FMAT: Dealing with height - or lack thereof!

[Clark Kent]

Dealing with height - or lack thereof!
By eskrimakaliarnis.com - 01-12-2010 12:23 AM
Originally Posted at: FMATalk
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Hi All,

I thought this would be an interesting discussion.

How do you deal with different heights upon entry?

Not strikes so much as they travel prescribed angles but locks, controls, etc, etc? Obviously this applies to all arts and not just FMA.

An example of this is my height of 6"2. I have a hard time with some things that I am shown when I have a great deal of height advantage. An example of this is an elbow to the head sometimes works better than one to the ribs.

I teach my wife who I have almost a big height advantage. Some things that I show won't work for her height / length of arms. It is a bit of a puzzle for me to modify the movements and make them work for her.

My thinking is the Arts are for everybody. First you must understand what is being taught and then apply it. It is sometimes too easy to think "Well, that won't work for me because..." and then not give the movement any thought / tweaking. This is dangerous because you miss out on some options and get a bit lazy, caught up in your "comfort zone".

I also think that when learning the art you pay attention to every little detail. When you are proficient in the art you fit it to your own body size and put it to work for you. Unless it feels smooth you won't pull it off when push comes to shove.

We are taught "If they are big make them small" and targeting knees, elbows, shoulders, the neck etc brings them down. For small guys there's a lot of nasty stuff they can get away with on the inside. A rising head butt under the chin is the one I'm particularly jealous of!

So, I guess the question is what are your experiences of dealing / teaching different heights?

Simon.


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[K-man]

How do you deal with different heights upon entry?

The question is what are your experiences of dealing / teaching different heights?

In aikido we practise defending against attack from a kneeling position. This equates to giving up an enormous height advantage. Once you can achieve these techniques, it demonstrates just what is possible. Not that I am proficient against allcomers yet.

From the karate perspective, I teach to get off the line and, if possible, attack the side or back. That also exposes the legs to strong attack. :asian: