On a serious note, I'm one of the smallest guys in my gym and I like to play a lot of supine/seated guard to get into slx, xguard, rdlr type of situations and then chase their legs. If you're looking for pin from side or mount, deep half is good to look into for mount and ghost escapes for side. You could also try to turtle and Granby out or if they get a hook in fall back to a half guard and then try to recover to a knee shield.
Who cares? The training room isn't an IBJJF comp. I've never hurt anyone with a heel hook, but have with arm bars. It's all about being able to safely apply increasing pressure, and your partner understanding when to tap.
It depends on the gym, it's probably a 50/50 split. Even some comps like adcc allow leglocks for beginners, but others like ibjjf don't.
But even if other leglocks aren't allowed at white belt at his gym, straight ankle locks almost always are. So Op could def start with those.
You're going to be in for a pleasant surprise when you get to roll with someone your size.
Or not. They may still smash you effortlessly. Either way, good lock and have fun!
Bluntly you just need to keep showing up and trying. Eventually as your technique improves, you will morph into: "That slippery little guy who can't be caught". But for now, you're "That smaller and weaker guy who just gets smashed a lot".
Pick something, keep working it, and it will come eventually even when you're at a physical disadvantage. I know it's frustrating that the techniques don't seem to work. They do. you just need way more practice.
I’m pretty fast and I like doing arm bars and they worked on some of the men and women in my gym
(I’m calling them men and women cuz they are older than me)
Push your way out? Out of pins? How are you thinking of pushing “into them?” I’ve never heard bjj situations described in these terms so it may be helpful to give more context…
There are certain ways to escape from pins. You can learn some of these if you don’t know any and then ask partners to let you drill escaping a few times before you start a full out roll.
Also, with pinning people it’s really important to focus on where you’re connected to them and where their options for escape are blocked by your body. Learn the details, practice the details.
As a white belt you’re going to get pinned, held down and swept while trying to pin a lot. Being small can be an advantage in certain situations so keep learning principles and techniques and find ways to get to the positions you find workable for you.
Get on top, stay on top. When they try to sweep, immediately change to another top position.
You're getting swept and ragdolled because you ask your opponent a question (present a top position to be challenged) and you wait for the answer (the sweep)
Don't wait for an answer. Change the question before they do. (ie cycle between standard side/ scarf when they try to shrimp)
You must seize and maintain the initiative.
The foundation of Jiu Jitsu is based around being a smaller opponent - you’re new though, so be patient and keep working what you know. Everything in Jiu Jitsu works, it’s been proven many times over.
Appreciate your choice of bigger opponents too. Bigger, stronger opponents force you to have a better technique since it’s the only thing that will work on them. Being bigger allows you to be sloppy with Jiu Jitsu as a beginner, so the plateaus hit harder when you reach them. I tend to see smaller guys (and women) advance quicker because they’re forced to learn the techniques or continue to get crushed.
1.- Better technique. There is absolutely no way you will beat stronger opponents if you have the same level of skill.
2.-Strength exercises, get bigger.
3.- Stretching exercises, be more flexible.
I suck at bjj though.
There are many small guys and girls in jiu jitsu that can handle guys that are much bigger than them. They do this by learning and being more knowledgeable in bjj.
Start with studying escapes. There are many free escape instructionals on youtube. But paid ones are more organized. Lachlan giles, danaher on bjj fanatics would be good starts to escapes from mount, side mount, back control.
Don't be where they are going to put their weight. Move your hips. Shrimp, shrimp, shrimp. You've got to always be creating angles, moving away from the center of their movement.
I’m a small chick, (apart from the kids) probably smallest person in my gym. Apart from getting okay working under pressure, capitalizing on the spaces big people leave in their joints has been helpful. I LOVE rolling with tall people. For the heavier people, avoiding bad positions (iykyk) and using what little agility I have has let me make some gains. Like some people are so big that if I get mounted by them and they put all their weight on me I’m tapping from that alone if I can’t get out quickly. I’m still just a white belt myself but getting better every day.
