Let's talk about fat people

[Archangel M]

Devils Advocate...Sometimes I wonder where "my health is my business" begins and ends when my heath insurance rates increase due to nationwide obesity and smoking habits. Likewise, my family would be drastically impacted if I died at 50 of a coronary.

 

[Carol]

Neither has anything to do with fighting an overweight person, which is what this thread is about.

 

[Thems Fighting Words]

All joking aside, I eat what I want.

As a former smoker, and a current lard-***, I can say that these are the two things people feel they have the most right to tell others about how they ought to live. I quit smoking because I wanted to. I'll do whatever I think is right about my food intake and selection. My life, my rules. Everybody has to die. I won't die unhappy because I ate food I didn't like.

This is a martial arts forum and I was merely stating a generally accepted tip to maintaining peak performance for most styles. I wasn't telling you to undertake said diet, it was advise to the general readership. I hope you found no offense in my post for that was not my intention.

Neither has anything to do with fighting an overweight person, which is what this thread is about.

You're right, this topic has strayed somewhat but such things happen. So my advise is pretty much the same as everybody else's, tactics depend on individuals and it is dangerous to make assumptions based on stereo-types.

 

[Andy Moynihan]

I like leg and neck attacks.

 

[Wishbone]

Just throw a sandwich at them. Doesn't even have to be fresh with today's economy.

 

[Thesemindz]

Just throw a sandwich at them. Doesn't even have to be fresh with today's economy.

Like I can afford to throw a sandwich away in today's economy.


-Rob

 

[Wishbone]

Like I can afford to throw a sandwich away in today's economy.


-Rob

True, but the thread didn't specify the financial situation of the defender. If you can afford to take martial arts I'm presuming you can afford a hamburger off of McDonald's dollar value menu. Just keep it in a plastic baggie that is sealed and replace once a month. The watery eyed cows won't know what hit them, they'll just know it's edible.

 

[Thesemindz]

True, but the thread didn't specify the financial situation of the defender. If you can afford to take martial arts I'm presuming you can afford a hamburger off of McDonald's dollar value menu. Just keep it in a plastic baggie that is sealed and replace once a month. The watery eyed cows won't know what hit them, they'll just know it's edible.

Wow.


-Rob

 

[Andy Moynihan]

I'm not the world's biggest fan of strikes to the midsection on overweight folks, it's too much a hit-or-miss proposition.

 

[Andy Moynihan]

I do, however, sometimes find that the excess weight raises their center of gravity such that it is easier to pull them off balance.

 

[Carol]

I will only speak for myself, I am 5'9" tall and I wiegh about 240 right now and in a fight I am quick ask those that have been sparring against me. The bad news is I cannot go forever like some smaller type but the problem is can the smaller type take all the mass I put behind each technique, if they cannot then it is game over if they can then I would be in a little trouble. So big people can move just not a marathon.

Actually Terry I do know of an overweight person that runs marathons - literally.

I was chatting at work with a colleague who is a die-hard runner. I mentioned my overweight friend and admitted that I was a little surprised because I didn't normally associate that sort of body type with being a marathon runner. My colleague just shrugged and said that running a marathon was not just about physical conditioning, but also about state of mind...and followed up by saying that he too had run marathons with folks of heavier stature.

Which...is another reason to never underestimate your attacker.

 

[Andy Moynihan]

Thing to remember is overweight people also have extra weight to throw into their blows. George Foreman after his comeback often looked like he was fighting while wearing a 30 pound donut around his middle, but do you seriously think he'd have any trouble knocking out Mr. Universe? Exactly.

 

[Archangel M]

My intention was not to criticize or put down the overweight. Just to express that someones health should take precident over martial concerns.

Fighting someone "larger" is the same regardless of the reason for the size difference (larger stature or overweight) IMO. Most of the time you will want to concentrate on striking vs grappling. I have found that controlling the head can disturb the balance of a larger opponent more easily than trying to deal with limbs.

 

[exile]

Moderator warning:

Please address your responses to the OP topic itself. Anyone who wishes to pursue the question of what kinds of judgments of others are legitimate, under what circumstance, etc. is welcome to start a thread specifically on that topic, but the current thread is about a particular SD problem posed by antagonists with certain physical characteristics. Off-topic posts and extended exchanges are not productive and will bring intervention by Staff if they continue.

