Strategies For Smaller Fighters To Overcome Size Disadvantages

It is commonly thought, actually believed, that the martial arts practitioners with a big height and weight have an advantage over the small fighters, and so they can easily win against them. It is also a thought that it is easier for them to execute the techniques on the shorter ones. It is true, but only in situations in which small fighters have no clue or strategies for fighting against the big ones. So instead of just believing this misconception, you should try to look for the techniques and strategies to fight them and implement them in your fighting game. So it is a myth that a smaller fighter cannot fight with a bigger one. Beginners in any martial art feel scared and don't know how they can do this. But this article is a complete guide about the strategies and techniques, and other important things which you need to know and practice to make yourself able to fight against the bigger fighters. So let’s get into their depth.

The first tip for you to fight with the bigger opponents is to create movement and angles. You often have observed that the bigger opponents do not move as much as the smaller fighters. This is because they utilize their big height, large hands, and legs to generate power and force to land the strikes on the small fighters. On the other hand, small fighters, in comparison to the large fighters, move a lot more. They are completely dependent on their movements.

So the first strategy for you is to force your opponent to make movements. Forcing your opponent to make a move will make them less likely to depend on their height to generate the force and power, as they will be focusing on their movements also.

Another thing you must try to do is to protect yourself from the strikes of your opponent. To do this, you need to create different angles, such as circling yourself laterally. Due to this circular movement, you will be positioned far away from the center line, and therefore, you will be able to evade the strikes of your opponent. Try to move yourself away from the powerful arm of your opponent so that you can protect yourself against their powerful punches.

The main idea is to make your opponent frustrated. Do this by making different types of movements. Don’t keep yourself moving in the same way or focusing on the same strategy. Create movements in such a way that your opponent has no idea about what you are going to do next. Make them confused. Step back and then forward, move in circles around your opponent, land some strikes, circle around them, and continue doing this, and add variations that your opponent cannot figure out a strategy for. Once you get this, they will become vulnerable to your attacks.

The second tip to fight against the bigger opponents is to use the leverage to counter their strength and power. Leverage is a very powerful force that you can use in many ways against the big fighters to dominate them.

Leverage, in literal terms, means to use the lever to generate the force, momentum, and power, and use it to move a heavy object that would not be possible otherwise. In leverage, you are basically focusing on the weak point of the very heavy object, and you use that point to move the whole object. Due to the lever, the term leverage originated, and this concept is very powerful and can be implemented in the martial arts. According to Archimedes, he could move the whole world if he were given a lever, which means that anything that is too heavy can be moved by focusing on its center or weak point by using a lever.

You have to apply the same concept in the martial arts. For example, you can use the momentum generated by your opponent against them. They are big and powerful; therefore, they can generate more force and power. So instead of using your force against their power, utilize their strength against them. To do this, you need to set traps or make clever moves that they are not expecting from you.

If they are rushing towards you at their full speed, then at the last possible second, move to the side. This will cause them to lose their balance, and they cannot resist it. That is the moment when you know your opponent is vulnerable. Now you can attack them and execute the techniques.

Also, you should try to focus more on the techniques that would nullify the strength and power of your big opponent. For example, you can use the rare naked choke, and it will easily make your opponent vulnerable to you, and they will barely be able to do anything.

The fighters of a significant height find it difficult to move and create speed in their movements, techniques, and any other action they do during martial arts training or sparring. On the other hand, small fighters can move much easily than the bigger fighters. They can move much faster, create rapid movements such as rotation, moving aside, circling around the opponent, and others.

So, being a small fighter, you should try to utilize your speed as much as possible during the execution of techniques or any other movements. For example, you should use your speed to punch them. Keep moving yourself, and suddenly hit your opponent. Also, this speed is crucial in helping you to protect yourself from the punches of your opponent. It is not wisdom to try to counter the powerful punches of your opponent. Instead, try to save yourself from them. In the same way, utilize your speed in every other thing you do in a martial arts fighting match.

