How to deal with larger opponents

How to deal with larger opponents

How to deal with larger opponents has always been a problem for many BJJ practitioners. Want to know how to deal with the big men or women? Answer is…get behind them! As the head instructor here at Savarese BJJ Academy (www.njbjj.com), probably the most common question I am asked is – how do I defeat people bigger and stronger than myself? Here is my general advice. When in matches against bigger people maintain inside position underneath them and carrying their weight. In offensive situations, favor leglocks and more than anything else, attack their back and get behind them! This was the case in one of my favorite matches of all time and one of the biggest upsets ever in BJJ history, MacKensie Dern vs Gabi Garcia. Inside position is the key to managing greater body weight from underneath. The legs are the hardest thing for heavyweights to hide from a smaller and more agile player and once locked, a heel hook will break anyone regardless of size. Also, the bigger the foot, the longer the breaking lever and the less chance of slippage. And the back, I don’t care how big and strong they are, they can’t push or pull someone who is behind them. So get there soon and stay there to beat the big opponents! Mackensie did exactly that and got the win! So remember the basic strategy when fighting bigger, heavier and stronger people. Inside position when underneath, focus submissions on the legs and position on the back! This strategy will not fail you in your matches and will have a much higher winning percentage for you against those large opponents than any other attack.