BJJ for Bigger Guys

Be big roll big! You don’t hear people asking fast guys to slow down! Speed isn’t going to be your advantage so use your size!

6,4 220 and when I started bjj I was 260 and pulled guard and didn’t want to be the big bully. That worked great at my 1st school but then I went to a school with a lot of big guys and got wrecked! Been working my top game ever since! 10yrs training and I only pull guard with new students or if I’m testing a technique I’m going to be teaching.
 
Following up........

as a big guy, learn the chest compression submission from scarf hold.
 
Be big roll big! You don’t hear people asking fast guys to slow down! Speed isn’t going to be your advantage so use your size!

6,4 220 and when I started bjj I was 260 and pulled guard and didn’t want to be the big bully. That worked great at my 1st school but then I went to a school with a lot of big guys and got wrecked! Been working my top game ever since! 10yrs training and I only pull guard with new students or if I’m testing a technique I’m going to be teaching.

Why do you think your guard didn't work on guys your own size?
 
6 foot 4, 105kg purple belt here.

Biggest adivce would be don't neglect to work on your guard.

I've watched guys absolutely wreck their opponents in comp from the top position and then in the next round get taken down a look like a day 1 white belt off their backs.
 
First off I am a white belt. Been training BJJ since Mid-July of this year. I am closing in on earning my first stripe. But enough of all that, I was wondering if bigger guys(I'm 6'2" around 235) had trouble at first developing a "game". I hate thinking that I'm just some bigger guy trying to smash on dudes, I want to develop technique and be known for using that instead of strength.

In my opinion, many BJJ schools have "little guy bias." Since many instructors are medium height or smaller, they often teach more of a "little guy game" that involves things like an active open guard and dynamic passing. Seems like big guys are often taught to behave like little guys, rather than how to use their size to their advantage.
 
Why do you think your guard didn't work on guys your own size?


I was lazy with it and not really a active guard. Now when I do end up on bottom I can usually work from closed and transition to open, spider, leg laso, or knee shield. Before I just locked down closed and held on for life! It worked fine with small guys but closed guard and a round heavy guy isn’t the best. Keeping feet on the hips of a big guy takes the weight of you and burns out there lower back with big guys you see that a lot. Once there lower back gives they tend to try and lay on you in closed guard. With a more open type guard when they do start to lose their posture it’s much easier to start attacking.
 
Don't be a upside down beatle when on your back, since you wont have the mobility/flexibility to make all kinds of crazy guard transitions, find one guard style that suits your body and specialize on it.
 
Small guy here

To me, there is a difference between power and prassure. Using power against the small guys is bad because you learn things tat won't when against guys in your division.

Slow grinding Pressure though is transferable. Unless you are cat quick lie a young Cyborg, there is no need to adopt little person game.
 
To me, there is a difference between power and prassure. Using power against the small guys is bad because you learn things tat won't when against guys in your division.

As a ~195 (will drop to 185lbs very soon) guy squasing small people with pressue doesn't teach me much. I try to berimbolo them instead.
 
oh, also OP should check out Bernardo Faria. He has great videos and a good "big guy" centric style.
 
what big guys dont need is another top position video. what big guys need is a good HW guard/escapes video.
 
I would work half-guard bottom, over-under pass. Kimura series from side control and your escapes of course.
 
As a ~195 (will drop to 185lbs very soon) guy squasing small people with pressue doesn't teach me much. I try to berimbolo them instead.

Interesting considering so many people bigger than you suggested using pressure.
195 is not that big.
There is technique in using pressure. More than people who rarely use it understand.
 
Interesting considering so many people bigger than you suggested using pressure.
195 is not that big.
There is technique in using pressure. More than people who rarely use it understand.
I pressure pass constantly, I just like to avoid it when training with people who are like 135lbs.
 
I hate thinking that I'm just some bigger guy trying to smash on dudes, I want to develop technique and be known for using that instead of strength.
If a persons technique is based on principles of leverage, positioning and timing then that is sound technique.

If the technique will not work or is largely less efficient without the difference in mass then it is utilizing the attributes of size.
If the technique will not work or largely less efficient without the difference in strength then it is utilizing the attributes of strength.
In a contest or fight you should use what is needed at the moment. In training it depends on what you are working on and should be a concious action.

If all a game is based around is using strength and mass regardless of technique then the critical components of the technical skills - timing, angles and pressure to implement them against another body, smaller, bigger or the same will be retarded.
 
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