[leiff]

One thing that I've noticed in jiu jitsu is that strength does matter, however a skilled smaller person can still easily dominate a larger opponent. However, as a large opponent increases their skill combined with their size and strength they can be a tough match or even beat the more skilled smaller opponent.

So my question is, are there any tricks smaller guys can do to beat bigger guys?

By watching marcello garcia I get the impression that foot locks and taking the back are the best way to beat a larger man, but what other things can you do?

Also takedowns, what are good takedowns against a bigger guy. I was talking to a wrestler and he said that low singles were good against bigger guys.

Any advice on the situation?

[350 lbs fist]

Train guard guard guard and exhaust your bigger opponent with your ability to keep him in your guard. Works against me.
Smaller guys are also very hard to submit due to their shorter extremities and I've spent many an hour on top of smaller guys struggling to put them away.

[b0b]

Your strengths are usually your quickness and flexibility.

[paulchu]

depends on the size advantage... u mean taller? more muscular? or just a fat guy?

[kronker]

Speed and torqueyness are advantageous for small guys, reach and weight are the big guys advantage. Poke and run works well against big guys. Tire them out.

[Gsoares2]

no tricks, just train.

[Resident A-hole]

If the skill level is the same, the stronger/bigger guy will almost always win.

As a very strong guy, I've found I can neutralize a smaller guy who is slightly better than me with strength & size. But I have difficulty with advanced small guys who are lightning quick. There are a few guys who are great at keeping me in their guard & also trying to take my back. It's easy for a bigger guy to get caught offguard because he's not used to the speed of a 150lber jumping around to his back. Stay very active with your guard & don't give the big guys a chance to try a pass. The threat of taking their back will give you some options too.

[Aesopian]

So you're small. What you lack in size or strength you'll have to make up for with efficiency of movement and technical skill. This should be how anyone trains who wants to really improve, but the point gets driven home to smaller guys sooner since they don't have bulk and power to fall back on. It can be a big shock to heavy weights when they realize this late in the game by finally getting crushed by someone even bigger than they are.

You're not going to get anywhere in the long run with just some tricks. They are fun to learn and it's always nice to have them up your sleeve, but they are really just passing amusements.

What you really need are solid fundamentals and strategy, which will only come about from a lot of mat time and a very critical analysis of your performance.

Since Marcelo has done well with taking the back and leglocks, maybe they are what you need to beat a bigger guy. But then again, maybe not. I don't know since I don't know your game or your body type. If those have been working for little guys and you want to try them out, go for it. It's a safe bet. I think taking the back is always a good idea regardless of who you're fighting. But I don't like leglocks since a bigger guy can step through them more easily. But maybe I just suck at leg locks. Maybe you'll do better. Or not.

I'm rambling, so what am I getting at? That what works for Marcelo may or may not work for me and you, or what works for me may not work for you, and what works for you may not work for me. So what do we do?

Find what works best for YOU.

This is only going to come about from serious training, trial and error and thinking about how to improve your performance.

Recommendations, advice, tips and all that will help. But it really comes for you putting in the mat time and developing yourself as an athlete.

So what do you actually DO to realize your goals?

Train more. Train a lot. Train everyday. Train twice a day.

Work on core body movements, e.g. shrimping to escape side control and mount, moving your hips and circling your legs to maintain guard and stop passes, moving your hips to take the back, etc. It's all in the hips.

In line with the last one, work on your escapes. The only way you're going to have any offense against a big guy is if you've got good defenses. Side control escapes are particularly important, and I consider them to be important to a good guard (since you're never going to have a good guard when you're always under side control).

Think about your posture at all times: passing guard is the first that comes to mind, but don't forget where to put your head and hands when you've got half guard, are escaping side control, mount, knee-on-belly or rear mount, when you're turtled, etc. Hell, even when you have CLOSED guard, with how popular the arm-behind-the-back pass seems to be getting. There are safer and more secure ways to hold your hands, head, etc. in any position. Learn these and put them in practice and you'll find yourself freer to escape and attack with less risk of submission or counter.

DRILL DRILL DRILL. I think this is most important. This is where you put all the theories into practice and pound them out until they work (or drop them if they don't). I recommend starting with static reps, but working up to isolated drilling/sparring.

Let's say you're working on side control escapes. Warm up with some shrimping to get your hips moving. Then get your partner and put in static reps of a particular side control escape, making sure to get all the details perfect (hand position, head position, hips, sequence of actions, etc.).

Then do positional sparring, starting under side control. Your goal is to escape (return to guard or reverse positions). Their goal is to maintain side control, improve their position (take mount, knee-on-belly or rear mount) or submit you. Restart when either one meets their goal.

Start at about 10%, and as you succeed, you both start upping the intensity (resistance, pressure, aggression, etc.). Work up through 25%, 50%, 75% until you're at 100%.

Do several rounds (maybe half-rounds) of this, switching top and bottom.

In these drills, there is cooperation between you and your training partner even though it's "sparring". The point is not to simply kill the guy on bottom but to help him start at a lower level of resistance and build it progressively until he can perform at 100%. It's also a lot safer than going straight to balls out sparring, and it is smarter for improving specific skills.

You can do this for any position, and even build it around certain skills or concepts that encompass several positions. Look into the I Method that Straight Blast Gym uses for more on this kind of training. They have made really good use of this kind of isolated, progressive-resistance training.

I could go on but I think that pretty well covers it for now. All of what I recommend really applies to anyone big or small, regardless of strength, speed, flexibility, cardio, whatever. It just happens to be especially true for the smaller guys.

I hope this helps.

[scotty1444]

lightining speed

speed

speed

speed

and more speed

oh yeah and technique

[Coach Couzo]

Originally Posted by Aesopian

So you're small. What you lack in size or strength you'll have to make up for with efficiency of movement and technical skill. This should be how anyone trains who wants to really improve, but the point gets driven home to smaller guys sooner since they don't have bulk and power to fall back on. It can be a big shock to heavy weights when they realize this late in the game by finally getting crushed by someone even bigger than they are.

[rambles, but gives good advice]

[rambles some more]

[getting to the end ...]

I hope this helps.

Seriously, Aesopian, gives great advice. Let me try to give some takedown advice (something Aesopian did not cover, belive it or not).

I am small and have a wrestling/judo background. If you are standing up with a big, strong fellow, stay on the outside. If your opponent reaches for you, go for an arm drag. Watch Marcelo's arm drag. Marcelo grabs his opponent's arm and uses all his weight to pull his opponent forward by leaning back. Then, Marcelo steps his (opposite) foot forward hooking the inside of his opponent's ankle (same side as arm drag). This hook allows Marcelo to get his opponent's back.

Also, from the outside, setup low single legs. Watch John Smith's "How Low Can You Go" or any of his matches. He perfected the low (ankle) single.

If your opponent ties up with you, try simple ankle trips (Judo does a good job with these).