# Judo and smaller people...



## Nightingale (Sep 18, 2003)

how practical is Judo as an art for someone of a smaller build?  do you feel someone of smaller stature would benefit more from a grappling art or a striking art?


----------



## pknox (Sep 19, 2003)

In some ways you will have an advantage as a smaller person grappling.  I'm about 6 feet tall, and often grapple with people shorter (and lighter) than me.  When I studied Judo, I found it difficult to get down low enough to execute some throws effectively -- a problem a smaller person wouldn't have.  As far as on the ground, smaller people are often faster or more mobile than the big ones, and tend to get tired less easily.  I have always had problems with smaller people getting my back, which I attribute to their speed.  As a smaller person, the important thing would be to have your technique spot on.  If you are bigger than someone, you can occasionally get away with "muscling" through a technique, as opposed to executing it with perfect technical skill -- if you are smaller, you usually don't have that advantage.  A perfect example comes from the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu -- the Gracies are in general not big people, and they often end up fighting people much larger and stronger than them.  They seem to do OK though (), and that would be due to technique.

In terms of striking, the same things apply.  If you hit a vulnerable part of someone's anatomy, you don't have to generate tremendous amounts of force to do damage.  Your size would most likely affect your strategy.  Someone who is smaller would have to rely on speed and elusiveness as opposed to sheer power.  If you were to fight someone my size, for example, you would be much better served staying in kicking range, quickly coming in and delivering a few strikes, retreating (so as to avoid letting me hit or grab you), and then repeating it again and again, than you would standing toe-to-toe and "slugging it out."

As always, whenever anyone asks me whether they should study striking or grappling, I usually say both.  In this way you're covered in most situations.


----------



## arnisador (Sep 19, 2003)

See also:
http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10115


----------

