Advice for smaller BJJ players

[Pontigoose]

Where I train I have noticed their is a lot of bigger guys who are my level who play a very slow solid point a to point b game. I think this is great for them developing fundamental movements, but at the same time I am concerned for my game. I am a smaller guy, with really short legs, and am just wondering what my fellow short grapplers do to give guys who like to bully fits. I know this is a very common question, I'm just asking because I feel as if I'm stuck in a rut, and need some things to play with in order to get my momentum back.
Thanks in advance!

 

[obiwankyerboaby**]

Hey chap, I'm a blue belt been doing bjj on and off for 5 years, i can weigh anything between 80-90 kg, iv even competed @ 105kg class at 92 kg.

Iv noticed with small guys that give me trouble is their ability to scramble like fuck. they always break the wrist control, posture, shrimp. constantly moving. Im not saying spazz out, but you need to stay one point ahead in terms of what you are going to do. work on ur half guard and sweeps. Like you saiid, I tend to relax and play a slow game and manipulate my opponent into moving the way i want. Strength comes into play. You need to be way quicker than me. It helps to have better cardio and drill that 1 ''go to move' untill you can do it in your sleep. and look for that opening. If you are constantly moving and making it hard for him to pin you down, the moment will arise where you strike.

 

[Dirty Holt]

Probably not the answer you want, but skill plays much more of a role than size. Most of the brown and purples who outweigh me, I can beat. Most of the blues who out weigh them, they can beat.

Talking about going with someone your own skill, thats different. Being a smaller guy, I get top position and crank the speed up to 10. Half the time I wont even legitimately engage their guard until a few minutes in. Get them tired from trying to deal with your speed when they are on bottom, then attack when they arent as fresh.

On bottom, be as small as possible and get underneath.

After awhile, at least for me, going against bigger guys over 200lbs became much easier than guys who were 155-180.

 

[randomg1t]

After awhile, at least for me, going against bigger guys over 200lbs became much easier than guys who were 155-180.

i'm around 150lbs and this has actually become somewhat of a problem for me. there simply aren't any people around for me to train with, who have the same body type. i roll with guys that are much, much heavier than me every training session, but i never have to deal with a quick, small guy.

working with big chaps is great because every time i train i feel like i just went through a weight lifting marathon, and i think i've become a lot stronger over the years... but then i go to a tournament and the guys in my division are so fast i can hardly keep up.

back in the day when i was even smaller, a guy told me he finds it difficult to control me in any position because i have no volume. he said he couldn't close all the gaps and i'd always squirm out of positions... i thought it was funny until i rolled with a really lanky, talented guy that used to train with me. i outweighed him by like 20lbs, so you can imagine how tiny he was. he would just wiggle out of everywhere, like a snake. it was ridiculous.

 

[AgonyandIrony]

i'm around 150lbs and this has actually become somewhat of a problem for me. there simply aren't any people around for me to train with, who have the same body type. i roll with guys that are much, much heavier than me every training session, but i never have to deal with a quick, small guy.

working with big chaps is great because every time i train i feel like i just went through a weight lifting marathon, and i think i've become a lot stronger over the years... but then i go to a tournament and the guys in my division are so fast i can hardly keep up.

back in the day when i was even smaller, a guy told me he finds it difficult to control me in any position because i have no volume. he said he couldn't close all the gaps and i'd always squirm out of positions... i thought it was funny until i rolled with a really lanky, talented guy that used to train with me. i outweighed him by like 20lbs, so you can imagine how tiny he was. he would just wiggle out of everywhere, like a snake. it was ridiculous.

I agree and can identify with everything you said. I compete at 149 and feel much more comfortable at absolute if that makes sense.

As to helping the TS, scramble like crazy. My guard is hard to pass because I'm so squirrely. I have short legs too, but they're very flexible so I can use my shorter legs to an advantage. Think of it like boxing, if you're smaller you cant to be an inside fighter as you can make more with less space than a larger opponent.

 

[illmatic563]

I'm 140lbs with short legs, for me the most important thing vs bigger guys was to recognise which moves not to do against them (triangles, hip bump sweeps and the like) and how to keep their weight off me.

For me this meant getting on top at all costs and playing a movement based game once I was there, tiring them out like Holt said is a great strategy, they can't keep up with a smaller guy's movement.

On the bottom I try to keep their weight off me with knee shields, butterfly, seated guard, shin to shin SLX etc., if I can't get underneath them I look to time a single or double, which should at least create a scramble I might be able to win, there are always gaps to take advantage of with bigger guys.

 

[Mischievousjoe]

I'm a 145 lb brown belt in a club of huge dudes.

The truth is, there is no magic bullet for beating a larger, stronger opponent.

But a few things that can help

1. If in the gi, pay attention to your grip fighting. When passing guard in particular but everywhere really. Denying a larger opponent a dominant grip will go a long way to helping your game. Going along with this, is practicing some 2 handed grip breaks to strip the grip of a larger opponent once it has been established.

