Beat a more experienced but smaller female BJJ grappler; is size underestimated?

I had posted this to the bodybuilding forums but didn't get the answers I had wanted from the questions I had asked. Here is what happened:

The thing with BJJ is that while it's really effective, there is a certain marketing with it that size can easily be trumped. So I'm curious on two things:

• Does being a male make that much of a difference or is just size ? (ie: would a smaller male do better than a female)
  
• Have you had similar experience of defeating a smaller yet more experienced female?

Thanks.

 

Don't believe it. Size and strength matter TREMENDOUSLY (and yes of course being male makes the strength difference that much greater). Physical advantages can be overcome with skill but to overcome that kind of size/strength advantage might take a top notch female practicioner - probably a high level competitor.

That doesn't mean training doesn't work though. A couple years of training and you would be able to toy with "the old you" before you trained.

 

Whoever says size doesn't matter in grappling is an idiot. It matters a whole lot.

 

This is 9/10 bait op, very impressive. I expect you to get many replies.

 

No, not really. It's not bait - I'm genuinely curious because I've thoroughly enjoyed BJJ thus far. But I am genuinely curious, do people underestimate size/biological sex differences? I admit that a 130lb male experienced in BJJ might have done much better.

I'm not great at BJJ, I'd get beat by a lot of people, but in this instance I had certain physical advantages and some basic skill.

 

So BJJ is disingenuously marketed? (I'm not knocking BJJ, I think it's the best martial art out there. I just want to know what marketing is B.S and what isn't).

 

So...you're going to ignore the questions?

 

I've always read posts that size can be overcome; so I think a lot of people underestimate it. This leads me to ask, is there much of a difference between a male and female of the same size?

 

I skimmed your post and didn't realize you're the guy that went through this (bc of the quotes).

Now it's apparent that you are, in fact, a troll.

 

You used the first post of a fresh account to start a troll thread? I am disappoint.

 

The girl was a straweight and you a big middleweight, and you have much more muscle mass than her. She would need incredible technique and timing and also hope you gave her easy mistakes she could capitalize.

Rickon Gracie would be ragdolled by a gorilla that neve trained in its life.

 

Seriously, why do you keep accusing me of being a troll? All I am asking is how integral is size/sex to BJJ. Is this the general attitude on this forum?

I am not claiming to be some freak of nature as I have admitted that a male of similar size could probably beat me; I'm not claiming I can beat Ronda Rousey like an internet jackass.

 

1. This is my first account

2. Why are you accusing me of trolling? I created an account so that I could (presumably) ask experts. What I'm asking are fairly noobish questions, and you for some reason seem to have been triggered like an SJW

 

You had 80lbs+ on a girl, BJJ doesn't turn you into Superman.

I'm a 165lb guy and I did BJJ for 18 months and if a 220lb guy came fresh on to the mats knowing nothing he'd give me all sorts of problems because of the size and strength differential.

Put me against a guy my size or within 20lbs who knows nothing and isn't some freak athlete then I'll hand him a shinebox but once they start getting bigger than that it'll give me problems.

That's why there's weightclasses.

 

I'm gonna simplify and say gender is irrelevant. Weight and strength difference is not.

Guys much bigger and stronger than me come in to roll for the first time and I can almost always repeatedly overcome them (if I bring my A game and focus). But I know that once they have even the most basic understanding of grappling, even in terms of base and posture, they are going to give me trouble every time.

So yeah the weight difference you describe would take a high skill level to overcome. As to marketing being disingenious, I think you'd have to be more specific about whose/what marketing you're referring to.

 

Thanks for the explanation. A few questions:

• What's your physical size/stats?
  
• Why do you think gender is irrelevant?

 

Ok, let's take you seriously for a minute - yes, gender matters. All else being equal (height, weight, skill level) a man at 130 lbs will likely be stronger than a 130 lb girl and will likely have a greater percentage of lean body mass.

So taking on a 130 lb girl when you have 80 lbs on her really doesn't demonstrate anything. It's like taking on a 14 year 130 lb boy.

A complete noob could come in and give fits to a 130 lb blue belt if they're mediocre, too. Size matters a whole lot. Strength matters a lot too.

Ironically, once you or whatever big guy starts learning actual jiujitsu, you will probably perform worse against the more experienced people, at least for a while. This is because you will stop spazzing and start having more predictable reactions.

Then, if you actually stick it out and learn something, you will get better and be able to handle more experienced, but smaller people.

 

185lb give or take, bf% 11/12ish. Had a blue belt about 18 months, have both some aces in the hole and real gaps technique-wise.

I'd say gender is irrelevant because the advantage guys usually have is size and strength. So its size and strength thats the factor not balls and boobs. If we start to talk about women having a higher BF% naturally, then really we're still talking about muscle mass and therefore strength (see 50+ S+C threads debating and overcomplicating this) so i'd keep it simple....size+strength to skill is whats relevant.

As someone who's no tank but also no flyweight, I can experience it both sides, and I can sometimes feel my technique getting a little sloppier when I know I have a size advantage because I know i'm that much harder to move.

 

I am 6'6", 220lbs, former D1 athlete. I have been grappling for over 5 years (blue belt). Generally speaking, those that are less skilled than me have a very little chance of doing well against me.

I have also been able to use my strength and athleticism to my advantage (I had tapped out purples when I was a white belt).


HOWEVER.......
Those that are much better than me, can man-handle me with ease. There is a purple belt that started training about 6 years ago. He is probably 140lbs. He can control me easily with his skill and leverage. Of course, there are purple belts that are much bigger than him, that don't give me too much trouble.

And most black belts tap me without breaking a sweat.

But short answer - SKILL CAN OVERCOME SIZE.