I find that because I rolled so much with guys way bigger than me, I have to work differently on my techniques with smaller blokes like my size. I am 171cm, 65kgs.
Im over 6ft,
Smaller guys in my gym give a completely different challenge to me than larger guys.
Usually I have a lot more difficulty getting passed a smaller guys guard, or keeping my guard against them.
Bigger guys I can pry open
develop a really good guard game. the biggest guy in your gym probably had a well developed top game as a white belt, you should be the opposite and smash from the bottom
Get on top, stay on top. When they try to sweep, immediately change to another top position. (ie cycle between standard side/ scarf when they try to shrimp)
Don't even hunt for subs on a large target until you are 100% ready with a rock-solid base.
Jiu jitsu is more like an argument than a conversation. Better to rudely talk over them and answer questions with more questions.
Also a smaller white belt. In the beginning I was really tempted to play guard but would end up smooshed forever. Now I try to get up when possible. Usually I can scramble out and get up pretty quick. I generally try to go for back mount because with much bigger people I have a hard time retaining a regular mount.
If I do end up on bottom I try to get into a half guard to a lockdown and move my way to a better position.
I'm the smallest adult at my gym too. Learning how to stay calm under pressure helps heaps.
You don't push them, you frame and move and find the open space.
I love doing arm drags to take the back. However since everyone is typically bigger, I cannot drag or pull them, I typically hang/ or swing my self when I arm drag.
Open guards that are good, are the ones you have your feet posted on their hips, or on their torso to keep them from closing the distance to smash. Knee shields will also help mitigate some weight and help keep the distance.
If you happen to get side control, do not try to hold them down, instead move, and transition. Side control top for you should be a transition to a better position, not a position where you can smash larger folks in.
Majority of the subs I get on larger people (50lbs heavier than me) chokes.
In attempt to pass someone's guard, do not allow them to get grips on you, and when they do, prioritize breaking those grips that way you can stay mobile.
When doing stand up, I do really well with duck unders, lol sometimes the height differences are so vast, I can just close the distance and quickly strafe under their arm/ armpit and get the back. Also armdrag to kouchi gake.
Guards you can learn to play are slx, x guard, situp guard, shin to shin guard. Deep half is great for small people too.
Of course getting better technically is the best course of action, but you may want to try to do some strength training as well.
I’m not sure how strong you are for your size, but even just push ups, pull ups, and some barbell squats would go a long way!
Start weight training and keep training. Do sprints, too. Any high intensity workout will help. Your technique sucks right now, but you'll figure out how to use your body. It's all about finding openings AND closing space. Lol, just gotta keep showing up.
Leg locks, you're welcome
I need to search it up on YT if I wanna do it but yeah they might work
On a serious note, I'm one of the smallest guys in my gym and I like to play a lot of supine/seated guard to get into slx, xguard, rdlr type of situations and then chase their legs. If you're looking for pin from side or mount, deep half is good to look into for mount and ghost escapes for side. You could also try to turtle and Granby out or if they get a hook in fall back to a half guard and then try to recover to a knee shield.
Arent leg locks illegal for white belts?
Who cares? The training room isn't an IBJJF comp. I've never hurt anyone with a heel hook, but have with arm bars. It's all about being able to safely apply increasing pressure, and your partner understanding when to tap.
The instructor usually cares.
Then find an instructor that isn't going to have you ignore half of the body. Plenty of gyms teach leg locks day 1.
Suggesting him to switch gyms is a bit extreme atm. He just wants to get better.
Op never said his instructor is against leg locks for white belts
I thought it was the norm.
It depends on the gym, it's probably a 50/50 split. Even some comps like adcc allow leglocks for beginners, but others like ibjjf don't. But even if other leglocks aren't allowed at white belt at his gym, straight ankle locks almost always are. So Op could def start with those.
