4 Tips for Smaller BJJ Students
The lighter students in the BJJ academy are slightly more complex than their typical (and more significant) students. Contrary to what they say, "size and strength DO matter!" Finding yourself by a more prominent opponent who exceeds the other by more than 50 pounds isn't enjoyable! I'm nearing 200 pounds—body weight, which is more than the average.
What can I learn about the difficulties facing people with lighter bodies?
Although my experience isn't entirely different from a 145-pounder, I am also in the middle of the real heavyweights. The Japanese monster movie-sized guys who can take on Tokyo in the BJJ! When it's time to match the opponents with me, I'm the lightest person in the class that is heavy. I've spent a lot of training time learning to deal with the big guys, and here are four suggestions for the smaller BJJ students.
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1.) Keep moving/stop problems before they begin
When your opponent's weight is fixed on you, it's an uphill struggle to get out!
There's an old saying that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". Being the lighter, you should be aware of the moment when a position is lost (ex., your guard is getting pushed aside) and then begin your move towards a turtle or another guarding strategy before your opponent gets the grips they're looking for.
Examine how a blackbelt who weighs 150lbs faces a larger purple belt competitor. What is their strategy to stay clear of directly confronting the force of their opponent?
They're shifting their hips to the guard, keeping their distance and not allowing the large man to "get ahold of them" and then apply their force.
2) Positions floating on the top
I was trained with a weight of 145lbs. black belt in the past, I was able to manage myself from the very top, but he was not putting too enough pressure on me.
I asked why he did not utilize the shoulder for face pressure and the suffocating top weight, which I understood as the best method to use side control?
He explained that if he put the pressure from above, it was "locking" his smaller body to my bigger mass. If I fell in a way, he'd be forced to roll with me, possibly ending at the bottom.
His most effective game revolved around the belly of his knee in which he could control the top of his body but not secure the body of his to my. He described it as "floating" on top of me instead of being locked in.
Since then, kneeling on my belly has been my go-to when facing an opponent of a bigger size.
3.) Find the best positions to take your body weight off
A lot of half guard's bottom positions involve taking your opponent under and undercooking their leg to create an in-depth half, then submitting the base of their foot to sweep.
It's great when it is working; however, when your opponent returns, you're in a heap with 250lbs. You're sitting on your chest as an oversized truck!
In search of a different option, I was directed by my first choice, the "Z-guard" or "knee shield" half guard, which I found more effective at keeping the weight of my opponent away from me.
By using a "structure" or "bracket" consisting of elbows and knees, I could defend from the bottom in the face of an opponent applying powerful forward top pressure.
Check your postures at the bottom and see whether any variations can be more effective at keeping your opponent's weight off your body.
4) Take a look at the back
In the film "The Princess Bride", the hero, fighting the Giant Fezik, jumps on his back.
What else can you do to be able to defeat an enormous?
Being able to run faster and in size, a smaller man will look for every possibility to back and then work towards submission.
If you're in the back, the entire arsenal is directed at your opponent, and none of them is focused on you. Bigger opponents are less mobile. And if your back control is trained enough, it could be challenging for them to move away from your back.
Grandmaster Helio Grandmaster Helio Gracie has stated that he preferred the choke over armlocks because the opponent could keep fighting even if their arm is injured. The choke can eliminate the most challenging adversaries.
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