Tips for lightweight beginner training with heavier people?

[Melau]

After 2 decades of experience in the standing fight (karate and boxing) I found myself wanting to learn the ground game. Luckily for me most of the 'beginners' wrist and armlocks are similar as done in Wado-Ryu karate. Both my stamina and my flexibility are well trained.

Yet when doing randori I find myself facing far heavier opponents. I'm 60 kg which is around 132 lbs, which is light for a 25 year old guy from the Netherlands. Any tips for a beginner in the ground game?

Naturally I understand that I will be doing it 10,000's of times and will progress naturally through the proces. But still, any tips will be welcome.

[tallgeese]

Hey Melau, welcome to you're new additction!

There's a ton of advice I could give, but I'll start off with the most often said, and the most often overlooked.....relax. If you're new to the ground it's almost 100 percent guaranteed that you will use too much physical attributes early in your training. The sooner you learn to breath, relax, and flow the quicker you will start learning. Relaxing is what keeps you rolling round after round after round. Not cardio. It's about where you spend your energy as you learn to apply tactics, not how deep the tank goes (this is important as well, just not yet.)

Specific to dealing with a larger opponent, a) put him on his back. This way, his pressure and weight aren't effecting you. b) control distance if on the bottom. Get into closed guard and from there to open. This will keep his pressure minimized on you. c) pay attention to the positional ladder. Get away from side mount and mount. See point b.

You are going to be tempted to try to force him around with attributes because he's heavy and crushing you. DON'T! You'll still get worn only quicker. Integration of attributes is for the competitor DURING COMPETITION and the advanced technician. Using the early will only stunt your grown in jits and make you more tired.

Just my two cents from a guy who made a similar transition. Good luck and keep us posted.

[Melau]

Hey Melau, welcome to you're new additction!

There's a ton of advice I could give, but I'll start off with the most often said, and the most often overlooked.....relax. If you're new to the ground it's almost 100 percent guaranteed that you will use too much physical attributes early in your training. The sooner you learn to breath, relax, and flow the quicker you will start learning. Relaxing is what keeps you rolling round after round after round. Not cardio. It's about where you spend your energy as you learn to apply tactics, not how deep the tank goes (this is important as well, just not yet.)

Specific to dealing with a larger opponent, a) put him on his back. This way, his pressure and weight aren't effecting you. b) control distance if on the bottom. Get into closed guard and from there to open. This will keep his pressure minimized on you. c) pay attention to the positional ladder. Get away from side mount and mount. See point b.

You are going to be tempted to try to force him around with attributes because he's heavy and crushing you. DON'T! You'll still get worn only quicker. Integration of attributes is for the competitor DURING COMPETITION and the advanced technician. Using the early will only stunt your grown in jits and make you more tired.

Just my two cents from a guy who made a similar transition. Good luck and keep us posted.

That's actually very helpful. Thanks for the tips!

[ps1]

Hey Melau, welcome to you're new additction!

There's a ton of advice I could give, but I'll start off with the most often said, and the most often overlooked.....relax. If you're new to the ground it's almost 100 percent guaranteed that you will use too much physical attributes early in your training. The sooner you learn to breath, relax, and flow the quicker you will start learning. Relaxing is what keeps you rolling round after round after round. Not cardio. It's about where you spend your energy as you learn to apply tactics, not how deep the tank goes (this is important as well, just not yet.)

Specific to dealing with a larger opponent, a) put him on his back. This way, his pressure and weight aren't effecting you. b) control distance if on the bottom. Get into closed guard and from there to open. This will keep his pressure minimized on you. c) pay attention to the positional ladder. Get away from side mount and mount. See point b.

You are going to be tempted to try to force him around with attributes because he's heavy and crushing you. DON'T! You'll still get worn only quicker. Integration of attributes is for the competitor DURING COMPETITION and the advanced technician. Using the early will only stunt your grown in jits and make you more tired.

Just my two cents from a guy who made a similar transition. Good luck and keep us posted.

That's actually very helpful. Thanks for the tips!

I'm going to second everything Tallgeese said. I am a bigger guy and I can tell you that doing what he's suggesting is what will give a guy like me problems.

In addition, TRUST YOUR TECHNIQUES and don't be afraid for them to fail.

Good luck.

[sensei8]

I'll third what Alex [tallgeese] posted. And I second what ps1 stated about trusting your techniques and not to be afraid when it fails...DON'T PANIC...work it out!!

I'm a big guy, and in that, I'm very aggressive, but that doesn't mean that a smaller guy can't tame me. However, I won't be tamed for long because I am constantly countering one way or another. Sure, everything has its limits and everything won't always succeed, but it's having the instinct to work through and out of new found problems brought on by ones opponent.

*Put me on my back...good! I'm at home there.

*Control distance...good! Get into closed guard and then to the open...good! But, remember, I'm on top of you and I will do everything I can to crush you and minimize your movements. I'm not just going to be idle. I'm not going to move just to move because if I do, then I open myself up to harm. You move...then I move to limit or control or counter or stop your attempts; just as you are with me. We're live!!

*Pay attention to the positional ladder...good! Get away from the side mount and mount...good! But, again, we're alive, and I'm not going to just let you, I will resist you. As you will with me.

Me being the bigger guy means that it benefits me if I stay on top of you as long as I can or as long as I choose. Then, and you can post how ineffective it is in your opinion, I'm going to manipulate and utilize Kyusho-jitsu as often as I can. To make you miserable, as often as I can. For everyone of your attempts, I've an arsenal of off-buttons waiting for you.

I'm aware, as well as you're aware, man, we're both aware...not everything works, but....

Study your opponent

Study yourself

Make a plan

Carry it out

Good luck, train hard, and let us know how things are going.

[pittbullJudoka]

I have to agree with everything everyone's said so far. I'm the little guy I'm there with you trying to figure out how move the big guy. As stated about trust in your technique. The devil's in the details. I find I like it better to train with the heavier opponents you have to hit the moves with the precision in order for them to work less room for error. Also when rolling with someone near the same weight they've got nothing you haven't encountered before weight or strength wise. Good luck in your new adventure enjoy and learn.

[RAM18]

As one of those bigger guys (98Kgs) i can tell you that the smaller guys can be a nightmare for me.

Be quick and decisive on guard passing and use speed to out manoeuvre a larger guy who may react slower than you.

I like to bully from the top but on my back i have to work very hard to keep my guard moving against a smaller faster opponent who may be able to back off, stand quickly and pass at distance.

Use that agility with good technique and you can be deadly which essentially is what the ground game is all about.

[bushido_man96]

I've seen in Wrestling the smaller, faster guys giving my oldest son fits. Its good for him, though, because he has to focus and be more technical in order to cover the gap in the lack of speed. I would suggest keying on that, using quickness and sound technique to your advantage.