How I deal with larger, stronger, heavier opponents for Gi BJJ

[BJJesq]

I see a lot of posts asking how to deal with guys heavier and bigger. Most responses to this issue is to play open guard, arm drag, take the back, etc. However, I wanted to post a more detailed game plan and specify specific techniques that work for me. Note: The following is my game plan when I go against guys that outweight me buy 50+ lbs. When I roll with guys similar in size, my game plan is different. Please feel free to make suggestions and critique.

Background: I have been training BJJ for almost 2 years (blue belt). I am lucky to train under a great instructor and have great training partners. I am about 5’4”, weigh 110-115 lbs and routinely roll with guys 200+ lbs.

A. General strategy:
1) If you are going against someone much heavier than you who has more mat time experience than you then it is really difficult to dominate. I read a response by Haylicks recently saying that a smaller guy needs to train more in this situation and I totally agree.
2) Most my submissions come from my top game or from a rear naked choke so my strategy is always to find a way to be on top or to get the opponents back.
3) When I’m on bottom, my #1 concern is getting my opponents weight off of me so I hardly ever play closed guard. Techniques like scissor sweep, triangle, guillotine rarely work for me against guys that outweigh me by 50+ lbs.

B. Strategy from the Knees/Sitting Guard:
1) Large Distance: When I first start out, I play the Marcelo Garcia Sit up game (Sit up, knees wide and bent at 90 degrees, keep feet close to my body unless I’m moving forward, Constantly try and control opponents hands with my hands.) This position is described well in Aesopian’s website if you do a search for Marcelo Garcia.
-From this position, I like to constantly go for Arm Drags. The key to this position is that I have to prevent opponent from controlling my legs. Once they control my legs, my priority becomes breaking off the grips. Once I break off the grips, immediately I start going for the Arm Drag again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDnaRxDiq6M

2) Medium Distance: If I get a little closer to my opponent, I like to get cross collar control. Right arm palm up grab X’s opposite collar. Left hand post on floor behind me to help me move and not get pushed back. Sit at an angle. With this control, I like to get a forward ankle pick sweep (Right arm palm up grab X’s Opposite Collar, Left hand grab X’s same side knee. Pull on X so X will pull backwards. Then push forward to sweep X backwards.)
OR
Cross Collar Drag (similar movement to an arm drag but with cross collar control). I feel this drag is much more effective than a standard arm drag because it gives me more control.

3) Close Distance: When I get really close to my opponent, I like to reach around with my right hand to grab opponents belt and my left hand control opponent’s same side knee. Stephan Kesting DVD has a lot of great sweeps from this control. I just use the standard butterfly sweep where I sweep over my shoulder. (Note: Stephan Kesting’s Butterfly guard helped my game out a lot, I definitely recommend it).

C. Strategy if my guard about to be passed: If at any time, I feel that my open guard is going to be passed, I fight to control both my opponent’s sleeves, put my foot in his biceps and go for spider guard.
1) When I get spider guard, I go for the standard spider guard sweep (One leg on bicep or wrapped around X’s arm, other shin across X’s stomach. One arm underhook X’s knees, scoot body/head close to X’s knees, Sweep.) This sweep has helped me sweep guys much heavier than me).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XESHEoEyxIc
(instead of grabbing the knees, I usually underhook the knee to get more control)


D. Opening Opponent's Guard: Because I’m so small, I really need to control X’s hands when I am in his guard. I routinely have success with 2 guard passes.
1) Standing Knee in Butt Pass:
a) Both hands on X’s Biceps (keeping my elbows tight and could also push my head down into X’s solar plexus for pressure). Start walking my body backwards, Stand up with wide base and place right knee in X’s tailbone (shake and wiggle to get knee in tight), Then I drop down with one knee up (Forcing it up between X’s legs). Then I press forward with my knee and lean back and push X’s hips with both my arms.
The key to this pass is to take your time to get your knee deep in X’s tailbone. Takes practice but great against huge guys. Also seems like opponent could sweep you easily but that is not true.

http://www.freebjjinstructionals.com/subpage2.html
(BJ penn shows this pass no gi, 5th vid from top.)

2) Standing Pass where I grab same side sleeve of opponent: (From Saulo Ribeiro Revolution 1 DVD, another DVD I highly recommend).
a) My left hand grab X’s same side sleeve and Left foot step up (deep close to X’s head), then right foot steps up (deep), using a side to side motion. My right foot then step a little back (turn my upper body towards right) and right arm push on X’s knee to open guard. Keep left elbow tight to my body. Once X’s guard opens, grab both knees to control X’s legs.

