rezbot2000

For all you judo practioners I have a question. I'm 5'9" and am thinking of taking up Judo for sport and self defense. I was wondering how someone of about average height would do against someone larger or much larger? I know they have weight classes for competition. Is this because without them the big guys would always win? Thank you in advance for your help.

IPON

Avererage, maybe? This is a loaded question and can be asked of almost any MA as there are many factors to answer your question. Weight classes make the matches more fair for sure, if you are interested in sport.

Size and weight are always a factor, but before write a lot what is the question, should you take judo?

Assuming you practice at a good dojo you should be able to make strategy from all shortcommings. 5'9" is not short, much shorter MAist have been very successful.

I know this is not much help, but I need more information (in/out of shape age, etc.)

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A person who is said to be proficient in the arts is like a fool. Because of his foolishness in concerning himself with just one thing, he thinks of nothing else and thus becomes proficient. - Hagarkure

rezbot2000

You're right. I'm asking because I'm thinking of taking judo. I never thought about it, but I guess the question could be asked of any martia art. Anyway, I'm outta shape (200 lbs.), pretty competetive and am 25 years old.

Hardball

Size does matter for a lot of Judo techniques. Honestly.
And for some, size does not matter.

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Tom Yum

To answer your question about martial arts in general, size and strength are important factors in a fight, but not always the ultimate factor.

Look up Royce Gracie vs. Remco Pardoel.

Gracie is 6' and 176lbs. Pardoel is 6'2" and 250. Both men are black belts in jiu-jitsu; Pardoel, the bigger man, is also a black belt in Judo I believe.

Keith Hackney vs. Emmanual Yarbrough.

Hackney was a black belt in kenpo karate; Yarbrough a Sumo champ.

Koakklai Kannoersing vs. Might Mo, Hong-Man Choi or Alexy Ignashov.

Then again, there fights where size and strength mattered.

Dan Severn vs. Anthony Macias.

Severn tossed Macias around like a rag doll.

Smit vs. Kiatsongrit.

Kiatsongrit took the fight head on to Smit, landing some good shots, demonstrated a solid chin but fought the taller, stronger fighter with the wrong tactics (toe to toe) and eventually got KO'd.

Tank vs. 1/2 the guys he's fought.

Nuff said...

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aseepish

The great thing about Judo is that there are throws that work great against someone taller than you, and another set of throws that work great against someone shorter than you.

Of course if there's a vast difference in technical ability that all goes out the window. In other words, as a brand new white belt you can expect to get tossed around like a rag doll by people of all shapes and sizes.

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DickHardman

judo is good for everyone, but even better for smaller people inmop. if you train well in judo, then most people are not probably going to be able to physically control you regardless of size unless the difference is so incredible it completely overpowers your years of hard training, which is always possible. small people are at risk of being overpowered, judo gives you a way to counter that. while judo is a great art, i would also recommend training in striking as well to compliment it.

a good example is karo paresians cousin manny who was on the ultimate fighter. remember how good that guy was at judo and jiu jitsu despite his smaller size?? his judo and jiu jitsu were so strong that bigger guys just could not control him at all.

Hardball

I know of the ones that work on taller opponents can you give a few examples of throws that work on shorter ones?

__________________
The Way of the Warrior is Practice. Daily practice, accumulate practice minute by minute, hour by hour and day by day. {Book of 5 Rings} Mike Brewers 2008 Sit up challenge 29,000/100,000 running balance.(Crunches) Kicks 6,300/100,000

aseepish

Osotogari - for one (at least in my experience)
Harai goshi
The various foot sweeps (ashi-waza)
Some say uchimata, but my uchimata sucks


Not much of a list, I'll admit. It's true - if your center of gravity is naturally lower than your opponent's you are already at an advantage.

