The Small Guy’s Perspective on BJJ Training
By Dean Lewis – BJJ Blue Belt
It’s tough for MMA fighters to give up 10 pounds in a fight. Even wrestlers in high school all strive to be at the top of their weight class when they compete. Being at a weight disadvantage is something I am all-too familiar with, though on a much larger scale. As a short guy at 115 pounds, I have a rough time being able to “control” my opponents. When training, I regularly give up 30-50 pounds against opponents that I face often. Sometimes I train with people 70 or more pounds heavier than me. It’s even gotten to the point where my vision of who is “my size” has become distorted – I don’t think somebody is much bigger than me if they only have 20 pounds on me in class, because it’s better than what I see on a daily basis. I may be strong for my size, but the problem is that there aren’t too many others my size. As a result, I can’t necessarily skimp on any detail of any technique that I learn. Other people may be able to compensate with their strength if they screw up on a technique. Since I don’t have that ability, I make sure that I listen to every small detail – I make sure my leg is extended fully for the flower sweep, I make sure my grip is deep enough on my opponents collar for the x-choke, etc. However, being as small as I am has its (very) few advantages.
I definitely try to use my speed whenever I can. When all that muscle is weighing you down, it’s hard to maneuver quickly enough to beat somebody faster than you, and this is where I thrive. As long as I can make enough space between my opponent and myself I can move freely and start attacking. If there is no space to move in, then I either need to create space or somehow off-balance my opponent – there’s no use in me trying to muscle my opponent, because nine times out of ten, they will prevail. I can’t bench press them off of me in side control; I need to find ways around my opponent rather than pushing back against them.
I’ve come to love deep half guard, butterfly guard and even occasionally using spider guard just to keep my distance from bigger people. When somebody has a huge strength advantage on you, its best to just stay far away. The game is very much a mental one. As somebody who has fairly good endurance and what I would say is a good tolerance for pain, I can put up with sloppy chokes pretty well. I often find myself in a guillotine choke by some bigger opponents, and a lot of the times it turns into a waiting game for me. They squeeze the choke (provided it isn’t sunk perfectly), and even though its uncomfortable, I can deal with it until they start to burn their arms out. While I was just chilling in their guillotine, they were wasting precious energy that could have been invested in attaining a dominant position. It may seem a little too calculated sometimes, but it isn’t always a bad strategy to “win” in some matches; my goal in class isn’t always to “win” the match, but I hate giving up chokes that are nothing more than a front headlock with your opponent squeezing your chin as hard as possible. Of course I don’t want to get hurt either, but discomfort in Jiu Jitsu is something I have learned to live with.