I’m not sure how this post will be received since it is so long so will wait a few days before I spend time posting my ½ guard game and top game.

[Zankou]

Wow, excellent work! That's a really great approach you have. Thanks for posting this ... I think I will try to put it in the sticky. I agree with almost everything you say as a small v. big strategy.

[Sherdog_Mutt]

BJJesq: Good writeup. I assume from your name that you're yet another attorney who dabbles in BJJ. haha... It's great that you're formulating a comprehensive game plan. I keep preaching this to beginners that you really need to develop a total game plan (an answer for every situation/position that you might find yourself in).

[Ybot]

WOW! I clicked on this thread thinking I'd find another noob asking the same ol' question. What I found was a well thought out, and extremely well researched post. Great first post!

[ozyabbas]

I think the gameplan has to change slightly against guys who like to do seated passes or standing passes.

Against guys who stand, I like to use stuff like de la riva and x guard. Against guys who like to stay low all the time, I will use spider guard and a seated guard. I hardly ever use closed guard, its just to kill some time if the guy is bombarding me with guard passes like a wrecking ball. I need to get myself together so go into closed guard for a minute to regroup.

I use to like using a seated guard against people that do standing passes, but I stopped doing it once the really fast guys just kept grabbing my gi pants, holding it down and passing from there. The guys at my club are generally very fast so its something I have to be really carefull of.

[Tony Manifold]

Very well done. A reminder to people that forget that Sherdog join date has nothing to do with skill, ability or intelligence. The only thing I do that is a little different (not better just different) is that I play with my feet on their hips a lot. This allows the strongest muscles in my body to control his weight. Typically I work sweeps from there or just push off and scramble to a single leg. But then again I am more wrestler than BJJ player.

[Kakkarot]

"A reminder to people that forget that Sherdog join date has nothing to do with skill, ability or intelligence."
---

lmao @ having to point this out for TARDS who think *join * date is the actual day u started training .

...but its true tho

[BJJesq]

Thanks for the reply guys.

Sherdog_Mutt: I like to think of myself as a BJJ guy who dabbles in the law. =)

Zankou: I just read your thread on the same issue.
BJJ grappling strategy against larger opponents
There are many guys at my club who are great at omoplata from the closed guard. That and the turtle guard are two aspects that I definitely want to work on.


Here is part 2 of my gameplan:

In the event I am successfully able to sweep my opponent and I end up on top, I hardly ever use the mount because with my weight, I don't really feel like I have enough control. As a smaller guy, I have most success with Side Mount and Knee on Belly.

A. Side Mount:

[BJJesq]

Sorry, I hit submit reply by accident.


A. Side Mount
a) Positioning: Although I love Saulo, I have difficulty playing side mount using only "hip connection". Instead, I use the standard side control where I cross face opponent's head and lock my hands together. The key to this position is cross facing opponent hard by driving my shoulder hard into opponents chin/face to prevent him from turning into me.
b) Once I get control in side mount, I begin my attacks. The first thing I like to to is to Bug Opponents Neck. I like to do this constantly. I Grab deep in X’s collar with my left hand and Place my forearm in X’s throat and drive down in a circular motion. At same time, use my other hand and go underneath to grab Opponent’s near collar/elbow to prevent Opponent from rolling. (Note: Again, this is explained very well in the Saulo Revolution 1 DVD).
Note: I have gotten a number of taps just from using this move.
c) Also, I am always looking out for my standard submissions when in Side Mount.
1. When Opponents arm next to his head, I go for Key Lock.
2. When Opponents arm next to his waist, I go for Kimura (Change base, then step over Opponent's head to apply Kimura)
d) At anytime, If I feel that the Opponent is creating some space and I am losing my tightness with him, then Immediately I switch to Knee on Belly.

B. Knee on Belly
a) Usually, when I do Knee on belly, my opponent's natural reaction is to bring his arms down. When he does this, I go for the following chokes which I have success with:
1. Cross Choke
2. Base ball choke with gi.
3. No-gi baseball choke (using my forearm to drive into his throat to choke).
b) Also, I am constantly looking for the basic submissions.
1. If he uses his near arm to push me, then Arm bar near arm.
2. If he uses far arm to push on my knee, then I wrap his far arm, and go for
a spinning arm bar.

[sheddy]

With you being 5'4" and 110lbs, no wonder you have a lot to write about.

Good stuff.