Q about Judo and skinny people?

Question

I am slim and I have just started Judo. How can I stop getting crushed from heavier opponents? Any techniques or advice you could give me?

Answer 1

Work on your ground game.  Also, if someone is stronger than you, I recommend floating around the uke's head and neck area, doing pins like Kame Shiho and Kuzure Kame Shiho Gatame.

Answer 2

Just keep with it, as others have said. As time goes on, you'll get used to breathing with weight on you and you'll gain enough technique to have a fighting chance against people who outweigh you. For now, see if you can wedge your elbows or knees inbetween your body and your opponents body. It takes some weight off of you and makes it easier to get back to guard.

Handsome, NO ART favors skinny people. Even in striking arts, weight is very beneficial. The heavier you are, the more pounds you can put into your punch.

In fact, a big heavy beginner can sometimes KO a much more skilled fighter with a lucky once in a lifetime punch. However, there's no such thing as a lucky armbar.

Answer 3

work harder,try using your agility to turn in the air before you hit the mat,develop your ukemi to build confidence,work on your ne-waza skills, once you conquer your fear then you can build skill . i have 18 years of judo and am myself a small guy ,didn,t stop my dtermination to win. grit your teeth and work ,work ,work. i used to train 4 times a week ,4 hours per night,alternate weekends comps etc,travelling to local clubs[within 30 mile radius] for extra practice.i loved ne-waza.

Answer 4

I am sorry but to give you some bad news.  Judo is not for the prefect art for skinny people.  

You probably understand now, that stability and upper body strenght are critical to get the upper hand if both judo practitioners are at the same weight, even your opponent's skill is not as good as you.  Unfortunately, since you are tall and skinny, the disadvantage always goes to you.

My suggestion is that you can either gain weight and do weight lifting to increase your body and muscle mass.  It will give you big advantage since you are a tall person if you can successfully gain body mass and upper body strenght.

Otherwise, I would recommend you go for other martial arts that does need the above requirement (big muscle mass) such as Taekwondo, long fist, Wing Chun, etc.

If you just want to like to learn judo for fun, not competitively, you can ignore all my suggestions above.  Just go in and have fun.  =)

Answer 5

Work on your ukemi. Stay loose and move fast. Don't hesitate, use your speed to your advantage. Learn some good basic throws (osoto gari, ogoshi, tai otoshi) and use them often. Remember to follow through with them and don't stop halfway through the technique.

Answer 6

yes, like the other answers, give it time.  when you are starting out, power seems to win because nobody has any technique.  

Develop your technique and you will be able to counter it.  I am about 5'10" and around 210.  I am ok, and I think have ok technique, but my teacher is able to work me like a little kid, and he is around 5'6" and maybe 160???

quickness, a clear mind, good stamina, and just plain hard work can counter power.

Answer 7

I can relate.  I'm skinny AND short.  You probably outweigh me by 50 pounds or so.

However, when doing hip throws in my art - Aikido - its not mass , its leverage and balance.  I can throw people and hold them on my back (though not walk with them up there) not with strength.  I just don't have that so I don't try.  Instead, its leverage and balance.  If I can use those well, its easy and there isn't really any weight on me long enough to notice.

Very small margin for error, but that's what practice is for.

Technically, when your opponent is going over your back, you don't want to stay where you are so their weight comes down on top of you.  Rather, you want to follow the same circle underneath them as they fall... think of a yin yang - as their energy circles above, your body circles below in the same direction - clockwise or counter-clockwise.  You just keep your arch smaller than their arch.

Wherever your opponent is falling - and the direction is changing - you move just ahead of them - you move to where they will be a split second later.  In short time, you will be out of the way and they will meet the ground before they meet you - its not easy, but the idea is to stay just a hair's breath in front of them - not in front of them, but always just a bit out of the way.

Another important idea, which is probably difficult for you since you are tall, is getting under your opponent.  Your center of balance should be closer to the ground than their center of balance.  You don't so much throw them as they fall OVER you and that's not going to happen if their center of balance is lower than the point of rotation you want.  If they run into you, get lower - even if that means going to your knees.

IE - getting your center of balance lower is the principle that makes the throw work.  Keeping the same form as your sensei isn't that important.

We want to emulate our teacher, but in the end, we are all different so we want to emulate the principles sensei shows rather than the small details of how bent is sensei's knees and what not.

For instance, if your sensei is 5'6", (s)he might not have to bend their knees much at all to throw you - they are just getting their hips to the optimal position related to yours.  On the other hand, for you to throw sensei, you would have to get much lower.  The important thing isn't the angle of the legs but the hip relationship - if your hips are lower than your senseis, you will be in a position where it is possible to throw.  If your hips are higher, sensei will just run into you or land on top of you as you try to use brute force to pull them over.

If you are using force, you are probably too high - lower your hips - they are the fulcrum.

If you are being crushed, raise your hips a bit - again, they are the fulcrum and their energy goes straight down on top of you rather than arching over.

Answer 8

You are just starting, give it time. You will learn a lot in time. You will find that being smaller and quicker will have some advantages.