Another example is to use feints at a fast speed so that your opponent has little time to think and make a move. This is easier and simpler to do. You should initiate a movement and take its first step. But do this at high speed. Your opponent will start reacting to the step you took. But after just a few seconds, you should stop executing that technique and use another technique. This will make your opponent confused, and they will lose their balance. Once they have lost their balance, you can easily make any other move against them, and they will find it very difficult to save themselves from your move. 

A good example of this is to throw a kick at your opponent, but start the kick by showing them that you are targeting their legs. They will try to move their legs back, and their upper body will move forward. Now, suddenly, switch your kick from low to high and target their upper body. But make sure that you are doing this at a very high speed. Your opponent will not be able to do anything in the defense.

Another concept that is widely discussed in the martial arts is the fight IQ. It is actually the fighting and beating your opponent by doing the mental preparation. Many big fighters focus on fight IQ and use this as their main weapon in beating their opponents.

In fight IQ, you are mentally preparing yourself against your opponent for the fight tomorrow. But how do you prepare yourself? You do this by focusing on your opponent. You observe the weak and strong points of your opponent. Your opponent, no matter how big and strong they are, always has weak points. So focus on that and make your strategy in such a way that you are fighting by hitting those weak points of your opponent.

But you should not ignore things in which your opponent is very strong. Observe them closely and then make a strategy about how you can save yourself from your opponent if they execute such techniques. The mistake most practitioners make is that they try to counter them. Remember that the best way to save yourself from your opponent when they are executing their strong techniques is not to counter them but to evade. Move a side, step forward or backward, circle around, and do other things like these to save yourself. 

For example, your opponent, with a big height and very strong appearance, lands a powerful punch at you. In this situation, you should not throw a punch at them to counter them. Instead, evade them and then punch them. But all of this depends on how effective your mental preparation is, which is called fight IQ. You must do deep research and identify all their strength and weaknesses and make a strategy accordingly.

Small fighters, particularly those who are beginning their journey in the martial arts, often get themselves into a complex little guy complex. This complex shatters their confidence, and they are not able to focus on the fighting. Due to this complex, they start believing that any guy bigger than them can easily beat them, and they won't be able to do anything.

So this is the first thing that you need to change. Being a short guy, you need to change your mindset. Don’t think bigger guys are dominant over you. Treat them as you do smaller opponents. You only have to change your strategy against the bigger guys, and you will get the win.

The second thing you need to do is to train smarter. Smart training means that you are utilizing your strengths and wasting your efforts on things you are not very good at. Being a short guy, you cannot be very good at generating the force and power like the big guys. So this is your weakness, and you should not focus on that. On the other hand, you can make movements quickly and so sharply that the big guys won't be able to make. This is your strength, and you need to focus on that. So this is the smart training. Try making the movements and executing the techniques as sharply as possible. The quicker you make any move, the better the chances you can dominate your opponent and counter their powerful strikes.

The third thing you should add to your daily martial arts training is cardio improvement. As a short guy, you can utilize your cardio as your superpower. Because you now know that you need to be very sharp and quick throughout your match, particularly against the big guys. But you cannot do this without cardio training. This training will help improve your stamina and sharpness to a great extent. You should be able to make quick movements even when your opponent is getting tired. Because that is the moment you can take advantage of them, so add cardio training to your daily routine.

Another important thing for you is to spar with bigger and powerful fighters. This is very important, and most martial arts practitioners don’t know the importance of this. The more you fight against them, the better you will become at fighting such fighters. You should implement different tricks and strategies to make defensive and offensive moves against them. You will soon realize what you should do and avoid getting dominated by the bigger guys.

Being a smaller guy can get you into a complex and shatter your confidence. But this can be solved by just changing your mindset. Keep a belief that you can fight and dominate against the big, powerful guys. This belief will change everything. So start with this, and then focus on thinking about the strategies and different tricks to overpower them. Start practicing the techniques, and soon you will be able to fight against the bigger opponents with confidence.