BJJ grappling strategy against larger opponents

[Zankou]

This is a common problem and question, so I thought I would post the strategies that have worked for me, as opposed to the useless general advice you often get -- "stay active" "take the back" and "work on your technique!" etc.

Basically there are four moves that I have found to greatly increase my chances against big opponents. I always go for the first three, and fall back on the fourth.

1) Armdrag to back. Everybody knows it, but this should be your first option against the larger and stronger opponent. You can often easily pull that arm across, stay tight to it, and take the back.

2) Omoplata from closed guard. It is a crying shame many people view this, my favorite technique in all of BJJ, as somehow exotic or impractical. It is a powerhouse sweep, that will enable you to use your leg to sweep even the most hulking opponent. Bigger guys tend to keep their hands to the side and be slower, so they are especially vulnerable to this.

3) Spider guard. This is the best of all guards against a stronger opponent. You will massively overpower their arms, they will be very destabilized at all times (if you do it right), and most of the passes require speed that the larger opponent doesn't often have.

4) Turtle guard. Important to learn this as a fallback defense, because you can never let a bigger opponent get side control or N/S, since you are unlikely to ever escape. Big guys usually end up in side control, they are very good at maintaining it, and you will burn all your energy fast trying to get at. Just roll to turtle if you spot your guard about to be passed.

Good luck! Any other strategies people have had luck with this issue?

 

[Afrofeet]

) Turtle guard. Important to learn this as a fallback defense, because you can never let a bigger opponent get side control or N/S, since you are unlikely to ever escape. Big guys usually end up in side control, they are very good at maintaining it, and you will burn all your energy fast trying to get at. Just roll to turtle if you spot your guard about to be passed.

yeah, I noticed this also in sparring, very good advice.

 

[Jujitsuboxer]

i agree not a fan of turtle guar dthough jsut not my thing, but the omplata i have pulle doff on bigger guys with good percentage

 

[Knots619]

Wristlocks!!!

 

[TSLx89]

Wow thanks. Even though I'm still a whitebelt, and most of the problems is probably technique but at 140 pounds, I'm probably one of hte lightest guys in the gym. I knew about the armdrag.. knew certain variations of hte omoplata but didn't know they're more effective to bigger opponents... too newb for spider guard... the turtle guard seems like a great and obvious idea.

thanks again. i think i might focus more on the first two now.

 

[BB in Crazy!!!!]

Thanks, I get in this predicament a lot. Never thought about using turtle against a bigger guy, use it for smaller guys a lot. I usually used butterfly. Worked ok, but they could power me into a pass.

Oh and working straight leg locks always worked well for me against bigger guys.

 

[Bullitt68]

Arm-triangles from guard. Works wonders, especially if you're dealing with one of those brutes who likes to stand up in your guard and crossface. Just push that arm off and lock up the choke.

 

[JonTheJudger]

hehe, old thread, but glad i stumbled across it. funny cause i'm a little guy (145 lbs) and arm drags/taking the back and omoplata's always worked for me against bigger guys.

I don't know if i'm trying to be fancy but also when I bigger guy attempts a standing pass and you get right into x-guard/sweep, they just go tumbling

 

[Hero1]

thanks for sharing, but how exactly does an arm drag look like?

 

[lethalazn]

Yeah turtle works against big guys even if you're not that good at it...most guys of that generally don't develop back control until very late.

 

[Bathwater]

thanks for sharing, but how exactly does an arm drag look like?

 

[esila]

Hook sweep -> x-guard transition.

From standard butterfly/seated guard, hit the standard hook sweep (I usually do mine to my left side. A very common reaction you will receive from big guys is that they will post their right leg out. At this point, you have space to reach under that leg with your left arm and pull their ankle onto your neck (key thing is to make sure they don't have stable footing on that leg).

Your other (right) leg can now hook behind their left knee, and you can start to transition to full x-guard. From here, play whatever techs you wish. I use this against all big guys because the more they struggle and attempt to power out of x-guard sweeps, the more it works in my favor.

 

[redaxe]

I've had a lot of success with De La Riva guard against larger opponents because having that outside hook and your body angled off to the side keeps you out from underneath your opponent's weight, there's almost no way for him to put any pressure on you, and the sideways pressure you're putting on his legs with yours makes him very unstable. It requires almost no strength to hold someone in DLR guard either. And I find the DLR sweeps very high percentage and generally not possible to defeat with just strength.

DLR guard also constantly pressures him into turning his back toward you, making it easier for you to, well, take his back, which is obviously what you want to do against a larger opponent.

 

[mesa]

^^^ +1 for the last 2 posts.

Any way to get them to post and move to x-guard is great for me.

I usually start with DLR, if they remove the pushing leg like most people are doing nowadays, i move to reverse DLR and pull them forward so they step up. This gives a perfect entry into x-guard which is imo a higher % sweep position for a smaller guy vs bigger guy.

If i can't get them to step up, i'll switch back to regular DLR or deep DLR to try and take the back.


The sure fire way for me to do good against bigger guys though is to not play bottom at all.