Sparring against a shorter opponent

[joesteph]

This isn't a posting that is necessarily directed towards tall martial artists; average height and even shorter martial artists could answer as well. I'm 5'6" for example, and I could be sparring against someone who's 5' or 5'1".

Tonight, during class, I was doing certain sparring exercises with a boy who's twelve. I have a height advantage over him, but what's permitted today is something not permitted in the past: you can kick to the thighs. I didn't take advantage of the height difference regarding punches; I was working on the fact that he was going after my legs as well as up to my ribcage. It was interesting, thinking of how just because someone is shorter, it doesn't always mean s/he is at a disadvantage. For this exercise, sparring against a man who's taller (in my case, a half-foot over him), meant there's no lack of targets.

Can you think of when you've sparred against a shorter opponent and found that s/he was really a handful?

[Wa-No-Michi]

This isn't a posting that is necessarily directed towards tall martial artists; average height and even shorter martial artists could answer as well. I'm 5'6" for example, and I could be sparring against someone who's 5' or 5'1".

Tonight, during class, I was doing certain sparring exercises with a boy who's twelve. I have a height advantage over him, but what's permitted today is something not permitted in the past: you can kick to the thighs. I didn't take advantage of the height difference regarding punches; I was working on the fact that he was going after my legs as well as up to my ribcage. It was interesting, thinking of how just because someone is shorter, it doesn't always mean s/he is at a disadvantage. For this exercise, sparring against a man who's taller (in my case, a half-foot over him), meant there's no lack of targets.

Can you think of when you've sparred against a shorter opponent and found that s/he was really a handful?

It can be about ma-ai or distance between you an an opponent who has a different height.

Quite often, the shorter guys will try and drive down this distance so as to limit the long range techniques of their opponent, (working inside as it were). Obviously this does leave them vulnerable so the key (if you are vertically challenged) is movement. Get in and out quick.

Interesting actually, as many of the senior comps I have taken part in have had an open weight section where the smaller guys can go up against the big boys. They are often the best fights of the day, and the small guys hold their own a lot of the time.

Despite what you might of heard ... Size doesn't always matter.

[joesteph]

Quite often, the shorter guys will try and drive down this distance so as to limit the long range techniques of their opponent, (working inside as it were). . . .

Infighting!

Interesting actually, as many of the senior comps I have taken part in have had an open weight section where the smaller guys can go up against the big boys. They are often the best fights of the day, and the small guys hold their own a lot of the time.

It does sound interesting, Wa-No-Michi; "giant killers" adding to the martial arts scene. Also, though, some men who are shorter will work out with weights to build themselves up, so two men can have a 4"-6" height difference, and yet weigh the same.

[Wa-No-Michi]

Well yes, but more interesting are the fights where guys who are sub 70K fight the 90K plus guys.

In American money thats a 150 pound guy fighting anyone 250 pound the sky is the limit.

[swadoryu2000]

I have sparred several opponents where I had the height advantage. I sometimes struggle because I have to adjust my techniques to where it would best fit. The shorter people have a small target, so it is not always easy to perform an effective attack/counterattack.

[bushido_man96]

Being 5'7", I rarely have the height advantage. So, when I spar, I like to get inside the big guys, and hammer away with my hands. Once I drive them back a bit, I try to finish with a kick as they leave punching range. Uppercuts and body hooks are the order of the day for me.

However, I have been working on a different fighting strategy of late, more along the lines of what Bill Wallace used to do, taking a side-on stance, and using the front leg primarily, and setting up counters and combinations off the back leg.

As for fighting against the smaller opponents, I try to use the slight height advantage that I do have to keep them out. Using a front leg side kick is good for when they come within distance, and then when they do close, then we both just slug it out. Also, since they are shorter, it makes head kicking less work. So, I'll get into that, too.

[tallgeese]

It really comes down to which fighter can apply his skills in a more appropriate fashion.

Crashing the gap to an infight range is the best tactic I've seen for shorter guys. Working the range is best for those who have those longer limbs. Once you've applied those generalities, it goes to skill. I've seen it go both ways.

Reach, height, size, like anything else are an advantage to be exploited.

[swadoryu2000]

Being 5'7", I rarely have the height advantage. So, when I spar, I like to get inside the big guys, and hammer away with my hands. Once I drive them back a bit, I try to finish with a kick as they leave punching range. Uppercuts and body hooks are the order of the day for me.

However, I have been working on a different fighting strategy of late, more along the lines of what Bill Wallace used to do, taking a side-on stance, and using the front leg primarily, and setting up counters and combinations off the back leg.

As for fighting against the smaller opponents, I try to use the slight height advantage that I do have to keep them out. Using a front leg side kick is good for when they come within distance, and then when they do close, then we both just slug it out. Also, since they are shorter, it makes head kicking less work. So, I'll get into that, too.

I envy you for not having the height advantage all the time. There are a lot of short people in my dojo, and there are only two or three karateka who are over six feet tall. I like sparring them because they are taller than me (I'm only 5'8''), and I feel more comfortable sparring them because I can get around them better than I do with shorter karateka. But the strategy you use for the taller ones is basically what I do also, but I move around to the side also.

Taking a side-on stance can be useful, too because your front isn't exposed, which limits their target in terms of the torso. I have used that method, and sometimes I use it, and it is helpful. I've seen videos of Bill Wallace, and he is excellent using that approach.

[joesteph]

Taking a side-on stance can be useful, too because your front isn't exposed, which limits their target in terms of the torso. I have used that method, and sometimes I use it, and it is helpful. I've seen videos of Bill Wallace, and he is excellent using that approach.

Sean, has this interfered at all with your kicking abililty? I don't think it affects punching, but I saw an MMA video in which the MM artist said he took a stance different from the boxer (a bit more of the body exposed) because he was concerned about his ability to kick, even though he exposed more of himself. (Big guy, too; made for a bigger target.)

[swadoryu2000]

Taking a side-on stance can be useful, too because your front isn't exposed, which limits their target in terms of the torso. I have used that method, and sometimes I use it, and it is helpful. I've seen videos of Bill Wallace, and he is excellent using that approach.

Sean, has this interfered at all with your kicking abililty? I don't think it affects punching, but I saw an MMA video in which the MM artist said he took a stance different from the boxer (a bit more of the body exposed) because he was concerned about his ability to kick, even though he exposed more of himself. (Big guy, too; made for a bigger target.)

It does with a mae geri and the mawashi geri, because I would have to twist my body foward and my support leg cannot be at the side-stance position because I can injure it that way (for the mae geri). And for the mawashi geri I will not have the momentum and power to perform it if I was in a side stance.

But the yoko geri and the ushiro geri, those kicks are fine. So yes, they do interfere with my kicking ability, but to an extent.