Short or Tall?

[globby]

I was sitting in the Pub over the weekend with a few old friends of mine and we were having a discussion about height in relation to fighting styles. All of us hover around average heights (5-10 --> 6') so it wasn't really a contest of heights between us.

The debate was as to who had an advantage in fighting. Taller people (by tall i mean 6ft --> 6.5) or shorter people (5'4 -->5'9). We used those heights, because any bigger or shorter would be considered major anomalies and thus arent representative of a fair selection of people. We were discussing males rather than females to keep it simple.

Tall people have the advantage of size, reach, higher maximum muscular physical strength. Shorter people have the advantage of a better centre of gravity, and one friend argued that they have better muscle size to power ratio (whatever that means!)

None of us are that experienced in the intricies of martial arts and I know certain styles will suit certain heights (wing chun for example I believe is designed for the shorter person in mind).

So I guess my question is, do the advantages of physical strength and height outweight those of a better balance and centre of gravity? Do shorter people have the advantage that taller people have more exposed regions for them to exploit? What do you think is the best balanced height for martial arts?

I'm meeting my friends on the weekend again, and it would be good to come back armed with some sort of input to the debate.

Thanks

[PangQuan]

there is none.

what the taller man gains the shorter man lacks and vise versa.

it all balances out, its how you use what you have that determines an advantage.

[SevenStar]

pretty much what he said. There is no one advantage. taller guys have an advantage on the outside. shorter guys have the advantage on the inside. Then, you have short guys like me, who at 5'10 has the reach of someone who's 6'3.

with grappling, taller guys tend to have more of an advantage with sweeps, shorter guys with power type throws, as it is easier for them to get under their opponent's center of gravity.

it all evens out. Just take your strengths and work with them.

Now strength, that's a different issue. that can make a huge difference.

[PangQuan]

Then, you have short guys like me, who at 5'10 has the reach of someone who's 6'3.

me too.

gotta love being an ape :D

[Chief Fox]

If you can't be average, then I'm gonna say that it's better to be short for several reasons.

1. Traveling by plane. Those poor tall guys have no leg room.
2. Most of those tall guys have bad knees.
3. Tall guys attract tall women and some of those tall women kinda freak me out.
4. Tall guys can't find any normal clothes.

So there you go, for obvious reasons, if you can't be normal, then it's better to be short.

[Sifu Darkfist]

Thank god i am not one inch shorter or i would be one of those major anomalies!
The best part of me slide down the crack of my mommas ass. Anyway, You guys are right on target although i will point out that in order to counteract (hey speaking of the count, i miss his posts) the great fighter at either extreme one must have studied the capabilities of that type of human being. Just as a general studies th capabilities of a particular battalion or infantry division.

After this the best idea is to assume the very worst and fight as if there is no tommorrow.

At least that is how i teach, dont let them breathe.

[David Jamieson]

The entire infrastructure of society was built for average sized people.

so being tall is one thing, being too tall is another entirely.

as for a fighters advantage, that is entirely dependent on the fighter.

as far as I know, there's no height class in fighting competitions, only weight classes.

weight is where you are gonna feel the difference when you get punched in the face by someone with some lbs behind their shot that is significant. Moreso when you attempt to restrain and contain someone who weighs too much for your strength to handle effectively.

that's when you have to unleash the dim mak, and lets face it, average dudes don't got no dim mak.

[hskwarrior]

the problem with being shorter, is that the taller person has the advantage of keeping the shorter one at bay (bey?), while the shorter has to cover more ground to get inside.

i am only 5'7" but im stocky (some will of course say fat but who cares) so everyone is taller than me. but i like to spar tall guys and attack their extremities before getting inside.

there are alot of people out there who are afraid of a taller or heavier person. but you just have to have the heart to win. i agree, size doesn't matter unless you are in lets say San Shou or grappling, the bigger or heavier guy will toss the smaller guy around like a sack of potatoes.

the advantage of being smaller as opposed to taller is the amount of distance each one has to hit the floor. a taller person has a longer way down than a shorter person. a taller person has to punch downwards in most cases, and for a shorter person to go for a head shot has to punch upward.

so i as a shorter person will attack the arms and body and try to chop him down then go for head shots.

it all depends on the fighter. me thinks:D

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

taller guys have more advantages. as a shorter guy i just have them **** my mother who gives them stds.

[SimonM]

If you can't be average, then I'm gonna say that it's better to be short for several reasons.

1. Traveling by plane. Those poor tall guys have no leg room.
2. Most of those tall guys have bad knees.
3. Tall guys attract tall women and some of those tall women kinda freak me out.
4. Tall guys can't find any normal clothes.

So there you go, for obvious reasons, if you can't be normal, then it's better to be short.

5: If you are in China and over 6 feet tall prepare for banging your head on the ceiling at least three times a week. Doors are often cut 6'1"... In socks I scrape my head on the top edge of my bedroom door a tiny bit unless I hunch my shoulders a centemeter.