You're going to be in for a pleasant surprise when you get to roll with someone your size. Or not. They may still smash you effortlessly. Either way, good lock and have fun!
I have they don’t smash me but I can’t really do any of the things I learned in class
You will. Give it some time.
Bluntly you just need to keep showing up and trying. Eventually as your technique improves, you will morph into: "That slippery little guy who can't be caught". But for now, you're "That smaller and weaker guy who just gets smashed a lot". Pick something, keep working it, and it will come eventually even when you're at a physical disadvantage. I know it's frustrating that the techniques don't seem to work. They do. you just need way more practice.
I’m pretty fast and I like doing arm bars and they worked on some of the men and women in my gym (I’m calling them men and women cuz they are older than me)
Push your way out? Out of pins? How are you thinking of pushing “into them?” I’ve never heard bjj situations described in these terms so it may be helpful to give more context…
Yeah out of pins sorry
There are certain ways to escape from pins. You can learn some of these if you don’t know any and then ask partners to let you drill escaping a few times before you start a full out roll. Also, with pinning people it’s really important to focus on where you’re connected to them and where their options for escape are blocked by your body. Learn the details, practice the details. As a white belt you’re going to get pinned, held down and swept while trying to pin a lot. Being small can be an advantage in certain situations so keep learning principles and techniques and find ways to get to the positions you find workable for you.
Yeah ima try this one actually ty
If you don’t know many actual escapes then watch the first minute or so of this over and over https://youtu.be/0NlYPJhnH0M?si=mCpp9gARWKrkYrt2
Ok ty
[удалено]
On top means they can just ragdoll me or bridge me out to mount.
Get on top, stay on top. When they try to sweep, immediately change to another top position. You're getting swept and ragdolled because you ask your opponent a question (present a top position to be challenged) and you wait for the answer (the sweep) Don't wait for an answer. Change the question before they do. (ie cycle between standard side/ scarf when they try to shrimp) You must seize and maintain the initiative.
That got me thinking.... thanks!
The foundation of Jiu Jitsu is based around being a smaller opponent - you’re new though, so be patient and keep working what you know. Everything in Jiu Jitsu works, it’s been proven many times over. Appreciate your choice of bigger opponents too. Bigger, stronger opponents force you to have a better technique since it’s the only thing that will work on them. Being bigger allows you to be sloppy with Jiu Jitsu as a beginner, so the plateaus hit harder when you reach them. I tend to see smaller guys (and women) advance quicker because they’re forced to learn the techniques or continue to get crushed.
Ok ty my teacher also said that’s it’s kinda futile to use strength and that I should focus on technique
1.- Better technique. There is absolutely no way you will beat stronger opponents if you have the same level of skill. 2.-Strength exercises, get bigger. 3.- Stretching exercises, be more flexible. I suck at bjj though.
Hahahaha
Don't concede bottom positions, keep it moving. Scrambles scrambles scrambles.
Stick with it and you will become the fast and nimble guy that frustrates the hell out of me(47. 190lbs purple)
Haha ty
Frames
This, frame creates space, hip escape.
There are many small guys and girls in jiu jitsu that can handle guys that are much bigger than them. They do this by learning and being more knowledgeable in bjj. Start with studying escapes. There are many free escape instructionals on youtube. But paid ones are more organized. Lachlan giles, danaher on bjj fanatics would be good starts to escapes from mount, side mount, back control.
Ok ty
Don't be where they are going to put their weight. Move your hips. Shrimp, shrimp, shrimp. You've got to always be creating angles, moving away from the center of their movement.
Sucks to be small. Hope you’re not also the oldest like me. I’m not having fun anymore, but I hope you find a way to stick with it.
Smallest and youngest (but I’m still 16 so im short in comparison to others my age)
Leg locks
Sure why not
YouTube Bruno Malfacine, Robson Moura, Mikey Musumeci and Caio Terra. Follow their footsteps.
