Big Legs / Glutes (Pear Shape) for BJJ

[Jezz8080]

I have been training for a month so apologies if this seems like a silly question. I know bjj is suppose to benefit the smaller guy and I can fully see already that good technique wins over brute strength. However, I have started training with my fiance and she is progressing a lot faster which I am fine with. We are the same height (5ft 11) but totally opposite builds. I am lean and have a slim runners build where as she does track cycling and horse riding so has a smaller upper body / skinny arms but pretty big glutes and quads. Her guard is seriously good and because she has shorter / bigger legs than me i though she would struggle with the angle for triangles but no - once her triangles lock they can kill people.

 

[Mr Rick]

You seem a bit upset that she’s progressing faster than you. It’s ok. Be thankful she wants to train. I would love that. If she’s an athletic girl and picking things up faster don’t worry. It’s your personal journey into bjj, there will always be people better, stronger etc. That being said just train hard and you’ll start to find success.

 

[Mr Rick]

To answer your actual question, power will always help. Every body type will have things they are better at, maybe you have better cardio or flexibility, longer arms perhaps. It doesn’t really matter just try to get better.

 

[Jezz8080]

Thanks guys and sorry if i seem frustrated - which isnt how i feel at all. We actually have a great relationship. She is not annoying with progressing faster either and encourages me all the time and vice versa - its nice a couple can do something together and not feel competitive on the mat (to some extent haha). Mr Rick you are actually spot on - I do have better cardio and flexibility which is helping my game in terms of transitions. Its just funny that in my short experience i have never seen any white belt like her pick up the triangle that quick. My coach is like - ''huh - she is literally like a boa constrictor!!!" She had a blue belt in north south and faked the kimura so his head jerked up and then she quickly kicked her legs back and under his head, locking what our club call the "ass to face" reverse triangle. I think everyone watching thought it was just a transition position and she would continue to go for his arm to get a key lock or kimura or something but then his eyes started rolling back and the coach jumped in. Shes the type of person that feels so guilty too and was saying sorry - (i was actually proud as the guy is so stubborn). Then again, if you have seen a track cyclists quads / glutes you would tap the hell out!!!!

 

[Cappy Goodtime]

If you post some pictures we can probably help you come up with some good strategies for going against her.

 

[mattemate]

Sounds like Marcelo is leading a double life as your fiancee. Had no idea he was trans.

 

[Jezz8080]

If you post some pictures we can probably help you come up with some good strategies for going against her.

Not that relevant tbh - proud pear shape so im pretty sure you can figure. Skinny arms and shoulders/small waist - massive glutes / upper legs from cycling. Its cool she can train with the guys - we are both 155 pounds so all good.

 

[yetanother]

It's might not be a nice thing to say but if you are a guy and your complaining that a women is having a strength advantage you are seriously underpowered.

 

[Jezz8080]

It's might not be a nice thing to say but if you are a guy and your complaining that a women is having a strength advantage you are seriously underpowered.

I think you have misquoted me. I am not complaining and yes she has a stronger lower body from 20 years of track cycling competitively. Are you saying you have stronger legs than an olympic female track cyclist? Haha you know what - posts like that make me comfortable that I have no inferiority issues. The average guy will be stronger - yes. But my fiance would kills most guys in the lower body department. In fact she already has! Who cares shes a girl

 

[Jezz8080]

I think you have misquoted me. I am not complaining and yes she has a stronger lower body from 20 years of track cycling competitively. Are you saying you have stronger legs than an olympic female track cyclist? Haha you know what - posts like that make me comfortable that I have no inferiority issues. The average guy will be stronger - yes. But my fiance would kills most guys in the lower body department. In fact she already has! Who cares shes a girl

my initial question to more experienced folk was simply - will this natural lower body power help her a lot

 

[Poochie]

my initial question to more experienced folk was simply - will this natural lower body power help her a lot

Strength helps, yes. But maybe she's doing the technique better as well.

 

[Cappy Goodtime]

Not that relevant tbh - proud pear shape so im pretty sure you can figure. Skinny arms and shoulders/small waist - massive glutes / upper legs from cycling. Its cool she can train with the guys - we are both 155 pounds so all good.

