How do I approach very large fat/muscular grapplers?

[Macungah]

If you're in a gi, get a decent cross-collar grip, and punch your fist into his throat. This will keep him looking away. Hip out to the side and threaten his back (grab belt, gi pant leg, or farside armpit). If he dangles his arm out to try and grab your belt to line up again, you may be able to get the armbar.

Also, if you think you will be falling into a poor position, don't be afraid to shrimp, or butt scoot away before the pin occurs. Most beginning people wait too long and try the escape when the sidemount/mount has already been established, do the same escape as they are trying to get the hold-down and it'll be a lot easier.

 

[SuperSuperRambo]

If you're significantly lighter, they can usually sit up with ridiculous ease. If you can quickly insert a hook with your foot on their far arm, and do that variation that puts a lock on their shoulder, you've got a good chance of taking advantage of typical big-man sissy-shoulders and getting a tap.

No, it still works fine. One of my best moves on giants, and I'm 5'7, 145 pounds. It's your whole body on his arm, and if you're doing it right then you can break him down so he can't lift you up, and at least transition to something else.

 

[YeahBee]

a simple hello or hey

buy me a beer and half the battle is won, food and I am yours

 

[KILL KILL]

do everything in your power to be on top. while standing, try snapping his head down, work on getting him off balance, or shoot for an outside single

 

[thegreenblender]

No, it still works fine. One of my best moves on giants, and I'm 5'7, 145 pounds. It's your whole body on his arm, and if you're doing it right then you can break him down so he can't lift you up, and at least transition to something else.

your omoplata > my omoplata

Of course I'm going to aim to put my whole weight on my arm, but is there anything else you might add that typically gets people sat up on when they try to omoplata? Sometimes I will push off his near knee with my free hand, a la Maia instructional, and that can help to keep his balance awkward.

 

[SuperSuperRambo]

your omoplata > my omoplata

Of course I'm going to aim to put my whole weight on my arm, but is there anything else you might add that typically gets people sat up on when they try to omoplata? Sometimes I will push off his near knee with my free hand, a la Maia instructional, and that can help to keep his balance awkward.

Shift your hips/legs/weight out more on his elbow, away from his body. Keep hipping away from him while pulling his hip towards you to break him down.

 

[newerest]

your omoplata > my omoplata

Of course I'm going to aim to put my whole weight on my arm, but is there anything else you might add that typically gets people sat up on when they try to omoplata? Sometimes I will push off his near knee with my free hand, a la Maia instructional, and that can help to keep his balance awkward.

whenever he postures you have to snap your legs sideways to bring him back down

 

[Jinzumkei]

I'm a bigger guy myself who's pretty compact and muscular and I'll tell you if I'm going 100% most people aren't going to tap me with kimuras or americanas. I even armlocks from even blackbelts most of the time. I have really broad shoulders and a thick neck so triangles and rnc are tough too.

I'll tell you my achilles heel though is gi chokes.

 

[Shulom1***]

Recently I've rolled with a very large guy, he's about 5'10 and weighs around 320-30lbs. I try shooting in on him, but its like shooting in on a rhino and I fail miserably. I can barely even fit my legs around him when he's in my guard, and I feel extremely gassed after about 5 minutes rolling around with him. He hasn't subbed me yet, but he can usually get me on points. How should I approach guys like this? I was thinking about pulling guard immediately, any suggestions?

I would like to think if we were the same size I could sub him in a matter of minutes, but the size factor really plays a part (I hate to admit it). When I have his back I can't sink in my arms for a rear naked, his neck/shoulder/face combination is just to thick when he pushes his head down. Sometimes he can even shrug me off (no matter how deep my hooks are). I can't even mount him properly because of his stomach, I kinda have to balance myself on top him, but by that time he can just shrug me over to guard. Arm drags I've tried, but I can't hit them on him like other people. As for omoplata's I can't really work myself underneath him to even get it off, I'm in a real bind.

Hey have we rolled recently :icon_lol: ?

 

[kyred]

I'm 5'7" 150 lbs and I roll around with my buddy who's around 5'5" 295 lbs. Lots of muscle, very powerul, fast and explosive, and crazy flexible (can do full splits to the side or front-and-back). We're both blue belts, but I'll tell you this- I pretty much expect to be smashed by him for a very long time while I work on my technique.

That said, what I find works to help me survive longer against him is my open guard. Specifically, the foot on the bicep or preferably, on the arm joint itself. This helps me keep his weight off me while I try to work.

 

[JRT6]

Ironically now that I've lost 20lbs I'm doing better against the gut of justice. Don't play his game and don't let him settle in when he gets half, side or mount. Just keep moving and he won't be able to keep up.

 

[MUFC]

I find it best to give up your back when in a bad position. The big guys aren't great at back control, at least from what I've experienced.

 

[Wrestleben]

We have a guy who is like 350-400lbs (I'm around 200 with a gut). I don't even bother trying to take him down. I pull butterfly guard and can sweep him every time. I think butterfly works good against huge guys, because they have problems with a lot of the traditional butterfly passes.

 

[Rod1]

Get top position, if you can't take him down work on your seoinage and your grips.

That's at least what small guys that give me trouble do, if they make me move at their pace ill get tired first, but then again, i also know how to stop them. They still fare better than the ones that think they can win against me in my own game.

On the ground is top control all the time, if you have a big guy over you, you are fighting gravity, if they are on the bottom, then they are.

 

[Varth]

Get top position, if you can't take him down work on your seoinage and your grips.

That's at least what small guys that give me trouble do, if they make me move at their pace ill get tired first, but then again, i also know how to stop them. They still fare better than the ones that think they can win against me in my own game.

On the ground is top control all the time, if you have a big guy over you, you are fighting gravity, if they are on the bottom, then they are.

If you can take him down that is. I've always played a momentum game with big guys and not that slow technical game. It always seems to work to shift that momentum really fast and going for several things in sucession. Always has worked better with big guys than the normal guys.

 

[Rod1]

If you can take him down that is. I've always played a momentum game with big guys and not that slow technical game. It always seems to work to shift that momentum really fast and going for several things in sucession. Always has worked better with big guys than the normal guys.

Agreed, same as int he standup, the thing is to keep pressing the big guy and don't let him play the slow game that it suits them, if you move fast and explosive, he will eventually tire first, if you let him put the weight over you its over specially when they are good.

In my experience being all my competitive between 200-240 i felt i had my best game overall at 200, i feel that at 240 im too slow, i have gained strength from size, but i have an easier time against someone heavier than someone lighter, because of speed.

Of course when there is 80+ lbs advantage i can just lay on them and they die, but i usually roll off my back when im fighting someone much smaller than me.

 

[Knock Out Ned]

If the guy is too big, and I can't take him down, I'll pull guard and try to work a sweep from open guard. Usually, really big guys, unless they are experienced or in phenomenal shape gas really quick.

 

[Fedorzilla]

while generally the case... avoid letting him get head control and/or flattening you out at all costs.

 

[SteelHammer]

arm drag, take the back.

that sounds like good advice to me.

 

[seafoodsifu**]

5'10, 320 lbs....

I'm 5'10" and 175 (bulking to 190). That guy is EXCEPTIONALLY large, to be frank. Technique, anybody?