Does size matter?

[shotokanwarrior]

Bruce Lee knew that the first and primary target is the eyes, groan,knees. Then you use your martial arts skills. There were not many rules then but there still were rules and a controlled enviorment. To be effective on the street you need steet smarts, there are weapons all around you, rocks,sticks, change in your pocket thrown into someones face works well to hurt and distract.

[karate_woman]

That sucks for little people and women. I think being taught to be smart and how to find psychological weaknesses in you attacker is a good way to balance the scales if you smaller. You can make the big guy lose his cool, or make him chase you and get him tired, frustrate them. I think Schools should teach these type of techniques to their students as well as MA techniques.

 

Well, I'm an average sized woman (5'4", 127 lbs), and I think size does matter. That's what weight classes are for, when we're talking organized competitions, with rules.

 

Now that doesn't mean if I'm attacked by a big person that I'm going to see a 200+ lb man has attacked me and figure I should just give up; I've resolved to do whatever is necessary, and I'm going to do my best to make it so I can get away and he's not physically able to follow me. Of course, if the guy was my size, I wouldn't be any less severe - the guy attacked me, after all and therefore he deserves what he gets - BUT I might have a few more options open to me than with the bigger guy.

[TJS]

Do all of you really think that the only advantage of Combat Martials Arts is biting and eye gouging? There's a lot more than you can imagine.

 

then what techniques were they unable to perform in a ring?

[HachiKyu]

JohhnyS

 

3) A smaller person will tire more quickly than a larger stronger person if they are grappling.

 

This not necassirly true.. a smaller person can have more endurance than a larger person its all on how you train such a remark shows your arrogance in martial arts to just assume a larger person would have more endurance in grappling, he may have the upper hand in like weight but that doesnt mean a smaller person will tire easily.

[Treebranch]

TJS asked"then what techniques were they unable to perform in a ring?"

 

It makes sense that people who were in competition before went to try out their skills is UFC. So not a lot of reputable Combat Martial Artist joined up, because competing isn't important to them. So the only way you will find out what I and others are talking about is to study some Combat Style martial arts, and I take it you know what they are.

[paolung]

then what techniques were they unable to perform in a ring?

 

depending on venue (Pride has less rules than UFC generally speaking), the "forbidden" techniques can include no striking to the back of the head, no small joint manipulations, no pressure point techniques, etc. to name a few

[JohnnyS]

paolung,

 

When Royce fought Kimo the only rules were no biting and no eye-gouging.

[JohnnyS]

HachiKyu,

 

You might be correct in what you say - that a smaller person might have better endurance. As for me being arrogant -

 

I think it's reasonable to assume that a smaller person will tire more quickly because they are pushing around someone (of equal skill level)who is bigger and heavier, whilst the bigger person is trying to move less weight.

 

Please explain to me how that is arrogant.

[JohnnyS]

Treebranch wrote: "You can make the big guy lose his cool, or make him chase you and get him tired, frustrate them"

 

Please explain how you can do this in a streetfight or in a bar fight.

 

I believe that a person can have a psychological edge and end the fight before it even really begins, but I don't see how you can make a person chase you to get him tired and frustrated. If that's the case why not just keep running and avoid the fight completely?

 

Please also give an example of making a guy lose his cool and how that will benefit you.

[Treebranch]

If someone is too angry they lose their edge. If you can make someone really angry by hitting and retreating and not letting him get you, you may be able to tire him out. I've seen this done in boxing matches, many times. I'm a big guy and I think this would work on me if I lost my cool, but I'm working on that.