Truth about striking.

Striking is a form of combat where the bigger man has huge advantage. Striking is form of combat where size does matter a lot.

Here is an example of big man absolutely demolishing best kick boxer ever:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MtjfKlRHYE

The guy does not even bother to defend at times and just walks up to his opponent and starst throwing wild hooks without any technique whatsoever demolishing his opponent.

Example two and the RM with result being the same:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60JcBLgfKXw&mode=related&search=

Grappling on the other hand is a form of combat where noticeable difference in skill can easily negate advantage of size difference. Grappling is a form of combat where bigger man does not have huge advantage. Grappling is a form of combat where size does not matter a lot (although it still matters).

Good thing that grappling over all is superior form of combat over striking. Just for the record modern MMA rules favour striking: 1. Gloves and hand wraps keep fighters from breaking their own hands when striking. 2. Gloves make it harder for grapplers to utilise their techniques and sink their submissions. 3. Limited time on the ground and stand ups favour strikers.

Now to the truth: The truth is that size is MUCH bigger factor in striking than it is in grappling. In striking clearly bigger guy has realistic change to beat clearly smaller skilled opponent just because he is bigger and stronger. In grappling bigger guy does not have realistic change to beat smaller skilled guy. The smalled skilled guy would tap the bigger stronger opponent due to skill playing MUCH bigger part in grappling than it does in striking. Grappling is more technical form of combat.

ttt for the truth

The truth is nafarious.

yeah well a big totally unskilled guy demolished best kick boxer ever

Hoost vs Sapp - nice seeing.

Bob Sapp had training, he is not totally unksilled despite how poor his technique may look.

Sapp has lost most of his fights. Smaller strikers have beaten him.

It the OPs comments were true football players that became boxers would have done well, but they did not.

"Why are there weight classes in wrestling and BJJ if size isn't a factor?"

Size will always matter, however, there are many more weight classes in boxing due to Unique's point.

"Bob Sapp had training, he is not totally unksilled despite how poor his technique may look."

Compared to Ernesto Hoost Bob Sapp is totally unskilled and whatever training he has he obviously does not really use any of it against Ernesto Hooks. He just walks and starts throwing wild hooks.

"Why are there weight classes in wrestling and BJJ if size isn't a factor?"

There is the so called king of all weight classes, open/free weight class in BJJ (absoluto). Regardless ofweight anyone can compete and the winner of black belt absolute weight class in widely concidered as the best BJJ competitior. Most of the winners of this open/free weight class have been relatively small me when you look back at tournament records. Actually it has been rare for a really big guy to win that open weight class. Most of the winners have become from weight classes around middle weight weight class such as Saulo Ribeiro, Ronaldo Jacare, Fernando Terere, Margarida, Marcello Garcia etc. all these guys are of middle size and weight other than Margadia who is a bit heavier but not really a big guy at all.

If a size is SUCH HUGE AND BIG factor then why are all the heavier skilled black belts not winning the absolute class? It took even Roger Gracie multiple attemps to win it. Statistically it seems that size actually is not that big of a factor at all OR that best size would be around 85 kg.

Also read this what pulsar posted again:

""Why are there weight classes in wrestling and BJJ if size isn't a factor?"
Size will always matter, however, there are many more weight classes in boxing due to Unique's point.
"

Great post!

"Compared to Ernesto Hoost Bob Sapp is totally unskilled and whatever training he has he obviously does not really use any of it against Ernesto Hooks. He just walks and starts throwing wild hooks."

That is one fight, Sapp has lost to other smaller fighters. Hoost also was not fighting smart which he should have done.

Also if your argument is true, you need examples other than just Sapp. Plenty of big guys have been tooled by smaller guys.

Big guys beaten by smaller guys that used striking to win.

Sapp beaten by Peter Aerts and Cro Cop.

John Hess beaten by Belfort.

Koji Kitao beaten by Mark Hall.

Telia Tuli beaten by Gerard Gordeau.

I love how the ref back kicked sapp at the end of the round...

it looked like Hoost's corner was about to throw in the towel

Why don't the UFC have 2 organizations. One in US under current rules and one in Brazil under old UFC rules where almost anything goes.

People would love it. Just like people loved the original UFC.

Falconer,

Good idea. I miss the old rules matches.

Me too, people would often break their hands if they didn't strike properly. Also the headbutts were great, Coleman used them to smash people in the guard. The US would never have them again but in Brazil they would , with UFC's money they could have good talent fighting in them.

Some examples show your point, other counterpoints like Crocop and Aerts show the opposite.

I personally beleive that reach and height present a much bigger obstacle than weight alone.

Didn't Dennis Kang get KO'd by a smaller Thai fighter?

In boxing there are numerous examples of guys under 200lbs beating guys over 200lbs.

Sapp beat Hoost but lost to every other decent fighter he fought. Mirko (giving up 130+ pounds) destroyed him with one punch.

Kaoklai KO'd Mighty Mo, who outweighed him by 100+ pounds and was far from unskilled himself.

Almost everybody Igor demolished was bigger than he is (Paul Varelans comes to mind).

Crocop vs Aleksander.

There aren't a ton of examples since there are weightclasses, but there are more examples of the smaller skilled guy beating the bigger less skilled guy than vice versa.

i dont know. It might just because i have big reach but Im slim but id rather keep the guy on the outside if he is a lot bigger than me. Even though im a better grappler than striker.

Great post. Very painful truth.