[Mr Punch]

I hear you bro! The Japanese took their traditional architectural measurements from the Chinese as with everything else!

[SimonM]

From what I hear Japanese people are even shorter than Chinese people on average.

[Sekabin]

From what I hear Japanese people are even shorter than Chinese people on average.

They're certainly shorter than us lanky white foreigners! :eek:

[Mr Punch]

From what I hear Japanese people are even shorter than Chinese people on average.

Japanese adult m/f: 165.5 cm/153 cm

Chinese adult: 170/158.5

Japanese 17 yr-olds: 171/158

They're growing!

Unfortunately, don't know the stats for 17 yr-old Chinese people.

Incidentally, I read that the average height in all countries excluding Africa and USA is rising. African countries are mostly constant, and the US is going down (by a few millimetres). Americans are getting heavier though, so the net amount of skin is probably about the same. If a little spottier :eek:

[Ludeviews]

Personally if I was building myself for a fighter, I'd be taller... more range, better leverage and able to carry more weight effectively.

Also amongst other things said there's also more surface area to hit on a taller guy...

[WanderingMonk]

I don't know,

the tall guy alway has the intimadation factor. If you had your pick of opponent one being 6' 2" and another being 5'6", which one would you pick? seriously. most people pick on the smaller guy because they figure they probably just simple out muscle him b/c he's small.

5'6" guy have to throw every single oz of his body weight into his punch to make it as effective as an average punch from a 6' 2" guy. those extra muscle mass counts a lot.

[Sekabin]

Nah, I have to agree that it's more about muscle rather than height. I think that's still the intimidation factor though, as a short very stocky guy often looks like you're going to hit him but he won't go down. A tall thin guy looks like he'll break. Perception is a funny thing.

Ultimately it will just come down to whoever can use his body shape/size to the best advantage. But as I've said before, it's dangerous to assume that shortness or tallness necessarily puts that person at an advantage or disavantage. If they're a trained fighter, they will be used to fighting people who are relatively taller or shorter than them and will thus be more prepared than you might think.

[SimonM]

Unfortunately, don't know the stats for 17 yr-old Chinese people.
:

Don't know the stats but they are growing too.

One lad in the PE department is nearly 7 feet tall. OF course he is a bit of an anomaly but the point is that Chinese boys near or at 6 feet tall is becoming less uncomon than it used to be.

[PangQuan]

ive noticed alot of people mention the muscle factor, being large people have more.

what i did not see mentioned is the speed factor.

on average the smaller person will move quicker. in a striking art this does generate power.

i still think its a balancing act.

[hskwarrior]

look at matt hughes, compared to the other ufc fighters he's pretty short. but built like a brick house. how does that muscle theory stand up when you have matt and someone taller?

[Fu-Pow]

If you can't be average, then I'm gonna say that it's better to be short for several reasons.

1. Traveling by plane. Those poor tall guys have no leg room.
2. Most of those tall guys have bad knees.
3. Tall guys attract tall women and some of those tall women kinda freak me out.
4. Tall guys can't find any normal clothes.

So there you go, for obvious reasons, if you can't be normal, then it's better to be short.

I'm 6'7" tall so let's clear up some misconceptions.

1) Planes. Yes, they suck. Keep your god**** seat up if your sitting in front of me and to those little ****ers that are like 5'2" I see sitting in the emergency exit row you can kiss this.

2)Knees. Yes and no. Tall guys with chicken legs have bad knees. I've got huge leg bones and very muscular legs so I've almost never had knee problems.

3) Tall women. I've dated both short and tall and tell you the truth I like the shorties. The tall one's kind of freak me out too. But short women especially love the extra tall guys. Sorry short guys.

4) Clothes. It depends on your proportions. I'm long waisted so I sometimes I have trouble with shirts and the pants are rarely cut right for a long waist. Shoes are the biggest pain in the a$$ cuz' I got size 14s. Yes, you read that right SIZE 14s!!!

[fa_jing]

my brother wears 14s and he's just under 6'3". My friend is 6'3" and wears 15s.

[SimonM]

I wear 13s (except for Doc Martens, I wear 12s with them because Docs are sized big) and I'm somewhere between 6'1" and 6'2".

Tall guys try Chinese sleeper busses sometime!

[Fu-Pow]

Tall guys try Chinese sleeper busses sometime!

That sounds like some kind of torture from hell.

[SimonM]

It isn't the most fun thing in the world.

[Mr Punch]

I did stay in a 'hotel' in HK where I could change channels in the TV on the other side of the room by poking my toes out of the bed.

But you should try a Japanese capsule hotel for real fun!

[SimonM]

Are they cheap?

[Mr Punch]

About 3000 yen.

Nowadays there are net cafes with double sofas in a private booth with dvds, satellite tv, PS2, and PCs you can rent for a night for the same, and you get to use a shower and you can buy a toothbrush and shaving set in the morning.

[SimonM]

Here in Shanxi that sort of money would get you a clean hotel room with a full bathroom and (possibly) two twin sized beds.