Found this link with others' opinions on the matter
http://judoforum.com/index.php?showtopic=7248&st=12

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"It was about that time I realized that searching was my symbol, the emblem of those who go out at night with nothing in mind, the motives of a destroyer of compasses." -Cortázar

Hardball

I find that osotogari and haria goshi work on just about anyone. LOL

__________________
The Way of the Warrior is Practice. Daily practice, accumulate practice minute by minute, hour by hour and day by day. {Book of 5 Rings} Mike Brewers 2008 Sit up challenge 29,000/100,000 running balance.(Crunches) Kicks 6,300/100,000

Mdrnsamurai

Judo is all about the technique, If you use the correct technique it doesn't matter how big your opponent is. You can use several techniques to knock the big guys down. The most important thing is not to let them get your hands on you. You have to be the one to push the pace and put them where you want them. I have always used foot sweeps and other Ashiwaza attacks.

Train Hard, Stay Safe,
Good Luck

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Gus

Hi,
I practise Judo and I can tell you that being short is a tremendous advantage for the throws where you need to get in low below the persons centre of gravity and pull them over your back. On the othe rhand being tall is advantageous for sweeps and perhaps uchi mata. So on the whole theres aadvantages and disadvantages to being tall or short .

dredd1990

Truth about judo. of course size and strength matter, but at 200 lbs, your a-ok for almost any MA type. you'd be a powerhouse. if i were you i'd focus on grappling and bone breaking techniques if your were goin for full contact sport. dont actually break the target's bones. put pressure, just let them knwo that you could... demoralizes them. and also, you could certianly do Judo. but.. personally for me, u said u wanted to use it as a sport and defense. im an instructor at my dojo. dojo is a special word in my knowledge, its a school, and therefore you must submit an application for us to accept you. you can not flash cash and walk in. thats not how it works here. in many applications people have said " i want to take (insert MA here) for sport and to get into shape.) every application i recieve marked as this, i promptly reply with a no. martial arts are not to use for sport... thats not the true meaning of it. its to teach self discipline, build confidence, exert stress, and become harmonious with yourself. but. there are times when a fight is imminent. and in these times, you wouldnt want to handle it as a sport... unless of course your using the brazillian style, Capoeira.... then go for it... but, i digress... you dont want to be playign with an attacker like its a sport, you want to protect yourself, and leave them no slack, give them chances to leave or flee, but if they proceed to try and fight you. dessimate, dessicrate, and destroy them. no mercy for the wicked. judo would certainly help you ascertain victory. but if your just going for sport, stick with the gym and free weights. if your realy interested in Martial Arts. take it for what it is. the power to be lethal. the power to survive. dont let this callous reply stop you my friend, if you still want to pursue judo or any martial arts. go for it. im a bit of an extremist for martial arts anyways. but please remember. when trained in the martial science your being trained to kill.
~Strick~

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The death of one man is a tragedy. The death of a thousand men is a statistic. ~ Stalin.

instructor level in Red Dragon Ninjutsu, Kenjutsu, and Kobudo style martial arts. Studying Muay Thai, Breaking Techniques, and Jeet Kune Do (hard because of my body type haha)
Student, in all styles and in life.

DickHardman

i agree that martial arts should be about self defense and not sport, however straining some stuff in a sportive manner can develope and cultivate vital attributes that are great for real life self defense situations, and they also give practitioners a proven delivery system that can act as a catalyst for all the nastier techniques and strategies that are not found in sport arts.

for example, a martial artist serious about self defense can still train in western boxing to develop faster reflexes, better footwork, harder punches, etc and integrate it into what he has learned from other sources and arts. boxing can also provide a good delivery system for things you learned in other arts. for example you could use the footwork and counterattacking/parrying skills of boxing to parry an attackers strike which would open him up to something nastier like an knifehand strike to his neck or throat, or an upward palms strike to his chin etc......

sport arts have a lot of value for self defense if you have the proper mindset and know what to look for.

Tant01

In a self defense situation it seems unlikely that your attacker would be a Judoka as well.

Big doesn't always win. Bigger guys are often easier to strangle... than throw.

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While the old form, jujutsu, was studied solely for fighting purposes, Kano's new system is found to promote the mental as well as the physical faculties.

T. Shidachi, 1892