OK so here is a question for some friendly discussion.
Take a scenario - one untrained unarmed aggressive person much larger than yourself wants to mix it up with you, and there is no way to avoid the fight (just for the scenario’s sake, you can’t run away or whatever). There is definitely going to be a scrap.
What range would YOU prefer the fight to occur in, and what range do you feel is your strongest? (eg kicking, punching, clinching, grappling). Is there any particular range that minimizes the advantage of larger size?
Personally, I think an untrained fighter is most dangerous in punching and kicking range. For myself, I am learning Muay Thai and submission grappling, so I think I would try to close to the clinch and deal with them there with knees and elbows. If the clinch went to grappling, so be it, but I would try to stay upright if I could. Of course, at punching or kicking range I would still try to land some strikes, but feel that I would be safer at clinching or grappling range.
Any thoughts? Please, what I want to hear is what YOU would do, not what I have said wrong.
Where is it? Does he have friends? Is it in the street, in a bar, where? There are a lot of enviromental factors and other variables that would affect the decision a person should make.
I think it would all depend on what range you would be profficient in,
I don’t think it would be a good idea for someone like a Thai boxer to take a bigger guy to the ground,he hasn’t learnt any skills on the ground so what advantages would he have?
On the other hand a student of BJJ only,would also be silly to try and knock the guy out with kicks and punches.
Do what you do best.
I think this is where a MMA has an advantage,
He is able to fight effectively in all the ranges and can change the fight to suit him.
Say he starts to strike with the bigger guy but quickly finds that the guy is an efficient boxer,well he can then go to clinch range to negate the big guys striking advantage,if the bigger guy still has the advantage at this range,a take down can be executed and ground fighting skills can be called on.
If the bigger guy is still more effective at this range well then God help you cause you may be fighting Antonio Nogiura or some other big MMA star :).
Start long range where it’s safe, if you can tke him fast and easy there, do it, if not move in to mid range with plans for escape. if yu cna take him ther do so, if not get in close elbow the stuffig out of him or Chi Na him into a tangled knot up close.
Don’t know about best, but what I like and works for me is to stay outside in long range and come in close in short range. I avoid middle range so my opponent has difficulty achieving full extention. So I can get almost full extention I come in low and rise.
Lets just make it as simple as possible, one larger opponent, no obstructions, no buddies, no weapons, in an open parking lot.
KnightSabre:
Good points - of course it depends on what range you feel most comfortable in. For me, it is clinching and ground, when I spar and stick at punching and kicking range I often just trade blows (yeah I am working on my defense, someday it will improve), which I would not want to do in my little scenario. Clinching and ground I feel is a little more “technical”, in that to do damage, you need to do things in a very specific way.
Personally I like clinching because I can choose to either try to land knees and elbows (thai style), or go for a throw. I know going to the ground on cement would not be pleasant, but as long as I was not the one thrown there, I don’t think I would have a huge objection to it.
Guohuen, I agree with you, I think the middle range is probably the most risky, at that range the bigger guy can punch, which I think would be most dangerous from an untrained opponent.
From my experience a large untrained person is most dangerous in punching range. But most ppl that are that much larger WILL throw there weight around a bit. So be prepared to be thrown around alot and slammed against things/thrown on the ground. I would just keep swinging and land in clinch eventually, then start kneeing.
But if you got friends w/ you a good rear naked choke from you and a fist flying from your buddy is a GREAT way to end a fight. But seriously ppl like that are the reason I keep a wepon on me at all times.
It depends on what u do naturally…for a wing chun guy…trap and hit hit hit hit, for a boxer hit hit hit hit, for a muy thai clinch and knee knee knee, for a grappler wrestle and break break break.
In an open lot- I’d stay back a little and see what kind of a fighter I’m dealing with; get a feel for his strengths and weaknesses if possible. With bigger opponents I don’t like medium/striking range. If I have to bridge the gap I usually try to stay in close and work the angles. Last thing I want to be doing with a bigger opponent is grappling, so I like to get to the side and prevent him tying up, neutralize his weapons while leaving mine fully effective.
And Stacy, we’re not talking about a preplaned battle here. You are right that that’s a sure plan for disaster. But there are general principles as well as preferences, and that is what I see people talking about here. Now, we all know that you Scotch- Irish are a bunch of drunks. So get a beer and lighten up.
Wait…, I’m Scotch- Irish, where’s my beer? It was here a minute ago…*%@#!
