Bodybuilder vs MA fighter

[Meguro]

OK,

Then how about a 150 pound blackbelt versus an 320 lb. NFL noseguard?

Just kidding...Don't jump me for that....

This thread has been done a few times on this forum.

I think that's a perfect example of why 150 lbs black belts shouldn't pick fights with NFL linemen!

Whether it's strength vs. speed or strength vs. skill, why is it often assumed that having one attribute precludes having the other? Why not work towards having it all? And if you can't have it all, at least have the sense not to get into fights.

[Mr. Mike]

I got a bag of chips on the blackbelt.

I know what you mean, shogeri

Still, with the scenario posed, it's an obvious choice.

Myself? I go 265lbs, have a skill or two, seem quick(I've been told 'I've never seen somebody your size move like that' ) and have a fair amount of strength...yay, I win, I get them all

Of course, I don't go looking for fights either.

[MizuRyu]

Last scuffle I got into was with a pretty large wrestler/football player, and I found my being smaller than him to not matter as much as I thought. The real thing is technique and speed. I backfisted him in the side of the head the second I saw a clenched hand start moving towards me, hit him before he hit me, he only landed 2 shots before I was able to get him in a submission.

[KaratekaAndy]

Skill any day, strength isn't everything... though most idiots think it is.

[AndrewGreen]

SIze and Strength is a big part of it, hence the reason weight classes are so important in combat sports.

Of course a lot of idiots think that 90lbs little asian men and chubby Pressure point masters can drop football players with ease.

[Menjo]

Yea some good points, id say skill overall. My example would be a professional Muay Thai fighter verus a bodybuilder, the MT fighter would win without question. Thats how id see the situation.

[Jiffy]

I used to work as a crowd controller and came across many big guys. Take my word for it, skill and experience always prevails.

[yamesu]

...on the street, muscle doesn't protect your eyes, knees, elbows, groin, throat, etc.........get my point? this isn't for points in a cage. This is in a life or death(which is the only reason you should ever be 'forced' into a fight) situation, that will warrant winning BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY!

Agreed. I was going to say something similar to this, but you beat me to it.

Bring your creatine bloated butt to the line. I walk away with my skills and my life.

LMAO.

[TaeKwonDo Afficianado]

Ok, it is obvious to 98% of all people that skills are more important, but they are not everything.

There are people who seem to think that a skilled fighter can take on a man of any size, and there may be a few people who think that huge guys can take on anybody.

If every fight between a skilled martial artist and a really big person was redone, the results could change for each fight. There is luck involved, or whatever you may choose to call it.

Also a lot of people do seem to think that "big guys" have no skills whatsoever in fighting and rely on strength alone, which is a bad assumption to have in life. Just like assuming that all small guys are cowards, or cannot fight whatsoever.

But anyways, there are so many variables to consider that it is difficult to truthfully answer the question, because we are not considering a specific instance. In general, skills are more important, but like I said they are not everything.

If you took a 250 pound prototypical body builder (no real martial arts experience), and put him up against a 150 pound black belt, in lets say karate, I would be willing to bet lots of money that sometimes the black belt would win and sometimes the bodybuilder would win, if there were like 5-10 rematches or so.

But, I think it is foolish to get in a fight, like the others have said, if you are a black belt vs the body builder. Even if the other guy instigates a fight you obviously have the speed to get away. You don't have to prove yourself to every jerk who insults you. But by all means defend yourself if you have to.

Anyways, like a few others have said, being a big guy does not imply a lack of martial arts skills, even if they are high school wrestling experience or western style boxing, and being a martial artist does not necessarily imply being small. And try to stay out of fights!

All the best

Tom

Edit/ps.:

And I guarantee that there are body building message boards out there where the same question has been asked, and 10 replies have been in favor of the bodybuilder and one for the martial artist. Most of us in this thread are assuming were taking a black belt vs random joe who lifts weights, and they are assuming that they are taking their biggest and hugest bodybuilder vs one of our McBlackbelts. So in essence I agree with all you guys, but to get good results we would have to have a narrowly focused question.

[ravenzoom]

Good post, I agree with you. There are many variables involved