is shown on TV, viewers are getting a chance to see that fighters that rely on punches and kicks are getting beaten pretty badly by people who know what to do when the fight goes to the ground," said Brad Messenger, an instructor who has been at the Asian martial arts school for the past 10 years.

But while television has spurred interest in grappling, many misconceptions remain.

"The confusion is that people think that Brazilian jujitsu is the only art that teaches ground fighting," Messenger said.

"What people don't know is that traditional judo teaches the same thing."

Messenger says the more popular form of judo in the U.S. is sport judo, wherein fighters score points and win matches by throwing their opponent from a standing position. Traditional judo includes the chokes and joint locks associated with ground fighting.

Katie Hayden, a Japanese and Asian studies senior, has been studying traditional judo for the past two years under Messenger. Because students train continuously through pain and fatigue, grappling teaches confidence and resiliency needed in dealing with potentially life-threatening situations, she said.

"Traditional judo can be applied in a real life," Hayden said.

"I might be attacked after I get off work and I'm tired. In a lot of these situations, I will end up on the ground where I know how to defend myself.

"The biggest lesson I've learned from traditional judo is to keep on going and ride it out when things go wrong."

Tim Gurchinoff, an MSU alumnus, decided to take up traditional judo because he was looking for a discipline that is challenging. He works in the Information Services Department of Sparrow Hospital.

"I wanted an art that was physically demanding," said Gurchinoff.

"I watched several classes of different martial arts, and traditional judo seemed be the hardest."

In the process of honing his grappling skills, Gurchinoff also has learned about commitment and self-discipline.

"The class can be a mental challenge when you have to push yourself to make it through," Gurchinoff said.

"This is not something you can just study occasionally — you do it for your entire life.

"After doing this for three years, training three to four days a week, I am very much a beginner."

Hayden and Gurchinoff have never needed to defend themselves from an attacker, but both said that knowing the proper way to fall, which they learned from traditional judo, has helped them avoid injuries when they trip over things or slip on icy pavement.

Most students are attracted to grappling because it is a discipline that has both physical and mental benefits. For one MSU student, however, ground fighting is a step toward a dream — becoming a mixed martial arts fighter.

"The idea of becoming a professional mixed martial arts fighter cropped up after I started training in ground fighting," said Kyle Cooley, a finance senior who took up Brazilian jujitsu in 2002.

"It's not a priority for me, but it's a dream that I hope will come true."

Cooley said that grappling is an integral part of becoming a complete fighter because most mixed martial arts matches end up on the ground. He trains in jujitsu, Thai kickboxing, boxing and wrestling at Warrior Way Martial Arts Alliance, a mixed martial arts school in Walled Lake.

Cooley said he has been exchanging e-mails with a high-ranking Brazilian jujitsu practitioner who is planning to conduct classes at MSU during the fall semester.

Despite his goal, Cooley views grappling not just as a fighting art but as a great way to build lasting friendships.

"You are always competing against other people, trying to beat them," Cooley said.

"But you do not hate them. You help each other become better fighters. You respect them. You form a bond."