2. ALWAYS fight for your underhooks. Since you are smaller, you must always be positioned strongly and correctly. This won't always mean you need the underhooks, but when in doubt, fight for the underhoook. It sets up the highest percentage passes, controls, submissions, sweeps and escapes.

3. Make sure to drill a plan B from all the above positions for if you can't get the underhook. For example, if you like to knee slice pass through half guard, but can't get the underhook on a larger opponent, get god at back stepping, fishing for the underhook on the opposite side and passing from there. Transitions are king.

4. When on the bottom, always be on your side. DO NOT let them flatten you out if you can help it. If flattened, frame on the neck to make space, get to your side and if possible fish for the underhook.

Really these are things probably everyone should be doing, not just smaller practitioners. But having clean technique is even more important when giving up a lot of weight.

 

[dmwalking]

Probably not the answer you want, but skill plays much more of a role than size. Most of the brown and purples who outweigh me, I can beat. Most of the blues who out weigh them, they can beat.

Talking about going with someone your own skill, thats different. Being a smaller guy, I get top position and crank the speed up to 10. Half the time I wont even legitimately engage their guard until a few minutes in. Get them tired from trying to deal with your speed when they are on bottom, then attack when they arent as fresh.

On bottom, be as small as possible and get underneath.

After awhile, at least for me, going against bigger guys over 200lbs became much easier than guys who were 155-180.

Spot on. I'm a big guy and this is the kind of game that gives me a lot of trouble.

 

[Il Wop-O]

Probably not the answer you want, but skill plays much more of a role than size. Most of the brown and purples who outweigh me, I can beat. Most of the blues who out weigh them, they can beat.

Talking about going with someone your own skill, thats different. Being a smaller guy, I get top position and crank the speed up to 10. Half the time I wont even legitimately engage their guard until a few minutes in. Get them tired from trying to deal with your speed when they are on bottom, then attack when they arent as fresh.

On bottom, be as small as possible and get underneath.

After awhile, at least for me, going against bigger guys over 200lbs became much easier than guys who were 155-180.

Agreed. I'm a brown belt, 5'10" and about 185-190. I'm 42, and I'm not getting any faster! When I'm dealing with close skill levels, guys below 145 give me more trouble than anybody else, at least until I get to guys 260 and above. That sort of weight is pretty problematic when there is skill behind it.

TS, be light and mobile. Ball up when underneath - capitalize on the space your smaller stature creates, it will create great reguard opportunities. Be fast with good connectivity when playing on top. Don't think that being fast means you have to give a ton of space. And back control should be your best friend. Slender forearms are easy to slice in to choke positions.

 

[AgonyandIrony]

I'm 140lbs with short legs, for me the most important thing vs bigger guys was to recognise which moves not to do against them (triangles, hip bump sweeps and the like) and how to keep their weight off me.

For me this meant getting on top at all costs and playing a movement based game once I was there, tiring them out like Holt said is a great strategy, they can't keep up with a smaller guy's movement.

On the bottom I try to keep their weight off me with knee shields, butterfly, seated guard, shin to shin SLX etc., if I can't get underneath them I look to time a single or double, which should at least create a scramble I might be able to win, there are always gaps to take advantage of with bigger guys.

I'm only about 10 pounds heavier and I hip bump people all the time. Timing is crucial. Also I can hit triangles now much better now that I hit them at an almost extreme angle.

 

[ijustwannasurf]

My coaches have always been smaller than me. The one thing that they've all done is attack the back relentlessly. Sweep, pass, scramble- always to the back. Of all the positions, the back makes it easiest to deal with a size difference, not to mention all the high-percentage finishes there.

 

[vcmmafan]

Where I train I have noticed their is a lot of bigger guys who are my level who play a very slow solid point a to point b game. I think this is great for them developing fundamental movements, but at the same time I am concerned for my game. I am a smaller guy, with really short legs, and am just wondering what my fellow short grapplers do to give guys who like to bully fits. I know this is a very common question, I'm just asking because I feel as if I'm stuck in a rut, and need some things to play with in order to get my momentum back.
Thanks in advance!

Simple. Just keep practicing (especially with bigger guys) and also improve your strength and conditioning.

Start doing compound lifts (Deadlifts, Squats, etc) Find a good program like Starting Strength.

Go out of your way to grapple with with bigger dudes at your gym. Arm drags will probably become your best friend.

 

[berimBOWLoh]

get that invert reguard game going, playboi and make those big guys life hell to pass til they are so tired they get into combat/on knees to pass and then take them spider land.

 

[illmatic563]

I'm only about 10 pounds heavier and I hip bump people all the time. Timing is crucial. Also I can hit triangles now much better now that I hit them at an almost extreme angle.

I meant those moves only as an example, not saying they're impossible and I still hit them on bigger opponents occasionally (170lbs - sure, 200+, only if they really screw up and walk into it), but it's not my first line of attack and I definitely don't specialise in those moves.

Vs bigger guys I play some sort of an open guard that keeps their weight off me and look for sweeps and scrambles, looking to get on top or take the back.