Being short and stocky in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has some clear advantages. From having a low centre of gravity to being able to move quicker than larger opponents, if you work your strategy well, you can achieve success in BJJ. With this in mind there are certain things you can do to increase your chances of success if you are short and stocky.
10 Tips for Short Stocky guys doing BJJ are:
- Don’t limit yourself by your body type
- Learn takedowns
- Train with tall fighters
- Redirect your larger opponents motion
- Be mobile
- Get your limbs into places your opponent doesn’t want you to get them
- Perfect your open guard
- Go for your opponents back
- Close the gap
- Attack the legs
Don’t Limit Yourself By Your Body Type
While you will likely hear lots of advice about what holds and styles are best for you, do not let this limit you to not trying other things that may also work for you. You should find holds, attacks and positions that you are comfortable with and can perform well. Try out new stuff until you are confident in your ability.
Learn Takedowns
As a shorter person, it makes complete sense to learn how to take down your opponents. This will potentially cancel out their height and reach advantage. Knowing different takedowns, how to do them properly and when to use them effectively will make you an effective short stocky fighter in BJJ.
Train With Tall Fighters
To succeed in BJJ you will need to be able to compete with opponents of all shapes and sizes. It is easy to stick with training partners of similar build to you but this is not the most effective way to improve. By training with tall fighters, you can learn what works best against them for future fights.
Redirect Your Larger Opponents Motion
Rather than trying to move your larger (and probably heavier) opponent around, it will be more energy efficient to redirect their motion. If they are moving forwards towards you then use that momentum for a takedown or an attack of your own.
Be Mobile
Shorter people tend to be more mobile and faster than larger people. If this is the case for you then you should use your additional speed and mobility against your larger opponents. Keep moving and don’t be a standing target. By making larger opponents move around, they will tire and become more vulnerable to making mistakes for you to take advantage of!
Get Your Limbs Into Places Your Opponent Doesn’t Want You To Get Them
Use your limbs to attack your opponents longer arms and legs. Your taller opponent may try to grab you from further back to catch you earlier than expected, however if you try and get your arms and legs around his (in an armbar for example) he will be much less likely to try this again. Get your limbs around his and make your opponent question each move they make.
Perfect Your Open Guard
With shorter legs, you will likely find it more difficult to get your opponent into full guard. You will need to perfect your open guard in order to still be able to be the most effective fighter you can be. Practice a lot until you have this perfected.
Go For Your Opponents Back
Back mount and back attacks should be favoured for short stocky people doing BJJ. It eliminates a lot of the advantages a taller person might have. If you can get your back game on point, you will likely do very well against taller fighters as they are less able to use their reach advantage against you if you are behind them.
Close The Gap
If you are competing with a taller opponent you will want to close the gap between you to counteract their reach advantage. As they are taller it will be easier for them to grab you from a distance or to attempt a sweep so get in close and close the gap!
Attack The Legs
If you are up against a tall opponent, it means their long legs make for large targets for you to aim for! Attacking the legs will help you takedown your opponent and remove their height and reach advantage over you.
Tips For Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
If you are just starting out in BJJ or even if you are a seasoned pro, there is always opportunity to improve and develop. The tips above may be aimed at short stocky people doing BJJ but here are some more that anyone involved in BJJ can use:
- Train consistently – Regular training is the only way you will improve. Work with an experienced coach who knows what they are talking about on a regular basis and you will see improvements in a short period of time.
- Roll more often – Rolling (sparring) is a key part of training and developing your skills. This is where you actually use all the technical information to perform a movement on a partner. You will be able to work out your strengths and weaknesses much quicker if you roll more frequently.
- Ask questions – Take advantage of your coaches knowledge and experience. Ask them questions, take their advice and learn as much as you possibly can from them. Your coach will be the person who likely has the biggest impact on your BJJ so make sure you work effectively with them.
- Never forget the basics – No matter how advanced you become in BJJ, you should never forget the basic techniques such as bridging, grips, passing the guard and breathing properly. These will be the foundation that you build your success on. NEVER forget these techniques while trying to master more advanced stuff in the future.
- Roll with different partners – You should be able to pull off all the moves and techniques you learn on any opponent regardless of their size, shape or experience. While some opponents will obviously be harder to movie around than others, it is important you get used to rolling with as many people as possible. By doing this you will be able to have a better game plan going into competitions against all kinds of opponents.
- Try new things – Don’t be afraid to try something new. Even if you are the most experienced person in your class or already competing at a high level, trying new things could open your eyes to a whole new strength you didn’t know you had. Work with your coach and other training partners to try new things out to see if there is something you could add to your arsenal.
- Work on your general fitness – While training specifically for BJJ is important, improving your general fitness is also key to progressing in BJJ. Work on your cardiovascular fitness, strength and flexibility. These will help you improve as a fighter as well as keeping you healthy too!
- Relax and breathe – It can be easy to get over excited and go into a state of panic when you start rolling or competing. It is important to take a breath and relax. Being relaxed will help you move more fluidly and not make as many mistakes. As silly as it sounds….always remember to breathe – it’s the most important thing you can do!
How Long Does It Take To Be Good At BJJ
A common question in BJJ is “how long does it take to be good?” No one likes being the new person in class or the one that always gets picked to roll as they are easiest to throw around. However, it is important to remember that everyone starts out as the new person at some point.
It takes a long time to be considered “good” at anything.
In BJJ there are 5 belts to achieve – white, blue, purple, brown and black. It takes, on average, 2 – 3 years to be proficient enough to move up from white belt to blue belt. This should be an indication that it takes a LONG time to make it to black belt. That being said, some people will progress quicker but these tend to be rare exceptions.
If you are the type of person who wants to be a master of your hobby within a few months, then BJJ is probably not for you!
10 Tips For Short Stocky People Doing BJJ
These tips for short stocky people doing BJJ can help you develop as a fighter. While it is not an exhaustive list, it can help as a starting point in finding the best fighting style for you.
The main tip anyone can receive for succeeding in BJJ is to find a coach who can help you develop as a fighter. As well as working with your coach you should study in your own time to speed up your progression further. BJJ takes a lot of dedication so be prepared to put in many hours (years) of training and you can be successful as a short stocky person doing BJJ (or any other body shape for that matter!)