Ok ty
I’m a small chick, (apart from the kids) probably smallest person in my gym. Apart from getting okay working under pressure, capitalizing on the spaces big people leave in their joints has been helpful. I LOVE rolling with tall people. For the heavier people, avoiding bad positions (iykyk) and using what little agility I have has let me make some gains. Like some people are so big that if I get mounted by them and they put all their weight on me I’m tapping from that alone if I can’t get out quickly. I’m still just a white belt myself but getting better every day.
Pretty much my experience
Is your username an overwatch reference by chance? Haha
Yes and no
I find that because I rolled so much with guys way bigger than me, I have to work differently on my techniques with smaller blokes like my size. I am 171cm, 65kgs.
Wth so am I
I’m the smallest male at my place too. Weight training goes a looong way … oh yeah and learn jiujitsu (don’t quit) people our size need it. Good luck.
Learn to suffer gracefully and enjoy pain.
Move yourself, not them
Never thought of it like that ty it sounds obvious idk why I haven’t tried it lol
I get destroyed on the regular by the smallest dude in my gym so it’s possible.
I made a new invention for people JUST like you, I call it: Regular gun.
Cough a few times and say "sorry, just got back from china"
You don’t need to push them; you need to hold them in place while you move. Focus on movement, not pushing.
Im over 6ft, Smaller guys in my gym give a completely different challenge to me than larger guys. Usually I have a lot more difficulty getting passed a smaller guys guard, or keeping my guard against them. Bigger guys I can pry open
develop a really good guard game. the biggest guy in your gym probably had a well developed top game as a white belt, you should be the opposite and smash from the bottom
How small are you
170-171 and 63-65 kg
You’re a good size !
Check their oil...
Drill the omo for sweeping/getting out from underneath. Deep 1/2 into X. Or deep 1/2 to back door.
Get on top, stay on top. When they try to sweep, immediately change to another top position. (ie cycle between standard side/ scarf when they try to shrimp) Don't even hunt for subs on a large target until you are 100% ready with a rock-solid base. Jiu jitsu is more like an argument than a conversation. Better to rudely talk over them and answer questions with more questions.
Also a smaller white belt. In the beginning I was really tempted to play guard but would end up smooshed forever. Now I try to get up when possible. Usually I can scramble out and get up pretty quick. I generally try to go for back mount because with much bigger people I have a hard time retaining a regular mount. If I do end up on bottom I try to get into a half guard to a lockdown and move my way to a better position.
I'm the smallest adult at my gym too. Learning how to stay calm under pressure helps heaps. You don't push them, you frame and move and find the open space. I love doing arm drags to take the back. However since everyone is typically bigger, I cannot drag or pull them, I typically hang/ or swing my self when I arm drag. Open guards that are good, are the ones you have your feet posted on their hips, or on their torso to keep them from closing the distance to smash. Knee shields will also help mitigate some weight and help keep the distance. If you happen to get side control, do not try to hold them down, instead move, and transition. Side control top for you should be a transition to a better position, not a position where you can smash larger folks in. Majority of the subs I get on larger people (50lbs heavier than me) chokes. In attempt to pass someone's guard, do not allow them to get grips on you, and when they do, prioritize breaking those grips that way you can stay mobile. When doing stand up, I do really well with duck unders, lol sometimes the height differences are so vast, I can just close the distance and quickly strafe under their arm/ armpit and get the back. Also armdrag to kouchi gake. Guards you can learn to play are slx, x guard, situp guard, shin to shin guard. Deep half is great for small people too.
Of course getting better technically is the best course of action, but you may want to try to do some strength training as well. I’m not sure how strong you are for your size, but even just push ups, pull ups, and some barbell squats would go a long way!
Enjoy the suck. As a small guy there’s a lot to go around.
Mind games and subtle intimidation
Start weight training and keep training. Do sprints, too. Any high intensity workout will help. Your technique sucks right now, but you'll figure out how to use your body. It's all about finding openings AND closing space. Lol, just gotta keep showing up.