Smaller Opponents - How to deal with them

[Rich Parsons]

Seriously,

I have a problem. The first is on another thread people want to know about how to address the large person who attacks you in the crowd for no certain reason.

Well, I want to know how to deal with the smaller person who attacks you just because.


In recent history, I had a nice chance to work out with Gou, and even though I respect him to the utmost for his martial arts, he is smaller than me. This made some of the round fighting and leg wrapping and or ankle / foot positions a little harder to execute.

So, how does one deal with the trained accomplished smaller fighter? I have head that size does not really matter, and let us assume that I am dealing with a person that is as well trained or better trained than I am.

I mean if I reach straight out I could be over their head, this means all my attacks are down. His center is below mine, and most likely will have a better mobility. Just curious about peoples ideas.

Thank you for your responses.

Rich

Note: For every large bully there is a small bully with their own issues just as well. This is not an attack on anyone. :asian:

[rachel]

I have the same problem. In class there are several people who are shorter than me and I find I have to bend down to reach them and it throws me off. It's easier for me to reach up to the taller people than to bend for the shorter ones

[sweeper]

hmm.. I'm much better at fighting the little people than the big ones (everythings relative):-p.

I personaly like to box people so I like to use shin kicks and thrusts to keep distance and sink back out of longer range attacks and counter over the top. But I tihnk my and my opponant's skill level is lower than your's and gou's so this might not realy apply.

[JDenz]

2-hand choke my man lol

[DAC..florida]

Im not a small guy and over the years i have come across some smaller oponents, smaller people seem to have an advantage over the bigger people thier usualy more wirery on the ground and have smaller areas to defend on thier feet. Try to use your reach and this fight you could also use distance to your advantage. know your weak areas and try to avoid them if you must go to the ground make yourself as small as possible by keeping your head and legs tucked up to your upper body also continuing to fight.....if available use your strength................

[Cthulhu]

Don't bend down. If you feel you need to lower your upper body for whatever reason, lower your stance. Bending over leaves you off balance and your head wide open, as I find out at least once a week.

Cthulhu

[Cruentus]

:idunno:

I don't usually run into that problem....gou is actually taller then me (I'm about 5'71/2" and he looks about 5'8"). I'm just not genetically big (we'll forget for a moment that my arms are 19" :p ) Anyways, usually I don't run into the same problem that you would, Rich. If someone is shorter then me, it's only by a few inches. I would have to be attacked by a 4'5" attacker for me to understand what it would be like for you to be attacked by someone my size; very unlikely that this will happend.
:D

Speaking of small guys....it still amazes me to see pic's of Anciong Bacon; the guy is only about what...5'3", and skin and bones, yet was one of the best fighters in Cebu in his day! :eek: I'm still impressed!

:asian:

[Rich Parsons]

Paul,

I agree on the comment about Anciong Bacon.


Cthulhu,

I agree with the no bending over, and the bending of he knees to lower one's center.


Thanks for the replies, still curious about what other people think.

Rich

PS: Rachel - How tall are you anyways? :) Just curious.

[cali_tkdbruin]

Originally posted by DAC..florida
Im not a small guy and over the years i have come across some smaller oponents, smaller people seem to have an advantage over the bigger people thier usualy more wirery on the ground and have smaller areas to defend on thier feet. Try to use your reach and this fight you could also use distance to your advantage. know your weak areas and try to avoid them if you must go to the ground make yourself as small as possible by keeping your head and legs tucked up to your upper body also continuing to fight.....if available use your strength................

That's it, use your reach advantage against smaller opponents. Me, I am not a tall guy, so what I try and do is get inside and take care of my "Bidnuss" in close quarters... :boxing:

[rachel]

Rich, I'm 5'8". How bout you?

[GouRonin]

Originally posted by Rich Parsons
In recent history, I had a nice chance to work out with Gou, and even though I respect him to the utmost for his martial arts, he is smaller than me. This made some of the ground fighting and leg wrapping and or ankle / foot positions a little harder to execute.

I had the chance to work with Rich in JKD grappling aspects at the Hartman/Irish seminar where they were working JKD and Modern Arnis.

I enjoyed working with Rich as I am 5'8" and 145lbs and he is 6'3" and 275. In all my training I usually prefer to work with larger people. Rich was a pleasure to work with and a lot of fun. He has a ton of power but uses it very precisely.


Originally posted by PAUL
gou is actually taller then me (I'm about 5'71/2" and he looks about 5'8").I'm just not genetically big

I got the chance to work with Paul on a very limited basis at Tim Hartman's "Jack LaTorre" Pekiti Tersia seminar. Paul is a full out liar because he's built pretty damn solid. Add that to the fact that he has great flow with his motions with the knife and he's quite talented.

In any case both of them are powerful men in their own right with a generous scoop of talent. A dangerous combination.

[dearnis.com]

Two-fold answer...
In a controlled (ie dojo) situation I will kick a lot with a smaller person; I dont have to go as high, and don't have to open up as much. Bending down is a definate no-no! Also look for wrapping shots, such as a ridgehand to the back of the head.
Stick sparring is a bit different; height is not such a factor.

real-world just grabbing the smaller people and throwing them on the car has worked well; I am more inclined to pepper spray a smaller aggressor/resistor as the effects are gone by the time I deliver them to their new home.

[muayThaiPerson]

People in my school belong to crews. And the short ones act tough. I had a problem today with one guy, but i didnt know how to handle it and it felt real akward. given he was 5'2 and im 5'10. He swung at me but i didnt do anything. then he speared me and swung more. I was like "wat do i do?". so i push kicked his face and acted all mad. then he stopped.

