Size matters.....

So a regular training partner friend of mind sais he wants to bring a couple friends to train. He said one has some Thai experience, the other wrestled is a bouncer and is now a PT/Strength coach. When he got there the Thai guy walked in, and then the other guy Ken walked in, well over six foot and about 300 even. Dude straight up looked like a bigger Mark Kerr and reinforced what a lot of dimwitted BJJ guys have tried to deny for a long time "Size matters" The guy with wrestling and some basic instruction today was able to stalemate a good grappler, granted he was fighting with someone who took his back and almost got choked a couple times but was able to avoid getting tapped. Makes me think that if I teach him good technique he will be able to be break people in two pretty easy. In return for teaching him what I know he is going to provide me with some good strength and kettlebell routines. Just thought I would share.

Thanks for sharing. On Friday I rolled with a 16-yr-old kid that is about 6'3'', maybe 330-350lbs and has been doing Jiu-Jitsu since last August. I started just ONE month before him, but I am only 5'9'', 140lbs, and obviously skinny. But I tapped him twice!! He was unable to tap me, that was the first time I was finally able to choke him out, twice! I would have had an armbar, but our instructed helped him to get out of it. Not fair! I'm the underdog. Well, I just wanted to share

It seems like you have a good opportunity to practice a lot of useful, relevant technique with someone bigger than most people. This will prove very useful in case you ever have to deal with someone that big on the street. Most likely they won't know much about fighting other than throwing haymakers. Teaching is great, it's like learning twice.

I've never been someone to say size doesn't matter. Weight classes are there for a reason.

I used to train for about 6 months with a power lifter. After those 6 months, even purples would have to wait 5 minutes or so before he got tired before getting any kind of sub.

Technique with strength is the killer though. Obviously.

Technique with strength is optimal, of course. Would you say that to get more strength one should also get more size? This would definitely help in controlling others. I'm tired of simply being lifted by people when I'm in full/side mount. Any ideas for gaining weight? I've been trying for a long time...

Well eat a lot and lift is hard to beat... Try the sports and conditioning forum, but yeah, lots of protein, complex carbs and solid weights routine are pretty key.

My old man is having the same problem, Jigsaw. He eats like an absolute horse and lifts for about 4 hours a week. Yet he remains a rake.

Well I am 6'9, 290lbs, and for what little BJJ classes I took, whenever I rolled, the guy couldn't do anything. Mind you, when I would get side mount, I didn't know what the hell to do either. Size doesn't always matter, but strength does more.

lol @ remaining a rake!!! Yeah, I eat so many times a day and I eat anything I can get my hands on. This also includes weight gainer type "shakes" (if that's what you can call them), lots of protein, lots of carbs, sometimes I even just try to get fat!! Eating lots of fast foods, dairy, bad carbs... anything!! But it just doesn't seem to work yet. Everyone who doesn't train tells me to just wait until I get older and my metabolism slows down. I'm 23 now, they don't understand how important training and BJJ is to me. They all say to just wait 10 years. What the hell do they know!?!?!?! ;)

I'm 5'6" 140 pounds with 3 and a half years of BJJ experience and I often find myself frustrated by white belts who outweigh me by 30-40 pounds or more. If the experience gap is large enough I can still dominate but if a guy has at least a few months training and knows how to use his weight to his advantage, it can suck.

Indicentally, I cannot stand guys with no skills who just hulk out of everything I put on them a-la Kevin Randleman. If I'm going against someone real small that I outpower, I don't try to crush them. If you're using strength alone to apply and escape submissions, you're not helping yourself or your training partner.

TC... Moreso, if the grappling those guys has been with a focus on PURELY countering or holding position, yeah it can be horrible.

I'm 210 so it doesn't happen too often, but I did train with a very strong lad for a while who was about 240, and as I said before, he could definitely avoid subs and towards the end of the 6 months sweeps as well.

A few choice words from an instructor and judicious usage of drills countering exactly what you'll be throwing at him... Yeah, sucky.

JIGSAW, that's insane. I'll trade some of endomorph for that! I reckon you'll probably have to cut some cardio if you're doing all that and not gaining... But, you probably wont want to if you're rolling for cardio. Tough one.