How do you fight a bigger, stronger opponent?

[Yum Cha]

We're talking a lot about power and strength - elite combat trained athletes and self defense guys.

Its really easy to say you have to be bigger, stronger, better trained and more aggressive.

What do you do when the odds are against you? That was the reason I started MA, is because I needed more of an edge than my Mama and Daddy gave me.

I think we've all done it; how do you deal with someone who is bigger and stronger, maybe even better trained?

Not 'theoretically' but what works practically?

Mobility would be my first cab off the rank.

For me, I act unconfident and run away as much as possible, taking it all in until he gets more overconfident and frustrated, then I turn hard with something I set up and get agro. You know when it works. Yea, nothing is 100%, but.

I know a few of you smaller guys out there live in a world where that's always the case, what's the good oil?

And Coaches Ross and Masterkiller, what works?

My experience has been in successfully beating guys that regularly beat me in the club in competitions. On the street, I've avoided mis-matches but for one monster guy who threw me around in the back of a truck like a rag dolly, but that's not very interesting...

[cerebus]

Yes, mobility. And superior defensive skills, in other words, make the opponent miss and counter-attack while he's off-balance.

I fought a match earlier this year at a motorcycle club against an opponent who was around 5 or 6 inches taller than me and who outweighed me by a good 50 pounds. He was solid muscle and looked like a Hispanic version of Brock Lesnar. He was also VERY fast and VERY aggressive.

My Tai Chi instructor had trained me in the "empty-body" skills he had learned from one of his instructors, Peter Ralston, and so I was able to use my Tai Chi effectively to make my opponent basically run into my fists repeatedly while making him miss 95% of the punches he threw at me. If I'd tried to stand toe-to-toe with the guy he would have put me in the hospital (he was seriously trying to anyway).

[donjitsu2]

Cheat:

*Improvise weapons,

*pretend to give up (if that's an option) then surprise attack,

*tell the guy you don't want to fight and when he drops his guard attack,

*yell, "RAPE!"

I'm assuming you have a good reason to fight this guy and it's a real fight (not sparring).

If you're talking about sparring or competition: I've had the most success with simply being faster. I move a lot and take shots only when there is an opening. It's tough fighting someone who is bigger and stronger than you, but it isn't impossible.

[Syn7]

*yell, "RAPE!"

you know... i never thought of that... you should tell that to kids in school... bullies are usually ****phobic and if you yelled rape while they were picking on you, that may work...

on the other hand, if theres nobody to hear it....

[YouKnowWho]

Drag his arm and run behind him.

[Violent Designs]

In competition you can always try to win by point, you know. Don't have to knock them out.

In a street fight, a real fight where you get hurt or he gets hurt.... yeah, I would try to improvise some weapons.

At a certain point, brute force > techniques, even good defense, you may even be faster but if he catches you then it's gonna be a bad night.

This is why I'm so keen on picking up more weapons training maybe some serious FMA and stickfighting, I am smaller than most people and don't want to get into a fight with a 200lb. (which is not even crazy heavy by any means...) very good athlete, even an untrained FIGHTER but just very strong, athletic and fast can still hurt you like no other.

I have my pride but sometimes I will throw it away in the face of insurmountable adversity hehehehe.

[goju]

1. stick and move

2.if the smaller man has heavy hands that can make a difference too

3.call your bigger friend to help you

[goju]

i saw a steet fight once betwen a smaller and larger gentleman which involved the smaller guy charging at the bigger fellow and kicking in directly in the knee like you would a soccer ball

ther bigger guy dropped down to the ground and the little guy just swung for the fecnes with his fists and it was over,

so that may work sometimes i know frank shamrock reccomended stomping someones knee as the first method of self defense in a street situation.

[Frost]

if hes bigger stronger and motivated good luck because normally you are in for a beating

in all honestly on the street when is the last time any one saw some one stick and move or try to wear down an opponent?

The best thing i have found is if its going to happen and you cant get away is hit first, hit often and keep hitting until he goes down, distract him put him off guard and then knock him out or choke him out

[Eric Olson]

You resist them a lot, it works very well.

EO

[Violent Designs]

You resist them a lot, it works very well.

EO

i don't think you are in a position to talk when you are bigger than 99% of the population.

[Iron_Eagle_76]

The best thing to do is try and play to your strengths. Knees and elbows are your friends, I suggest using them quite often for street fights. Be elusive, use weapons if you have to, try and avoid letting him close the distance, do your best to move in and close the distance on him when you want to.

Honesty, if you are fighting a bigger, stronger, more skilled opponent you are probably going to lose, so either avoid the confrontation or use a weapon. (A good Ka-bar fits nice inside an engineer boot

[David Jamieson]

with a stick, while he's sleeping.

that's the preferred way.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Well, as someone that HAS fought bigger people and no I don't mean a couple of inches bigger and a few pounds I men a foot almost and 100 lbs more, I can say this:
If they know how to fight you are ****ed, period.
If you have a weapon, use it.
Close the gab and take them down if you can ( ground work nuliffies the size and reach advantage a bit, but not the strength one IF he knows how to fight on the ground).
Beyond that, develop your strikes to a point where EVERY strike is full force, full speed and CAN do damage, shooting bears with BB guns is NOT a good idea.
When I fought kyokushin we didn't have weight limits, one guy I fought in Montreal was 6-3 and 255 while I was, at the time, 5-6 and 140lbs.
Yeah, it was a lesson in PAIN.

[David Jamieson]

Also, don't be a chest puffing guido.

If you ever noticed a guido fight, you'll see it's not a fight at all, it's two guys with a lot of gel in their hair who have obviously abused the crap ut of some tan in a bottle and one of them may be wearing an Olivia Newton John headband... anyway, they will get right up in each others face and query quite loudly "you want some of this, do you?"

They will continue to do this, until an individual named Tommy, who's usually quiet and just works away his days in the pizza shop comes in between them and pushes them apart. then, the guido fight is over a few final epithets are thrown out and everyone goes back to aligning themselves with the douchebag gods.

So, when this starts happening and the guido, or reasonable facsimile thereof is approaching and is close enough, then, as soon as he's close, crack him on the jaw. Do it a couple of times with hard hooks.

works great, make sure you hit really hard though, don't do any of that gauging punch crap, just bomb him.