Big Guys

[drixx2]

i have a question....at my Bjj school, it mostly consists of Soon-to-be and Just-Graduated police officers (my instructor also teaches the 'grapple' program around here).
Ok, now's here's the problem....most of these guys are around 250-300lbs in weight (one guy is said to bench 500 easy) and really don't have that much ground experience, but they still whip me up all the time (i have the typical 170 royce gracie Gjj figure)
I remember one time when i had a guy in a 'cross-arm lock' with my hips bridging and the guy freaking curled my whole body with his bicept.
now here's the question....what is the best way to grapple bigger guys who throw their weight around? Some of these guys are soooo big, they choke me out just when they get me in the 'cross-mount'.
The best way i've found is to fall back in my guard and try to wear the big guy out, then use my speed to try a choke.
any other ideas?

[mushinmaster]

kick 'em in the ballz

eye gouge

slap their ears

lol

sorry bro, i don't even know how to ground fight, lol

They probably don't allow the above mentioned techniques, but when they're that much bigger, go for the weak points!

[yungsmoke]

u should try pressure points

[drixx2]

guard

actually guys, i think i just found the best way. We we start off (on our knees), i'll just pull the big guy in my guard and keep him there until he gets tired (all that weight is a lot to chug around), or wait till he tries to 'pass' then go for a triangle. Also, constant threats of sweeps and reversals help too.
I beat a 240lb guy from the 'special forces' last night with an cross arm lock (note: i'm 170)

[sccr06]

I used to always try to keep them occupied with a halfassed choke attempt while setting up for a good sweep so I could out from the bottom. If I can't get out though I try to use arm chokes b/c I did not want them getting sidemount on me. That position hurts a lot and makes me expend energy when I have a heavy dude across my chest.

[mushinmaster]

You guys sound like you have too much fun playing with the "big boyz"

[drixx2]

yea sccr06 i know what your talking about....
there is a 300lb guy at my school who can tap you out JUST by laying on your chest!! THe guy is sooo big and knows how to use his weight he can take all the air out of you.

[crazyjoe380]

keeping big guys on their back is a good way.....


when you begin...tray to sway to their back and control the back...then work it from there...


Working with them will only make you stronger...

[drixx2]

no shit crazy joe!

last week i was going against a former navy seal (no shit, really) who weighed 240 and i weigh 160-170. He was in my guard for about 15 min (i've learned just to fall back in the guard with big guys, or else they'll just tackle you and side mount ya). Just when he thought he had the chance to pass, i swept him, mounted him and did the cross-arm lock (ie they are pushing on you, you trap the arm, swing the leg over and hyperextend the elbow)
after he tapped i was amazed at how a relative wimp (i don't have much power in my arms right now cus i had shoulder sugery about 9 months ago) could beat such a quicker, stronger opponet with just techinque.

[SweepEm]

Drixx Dude:

you aren't going to out muscle these Goliaths and so as you pointed out, you are much quicker than these guys. Use your quickness to the max. Easier than said, but try to be on top insted of on the bottom where they can easily use strength and weight.
As others have said, keep attacking with attempted sweeps, set ups for arm attacks and chokes.

If you're limber, use that also since I know a lot of small guys that are very limber to get out of bad situations.

[Ryu (JKD?)]

At 5'8, 180 pounds, I'm not that big, but I have quite a lot of muscle on me, and a built body plus wrestling experience. I was able to just outmuscle and beat a lot of the beginning BJJ guys when I first started out in the art too. But the higher belts would just kick my butt with gi chokes, etc.

I found out that gi chokes actually work well on big guys with big necks. I was able to tap out a 250 pound judoka on several occasions with the same cross choke from guard.
Keep working your technique, fake them out with some things and try to sweep or catch them with a surprise armlock, etc.

But you know the old axiom, The bigger they are!.......the more bones they break



Ryu

[Joseph Cunliffe]

I'm not small, but there are bigger guys out there...

I'm 6' and 215 pounds, white belt in BJJ and often get tapped quickly by the advanced white belts and blue belts. My purple belt works extremely well with me.

I had a couple of friends at my home one weekend. We attended a BJJ workshop. Later that night, we practiced some of what we learned.

The 6'1" 230 pound NCAA wrestler/BJJ/MMA dude toyed with me both standing and on the ground. Dah.

The other guy, a 6'1" solid 220 pound power lifter/boxer/green to BJJ/MMA with 4% bodyfat killed me in stand up. Later, while in my guard, he couldn't do anything. When I was comfortable, I simply swept him, mounted him and he put his hands up to defend -- I remember doing that during my first couple of months -- I secured one arm, brought my leg over for the arm bar. He grabbed his wrist to defend and was doing well. I felt like he was causing me to sit up and possibly take me over his chest. I used my feet to detach his hand & wrist (we had just learned that at the seminar) and successfully applied the arm bar. He tapped. I was amazed at how technique won over his strength advantage.

[drixx2]

THanks Ryu (JKD?) about the post about the gi chokes, but my school only trains in tee-shirts and blue jeans (no gi chokes for me) which sucks cus i have about 2 yrs experience in judo that i would loooove to pull on the big guys if they were wearing a gi