AngryHobbit
Senior Master
Note: The bulk of my training lies in Nihon Goshin Aikido, brought by Sensei Richard Bowe to America after training under Shoto Morita in Japan.
Unlike Princess Bride's ROUSes (Rodents of Unusual Size), who are unusually large, persons of unusual size run the full gamut: unusually tall, unusually short, unusually squat, long-legged, broad-shouldered, short-armed, or big-footed. Unique traits of one's anatomy are bound to impact one's training. It's damned inconvenient but true.
While it is recommended to work with partners close to one's own height early in the training, moving on to training partners of drastically different shape and size is definitely advisable. Working with shorter partners keeps taller students from becoming complacent. Naturally longer step and reach are great advantages, of course, but, I would imagine, a taller person is bound to get a surprise when a short little pipsqueak like me manages to get into the up-close-and-personal range, making things very cramped and awkward. On the other hand, those of us who are shorter, must overcome the instinctive desire to stay as far away from the opponent as possible, which is perfectly terrifying. Once in close proximity, however, it is very handy to have access to the whole area from the soft underbelly to shins and ankles.
One thing students of all sizes should get good at before training with various heights is - falls and rolls. Throwing and being thrown by a person of a dramatically different height and physique can be startling. Prepare to bounce. For a tall person being thrown by someone substantially shorter in variations of shoulder and hip throws, the ground comes up startlingly quick. There is very little time to turn a flop onto the back or a face plant into a hard but safer side fall. A shorter person being thrown by one of the giants has other challenges to deal with. The fall lasts so long, you almost consider ringing for a flight attendant to request a beverage and in-flight movie. Of course, that entire time, you are gaining momentum.
I found it helpful to make training across heights and weights purposeful, by seeking out fellow students who were very different from me physically (especially those I was really scared of because they were so much taller, bigger, and faster than me) and asking them to partner with me.
Any other thoughts and tips on training for those outside of average height, weight, and shape range?
Unlike Princess Bride's ROUSes (Rodents of Unusual Size), who are unusually large, persons of unusual size run the full gamut: unusually tall, unusually short, unusually squat, long-legged, broad-shouldered, short-armed, or big-footed. Unique traits of one's anatomy are bound to impact one's training. It's damned inconvenient but true.
While it is recommended to work with partners close to one's own height early in the training, moving on to training partners of drastically different shape and size is definitely advisable. Working with shorter partners keeps taller students from becoming complacent. Naturally longer step and reach are great advantages, of course, but, I would imagine, a taller person is bound to get a surprise when a short little pipsqueak like me manages to get into the up-close-and-personal range, making things very cramped and awkward. On the other hand, those of us who are shorter, must overcome the instinctive desire to stay as far away from the opponent as possible, which is perfectly terrifying. Once in close proximity, however, it is very handy to have access to the whole area from the soft underbelly to shins and ankles.
One thing students of all sizes should get good at before training with various heights is - falls and rolls. Throwing and being thrown by a person of a dramatically different height and physique can be startling. Prepare to bounce. For a tall person being thrown by someone substantially shorter in variations of shoulder and hip throws, the ground comes up startlingly quick. There is very little time to turn a flop onto the back or a face plant into a hard but safer side fall. A shorter person being thrown by one of the giants has other challenges to deal with. The fall lasts so long, you almost consider ringing for a flight attendant to request a beverage and in-flight movie. Of course, that entire time, you are gaining momentum.
I found it helpful to make training across heights and weights purposeful, by seeking out fellow students who were very different from me physically (especially those I was really scared of because they were so much taller, bigger, and faster than me) and asking them to partner with me.
Any other thoughts and tips on training for those outside of average height, weight, and shape range?