| Size means nothing in the martial arts. It doesn't | | | | knees--but ONLY in a self defense situation. |
| matter how small or tall your are: everyone is capable | | | | Someone fighting you who is bigger is already |
| of strength, speed, skill and most importantly, the | | | | exploiting an unfair advantage, so you must use all of |
| ability to defend themselves. But some people think | | | | yours in order to defend yourself. That means |
| that even if a small person was to win a fight, it | | | | cheap-shots. |
| would take a long, strenuous effort. With these tips, | | | | 5. Modify techniques to use for your advantage. |
| you smaller martial artists can prove larger people are | | | | Don't make them higher, but change them slightly or |
| no better: | | | | use a technique differently in order to compensate |
| 1. Don't hesitate. Small people are often self conscious | | | | for lack of size. Many Karatemen, who were often |
| about their size and are reluctant to act for fear of | | | | barely five feet tall, developed their Karate to use |
| failing. Go straight in to strike or execute some other | | | | their small size as an advantage. |
| technique with all your effort, strength and speed. | | | | 6. Use your opponent's weight against them. This is |
| 2. Use your mobility and lower center of gravity as | | | | obvious, but many people do not know how to do |
| an advantage. Get under their kicks and knock them | | | | this correctly. Learn to yield and then snap back, like |
| off balance, weave in and out of range. Distance and | | | | bamboo. Or to blend with the energy and then |
| position, as I mentioned in an another article, is what | | | | suddenly redirect it. Picking up techniques from Taiji |
| can make an invincible fighter. Keep moving; judge | | | | Quan (Tai Chi Chuan) and Aikido will help |
| distance (Note: because a smaller fighter might have | | | | tremendously here. |
| less of a reach, close quarters combat should be | | | | 7. TRAIN, TRAIN, TRAIN. Practice constantly. |
| something he/she strives for skill in. If you can stay | | | | Workout out every day to make your self stronger |
| close but out of their attacks, do--but be wary of | | | | and faster and tougher. Improve your skill, and |
| grabs and takedowns) | | | | practice will both larger and similar sized opponents. In |
| 3. Don't go to the ground. Weight, unless you are | | | | order to get ahead of the big guys, we have to |
| proficient in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or other ground fighting | | | | work hard! |
| arts, is something that will be working against you if | | | | Never feel inferior because of your size. You CAN |
| a bigger opponent takes you to the ground. If you | | | | defend yourself against larger people, and you don't |
| are mounted and are being beaten, there is no way | | | | need brute strength. Technique, if correctly practiced, |
| to win the fight without the proper knowledge. This | | | | will always prevail against an opponent. So go train |
| especially goes for self defense situations. | | | | and get better! |
| 4. Fight dirty. Go for the eyes, groin, neck, | | | | |