Is Height A factor in Martial Arts

[TallAdam85]

Now I am about 6'4 and half and I know when we spar it is good cause I have reach on most people. But I am wondering is Height a factor in Martial Arts? Like is being tall good in judo and other arts or is it not.

Lets hear what you got to say people

 

[tshadowchaser]

I watched a gentelman who was 7 foot tall spar a little while ago He had an advantage against most of whom faced him because they had never seen anyone that large befor and had no idea how to spar /score on him

 

[Cruentus]

Originally posted by TallAdam85
Now I am about 6'4 and half and I know when we spar it is good cause I have reach on most people. But I am wondering is Height a factor in Martial Arts? Like is being tall good in judo and other arts or is it not.

Lets hear what you got to say people

Height is always a factor for fighting, but like strength, it is never a determining factor. It doesn't matter whether your Tall or short, it matters how you use your height (or lack of) to your advantage.

Now if you are talking about tournament sparring where you can't grapple, your trapping range is rendered inaffective because the judges are looking for a clean shot, and you can't hit below the waist (no groin or sweeps) then a taller person will definatily have the advantage. It doesn't mean they'll win, but they do have that reach advantage.

 

[jfarnsworth]

It's how good you make your abilities to be.

 

[cali_tkdbruin]

Being tall gives one a definite advantage if you're a Taekwondo practitioner. In TKD long legs do come in handy.

 

[Elfan]

http://members.eisa.net.au/~johben57/brucevskareem.html

 

[TallAdam85]

Being tall gives one a definite advantage if you're a Taekwondo practitioner. In TKD long legs do come in handy

Yea well the art I study is mainly tsd so I do kick alot and my long legs are a great tool for me

 

[MA-Caver]

"Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size do you?"

~Yoda~

:jedi1:

(hmm I thought there was a yoda emoticon but guess not...there should be... )

 

[bdparsons]

But not the overriding factor. If you train properly it can be used to a distinct advantage, but by no means do you want to rely on it as your only advantage.

Being 6-2 with long arms and legs, I usually have a signiicant reach advantage over most of my sparring opponents. But I remember what one of my first instructors told me: "Learn to fight like a short guy and you'll surprise the snot out of people!" Don't know that I've mastered that, but I'm still working on it after all these years.

Respects,
Bill Parsons

 

[bushi jon]

Size does not matter if your challenger can take your balance. It become a disadvantage if you do not know how to fight in and close

 

[cali_tkdbruin]

Originally posted by Elfan
http://members.eisa.net.au/~johben57/brucevskareem.html

Well, as I said before, being tall gives one the advantage if you're a Taekwondo practitioner. However, if you're Bruce Lee then I guess it really doesn't matter how tall you are...

 

[Seig]

I'm about a foot and a half too short for my build. Most of my male students are taller than me. Half of my female students are as tall or taller than me. What that means is that as an instructor, I can teach the shorter people how to nullify a reach advantage and teach the taller people to not rely on their reach but to use it as an enhancement. Like the picture of Mr. Lee demonstrates, flexibility, distance and timing are key. At 5'8" I have no problem kicking 6' plus people in the head. Just the other day, Tess met my child hood sparring partner, 6'5". By the time we were 14 he was 6'3", I was 5'4".