I was just joking. I have ran into girls who can do whatever you would call the thighmaster squeeze way more powerful than guys can. It's the one area where they're generally stronger than men. It is good for a variety of positions, but there are even more positions where it won't really matter. As you get better, you probably won't end up in closed guard as much so her squeeze strength won't be quite as important, but yeah it is definitely nice to have.
A legend of the sport, Marcelo Garcia, has short thick legs which he used to his advantage in butterfly guard and changed the sport by transitioning from butterfly to more advance guards like single leg x and x guard at the highest levels of the sport.

 

[beat...people...up?]

Strength helps, yes. But maybe she's doing the technique better as well.

Definitely this. I am a female and have very strong legs (I was a regular sprinter). But my triangle still sucks because I'm not particularly good at the technique--especially reverse triangle is hard for me to get into.

So I am impressed by your gf. I have found technique more important than just strength. In fact instructors often note to my classes that a more fluid than tense/tight/justway of moving is more effective.

 

[Jezz8080]

Definitely this. I am a female and have very strong legs (I was a regular sprinter). But my triangle still sucks because I'm not particularly good at the technique--especially reverse triangle is hard for me to get into.

So I am impressed by your gf. I have found technique more important than just strength. In fact instructors often note to my classes that a more fluid than tense/tight/justway of moving is more effective.

 

[Jezz8080]

Thanks and agree. My triangles are not there yet purely because of my technique - so i agree. Ok shes just showed me - with her reverse triangle she starts in side control and gets into north south. She just relaxes and sits heavy on the head (har har - yes - get all the jokes out guys) and pretends to go for the kimura. Before falling to the side she will grab my free arm and pull it towards her while falling to the side and then kicks her legs out and then hooked the legs around the arm shes grabbed and the head. I notice shes really relaxed at this stage. Once she has hooked the triangle though and she has the angle - when she squeezes it happens so quick with her leg strength - and thats where big legs / glutes come in to finish it. My coach just said she is finding the angle for triangle beautifully and then she has the legs to squeeze you like a python. Such a nice fiance i have haha

 

[Jezz8080]

Thanks and agree. My triangles are not there yet purely because of my technique - so i agree. Ok shes just showed me - with her reverse triangle she starts in side control and gets into north south. She just relaxes and sits heavy on the head (har har - yes - get all the jokes out guys) and pretends to go for the kimura. Before falling to the side she will grab my free arm and pull it towards her while falling to the side and then kicks her legs out and then hooked the legs around the arm shes grabbed and the head. I notice shes really relaxed at this stage. Once she has hooked the triangle though and she has the angle - when she squeezes it happens so quick with her leg strength - and thats where a big legs / glutes come in to finish it. My coach just said she is finding the angle for triangle beautifully and then she has the legs to squeeze you like a python. Such a nice fiance i have haha

Appreciate the advice too but she tapped a purple belt to this. She is english and not brazilian so no idea where these skills have came from. Also sorry for dumb beginner question but is it just right to tap when i feel like her triangle is sunk in? Part of me wants to try escapes but then when people have thick legs i find you dont have time and can easily go nap.

 

[Jezz8080]

Definitely this. I am a female and have very strong legs (I was a regular sprinter). But my triangle still sucks because I'm not particularly good at the technique--especially reverse triangle is hard for me to get into.

So I am impressed by your gf. I have found technique more important than just strength. In fact instructors often note to my classes that a more fluid than tense/tight/justway of moving is more effective.

Do you think though if you could find angles with the triangle having strong legs would help finish them quickly?

 

[TheGZA]

Everyone at the club has started nicknaming her the reticulated python and shes managed to tap a purple belt guy in a body triangle

Literally none of this happened.

 

[Jezz8080]

Literally none of this happened.

Ok "none of it happened" then lol. It may have been a rnc but the triangle went across the body. Its not acceptable for lower belts to tap more experienced people? haha - there are so many of those types in our club and its so annoying. Its a one-off but relax - your life wont fall apart

 

[rmongler]

OP describing his fantasy GF and ideal live action roleplay scenarios.