Bob Levine
MT Senior Moderator

 

[exile]

Mod Notice of Thread Split:

In view of serious thread drift in the original 'Let's talk about fat people' thread, it has been decided to split that discussion into this one, devoted to the topic identified in the OP as the set of combat problems posed by seriously large/fat antagonists, and a separate thread, Being overweight, judging overweight, judging others generally..., devoted to the issues in the thread title. As always, participants in either thread are expected to comply with MT's TOS rules requiring civility and basic courtesy in discussions in our fora. Your cooperation is much appreciated!

 

[Ironcrane]

The last time I was at my Judo school a couple of months ago, there was a really big guy that showed up there. He had a black belt of his own, and when doing randori, no one was able to throw him. His big gut kept everyone from being able to close in on him for a throw, and his legs were to short for anyone to be able to sweep him very well. And added to that, he was $%*#&%^ fast! He nailed everyone he worked with, with a couple of throws I didn't recognize.
I was kinda glad I didn't do any randori against him. He might have drove me straight through the ground.

 

[David43515]

People can be suprisingly fast, and frighteningly strong and still be fat. Those are the two things people most often say about me when we spar. When I was in my 20`s I got easily intimidated the first time I sparred the new guy with the broad shoulders and the six-pack abs....until I found out that I could run circles around him because he was a heavy smoker. Nowadays my wind is like his, but I`ve learned to fight quick and mean so I don`t need to have much wind.

The biggest thing I`ve lost is flexability. Most fat people are strong and may be fast in short bursts. Think of the college or pro football player who runs and runs in practice and still has a big gut. But we tend to be stiff. Keep your distance and don`t let us work you into a corner. Try to manuver objects in between us and you. Sweeps and foot traps combined with a push against our stance intergrity will help you alot if you have to close with us. If you try to go for a double-leg take down.....I`m gonna sprawl and use you to carry all my weight while I rip my leg out of your arms and the knee you into unconcsiousness.

 

[Ronin74]

The last time I was at my Judo school a couple of months ago, there was a really big guy that showed up there. He had a black belt of his own, and when doing randori, no one was able to throw him. His big gut kept everyone from being able to close in on him for a throw, and his legs were to short for anyone to be able to sweep him very well. And added to that, he was $%*#&%^ fast! He nailed everyone he worked with, with a couple of throws I didn't recognize.
I was kinda glad I didn't do any randori against him. He might have drove me straight through the ground.

I can relate. When I did Kenpo, we were working on self defense techniques from a two-handed grab to the collar, and I was the smallest guy in our group (I'm only 5'5") and the rest of the guys were at least 5'9" and up. One particular guy I remember working with was a guy named Tim, who was a pretty big guy, probably about 6'. He worked in construction, so he had a grip like vice clamps- and I was flipping burgers... lol. Physically, he looked like a big guy with a big gut, but his strength was solid.

In any case, I could not break his grip on the first of several tries. It wasn't until our teacher realized the dilema in our group that he had me adapt the technique to my size difference. What ended up happening was I had to drop my center of gravity to get him off balance, and within arms reach, so that a strike to the nose would be my first attempt at breaking his grip. If not, I was in a position to apply an armbar of some sort. Otherwise, it was like trying to budge a rhino- they'll only move when they're ready to, and that's when you look out.

Now as far as sparring went? Let's just say he knew how to put that weight behind his strikes.

 

[Kacey]

I have the same answer to this topic that I do to any other discussion of "what do you do it 'X' situation" - it depends on the situation. I've known people who were properly sized according to various charts/standards/etc. who couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag, and I've known people who were visibly overweight - even obese - who have skills such that attackers can't get in on them. There are no absolutes - only generalities. Yes, in general, overweight people are going to have different vulnerabilities and weaknesses than people of average weight - as will people who are underweight. But each situation needs to be judged on its own; relying on generalities will backfire sooner or later... often sooner.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Which...is another reason to never underestimate your attacker.

And how. Anyone remember Sammo Hung? One real supprising martial artist (and actor.)

Deaf