I didnt swing at him because of the size difference. What would u have done? I dont want to me known as a punk a$$ picking on little people.

[Rich Parsons]

Originally posted by rachel
Rich, I'm 5'8". How bout you?

Rachel,

AS Gou and Paul have said I am 6'3".

Thank you for your replies

:)

[Rich Parsons]

Originally posted by GouRonin
I had the chance to work with Rich in JKD grappling aspects at the Hartman/Irish seminar where they were working JKD and Modern Arnis.

I enjoyed working with Rich as I am 5'8" and 145lbs and he is 6'3" and 275. In all my training I usually prefer to work with larger people. Rich was a pleasure to work with and a lot of fun. He has a ton of power but uses it very precisely.



I got the chance to work with Paul on a very limited basis at Tim Hartman's "Jack LaTorre" Pekiti Tersia seminar. Paul is a full out liar because he's built pretty damn solid. Add that to the fact that he has great flow with his motions with the knife and he's quite talented.

In any case both of them are powerful men in their own right with a generous scoop of talent. A dangerous combination.



What Gou is not telling you here, is that he did a 'shrimp' manuevor that is to have the foot or heel into the opponents hip and he quite naturally found my floating rib. He had all the room in the world to move after that point. :rofl:

By no means are Paul or Gou small, only smaller than me. So, I asked the question about how to deal with a smaller opponent.

The problem I found was that it was easy to use my MASS and to break things like ribs and skull or wrapped up legs. Yet this is not what I call technique for I cannot teach this to everyone else. It is an option, yet unless it is truely life or death I do not wish to spend another night in the police station answering questions again. :cool: Who me? Nope I was not there. It was not me.

Thanks everyone

[Cruentus]

Gou and Rich are very skilled also.

Rich is a big guy who doesn't need to rely on size to beat someone, even though he has size at his disposel if he needs it. He is also humble enough, despite his skill, to freely ask the advise of others, like in this thread.

That is probably how he got good.

Gou is also very good at what he does, and isn't to be underestimated, even though he isn't one of the "bigger" guys. He isn't afraid to tell it like it is, either, which also deserves respect.

I am impressed by them both!:asian:

GOU:

Thanks for the complement. How'd you like my size exageration :p I like to tell people on online forums that I am only 5'71/2" (which is the truth) while failing to mention that I weigh about 200 lbs., with not a lot of body fat.

I'm still say I'm not big, but hey, that's because I always compare myself to tanks like Rich! :apv:

:D
PAUL

[GouRonin]

Originally posted by PAUL
GOU:
Thanks for the complement. How'd you like my size exageration I like to tell people on online forums that I am only 5'71/2" (which is the truth) while failing to mention that I weigh about 200 lbs., with not a lot of body fat.

I have arms the size of PAUL's too. Except that I call them legs and they are attached to my @ss.

[Rich Parsons]

Originally posted by GouRonin
I have arms the size of PAUL's too. Except that I call them legs and they are attached to my @ss.


Gou,


You made me laugh and cough during my cold here at the same time. You dang near killed me :D.

[Kenpo Wolf]

Fighting a smaller guy would suck big time. If you win, you'll be called a bully even though he may have started it. If you lose even against a highly trained person, you'll be mocked big time. It's a lose-lose situation so you might as well walk awy if it's at all possible. I would much rather fight someone who's bigger then me any day of the week.

BTW, if I'm forced into fighting a smaller person, I don't see myself swinging at him as I would someone my own size or bigger. I would probably try to grab him in a bear hug or go to the ground with him.

[bob919]

most people who are tall are also skinny so they often have weak balance most shorte people have good balance making pretty hared to throw them unless they over commit i would grapple cause i am talland big but the lanky types would probably do best with striking you can keep shorter people away with kicks and pucnhes if they are shorter but much stronger than you keep them at a distance with frequent jabs or straight rights

[Rich Parsons]

Originally posted by bob919
most people who are tall are also skinny so they often have weak balance most shorte people have good balance making pretty hared to throw them unless they over commit i would grapple cause i am talland big but the lanky types would probably do best with striking you can keep shorter people away with kicks and pucnhes if they are shorter but much stronger than you keep them at a distance with frequent jabs or straight rights


Bob919,

I have to ask this of you. If you grapple, how do you apply the techniques properly. My Arm is almost as long as some legs. How do I wrap my then larger leg around their leg? When the opponent uses their legs and body against me to get an armbar, and sometimes I can pull them back to me.

I real question is how do I teach the right techniques, when I have problems demonstrating them physically on some of the smaller than me opponents.

Thanks

[bob919]

if they are smaller i do mainly upperbody grappling combined with elbows and knees i usually only use grappling to facilitate striking i find this very effective trapping is very effective at close range
i must say iam not a good thrower because i train to fight many opponents at a time.

i suggest if you have long arms and legs you should use them to keep the oponent at long range and pound on him from there

i dont know what else to suggest

[Rich Parsons]

Originally posted by bob919
if they are smaller i do mainly upperbody grappling combined with elbows and knees i usually only use grappling to facilitate striking i find this very effective trapping is very effective at close range
i must say iam not a good thrower because i train to fight many opponents at a time.

i suggest if you have long arms and legs you should use them to keep the oponent at long range and pound on him from there

i dont know what else to suggest


Bob919,

In a fight, I use my hieght, weight, mobility, size, mass, voice, feet, to run or charge, and all my weapons to cause damage. I try to avoid the ground, since I have fought many a person at once and being on the ground against many is when I was hurt.

I was just curious how do I teach others, certain techniques?

Thanks for the feedback, good advice. :D