Bigger Vs Smaller guys

[DeadlyAlliance]

Today I was rolling at my school and we worked from guard position. So I entered a taller, stronger guys guard and I couldn't break it. Even when he opened his guard he would sweep me over giving him the upper hand, he was taller and heavier than I. Has anybody gone through this in their bjj training, what strategies have you used to overcome it. Do you believe that strength will always win in a bjj fight on a shorter less stronger guy? From the looks of things techniques might work on someone who doesn't know any jiu jitsu but when you roll with someone who is stronger and knows jiu jitsu they are harder to control and of course to submit. Give some feedback

[JiuJitsuNation]

All else being equal then size will always be an advantage. The best thing to do is to understand firstly that you must maintain a proper base and posture. Second you have to understand what your opponents grips mean to you. Isolate the fundamentals, drill keeping your posture and base while your partner attempts to break you down or close the gap between you. Keep your hands off the mat and on your partner. Hands on the mat in closed guard is a no no. Post on them and use your hands to walk your posture back up. If they have a grip that is hindering you, then you need to learn some effective grip breaking techniques. There are many drills to work. This should give you a start. I'm no word smith. I'm better at expressing myself on the mats but I hope this helps. Looking forward to some of the other guys responses. I learn a great deal on here myself.

[tallgeese]

I don't stress breaking the guard all that much. Yes, there certainly plenty of attacks from closed guard. However, most of the submission attempts that will be launched against you from the guard will be after your partner opens his guard on his own to launch those attacks. This will be true of nearly all the sweeps they will make the effort on.

Therefore, I usually wait for them to break guard on their own. Until then, work a strong base and watch where you're putting your arms. Like JJN said, base and posture. Work on keeping him from cutting angles to attack. He'll get frustrated and open to work somthing else.

Now you've got your moment. Pass once he's open. Now, to defeat the sweep, keep focusing on your base. Get a couple of passes that work for you and drill them till you're sick of them. Once you have success with them, start expanding your game. Once you've got a couple of viable options there move to a standing pass option. If you're base has been worked while low, it will be easier to work standing.

I agree with JJN, strength will always be an advantage. However, technical skill will go further than any other advantage. Technical competence backed by physical attributes is the mindset you want to think about, in my opinion.

[DeadlyAlliance]

I never really thought of it in that way. I usually try to break the guard either standing up or on my knees, it would work on certain occasions but I feel more liable to a submission that way. I will try both of your advice next time around when I am in someones guard, wait for the right opportunity when my opponent open his guard to pass. I also had problems with posturing up when my opponent had wrist control to pull me in, which was what JJN mentioned. I will definitely work on that. Thank you guys.

[bushido_man96]

Since we are talking about trying to nullify a size/strength advantage, do you guys think that taking a bigger person to the ground helps to take away a size/strength advantage better than a knowledge of stand-up skills levels out size/strength advantages?

If this is confusing, let me know and I'll try to explain better.

[MasterPain]

Since we are talking about trying to nullify a size/strength advantage, do you guys think that taking a bigger person to the ground helps to take away a size/strength advantage better than a knowledge of stand-up skills levels out size/strength advantages?

If this is confusing, let me know and I'll try to explain better.

I varies depending on the person. I'm more comfortable on the ground normally. However, in competition, there will not be much of a weight difference. So when training with larger people, it should be taken into account that escape is more of a viable option while standing. With this in mind I like to circle and hold distance with kicks and jabs, at any time I feel to much pressure I will crash in and uproot their balance to expel them,creating hopefully enough distance and backward momentum to give me the time necessary to draw a blade. My theory is that if I am being overwhelmed, it's time to move on to a higher degree of force. When training armed against unarmed, I like to back away in a circular manner and cut any limb that reaches toward me. The only way I will go to the torso is if someone really commits to forward pressure and a disarm. This manner of fighting is safer in making you harder to disarm and also keeps your defense from turning into murder morally, ethically and legally. I hope you were not looking for a MMA applicable answer...

[DeadlyAlliance]

I see it like this, both have their advantages and disadvantages. When standing you have a variety of strikes available to your disposition such as leg kicks, groin kicks, which can weaken even the largest of opponents.

In the ground you have leverage on your side which is what you really want if your opponent is twice your size, and even better if he doesn't have knowledge of ground fighting.

In a street fight the possibility of someone getting knocked out is likely and it's something that you want to avoid as much as possible. I say try to incorporate at least one striking and one grappling art then you may have a greater chance of defending yourself against a stronger guy.

[JiuJitsuNation]

Since we are talking about trying to nullify a size/strength advantage, do you guys think that taking a bigger person to the ground helps to take away a size/strength advantage better than a knowledge of stand-up skills levels out size/strength advantages?

If this is confusing, let me know and I'll try to explain better.

Everyone's reality is different. It doesn't make since regardless however to attempt to exchange blows with someone much larger. You also have to take into account reach. If two people are the same height and reach but one is 60 pounds heavier I don't necessarily see this as a disadvantage. If the lighter individual is well versed in boxing I can see speed and skill being more of the deciding factor. Being of above average height and weight with over 8000 hours of experience, my reality may be very different than yours. With that being said I have seen countless 150lb BJJ practitioners run all over big cats with no problems and yet seen those same guys run into trouble because of size. Depends a lot on the athletic abilities of all involved. Seems certain variables tip the scales more than others but all weigh in none the less.

[Liver Punch]

If someone is bigger, stronger, and more skilled - yeah, rolling with them is usually a loosing battle. Personally, I'd set a goal of being able to break their guard and a second goal to not get swept. When training with people much more skilled than me, I find it important to turn it into a game of acheiving small goals, untill of of my small goals have snowballed into being able to hold my own against them.

[DeadlyAlliance]

If someone is bigger, stronger, and more skilled - yeah, rolling with them is usually a loosing battle. Personally, I'd set a goal of being able to break their guard and a second goal to not get swept. When training with people much more skilled than me, I find it important to turn it into a game of acheiving small goals, untill of of my small goals have snowballed into being able to hold my own against them.

Kumite, you have a strong point here and a very intriguing thing for me is that I noticed that one day while I was sparring. While rolling with a heavier stronger guy, I thought if I try to out powering them it wont help me at all but rather hinder me from learning and of course in a strength vs strength situation, the stronger guy usually wins. There is nothing wrong with making it a habit to achieve small goals and eventually reaching a top goal. Great post.