6 Expert Tips: Defeating Taller Fighters

[@manjitheerratic5127]

Tip 1 (1:16): Kick when your opponent punches Tip 2 (2:25): Close distance, push forward and pressure your opponent carefully Tip 3 (3:40): Utilize counterattack Tip 4 (4:43): Catch kick if your opponent kicks Tip 5 (5:48): Utilize clinch and dirty boxing Tip 6 (6:38): Surprise your opponent and entry I am short and I feel grateful

[@zoranx1000]

Thank you for this really excellent real world tips.

[@unstableatbest]

Great video thank you sir.

[@dracolich345]

YOU ROCK GV! I watch majority of your videos and the little tidbit tricks as shown in this video always keep me ahead of the learning curve vs my classmates! Its still a win win tho because i'm always eager to teach/show anything i've learned from you! Keep that steady stream coming!!! osssss!!!

[@henriquerodrigues1692]

Gabriel, you’re the best youtube coach ever. Thanks from Brazil🇧🇷

[@KatonRyu]

As a taller guy, it's actually the short guys at my club I'm worried about. They're so mobile and their attacks come from all angles, and while my movement is decent, it's by no means spectacular, so they can just swarm me and force me to shell up. As I gain experience I'll probably find ways to deal with them, but for now, jabs and kicks to keep them at range are most of my arsenal against them, and it doesn't take them long to circumvent that.

[@giorno3023]

Thank you. Got beaten up last time by a taller opponent.

[@KennethDuff-hj8ig]

Great video. This topic is a good topic because even me as a boxer can say if you dont know how to deal with a taller longer fighter its a nightmare assuming the tall fighter knows how to fight long. I accully recently was working lots of drills preparing to fight a taller guy and i got better at dealing with a taller guy that fights long and backs up with straight punches every time i advanced. I got good at when i step in forward i slightly slip my head at the same time im takeing a tiny step in the direction im slipping as im pushing off the back foot while i kind of lunge in with a jab. I can do that in both directions and drilled it over and over. I also learned to make him come forward as i move away and get him to kind of chase me and ill time it so i can leap in with a combo just as he starts to come forward i unexpectedly leap right in as he steps and we meet up on the inside. Also on the inside i found success to start my combo in the body and work my punches upstairs (hooks and uppercuts, short range) but i did like this video and like always i maybe a boxer but i get alot from Gabe and his channel. Thank you Gabe! Respect

[@elserpientethechamp2122]

Man this is exactly what I needed, just today I had a sparring with two taller opponents, and I struggled a bit, because of their reach, but still landed some good shots on them, thank you so much Gabriel, for making this awesome video, your are so perfect with your timing, I will be sure, to try these out in sparring! 🎉

[@the36thchamber89]

Great episode! Thank you.

[@DrGetgood]

2:25 What if they're someone who's got good footwork and angles off really well if you get too close?

[@alvinwalker31]

Trap a side. For example, throw a jab, trap their jab hand, slide to the side and throw a right.

[@Baza123b]

I wanna thank you for teaching us how to put big emphasis on defense and how to minimise brain damage. You probably saved lots of fighters from having brain problems in their older age.

[@moredown1303]

Yesterday i got beat up really badly at sparring, this video gives me hopes thou! have my first kickboxing fight in 3 weeks so your videos i shall rewatch a few times, love your videos and have a good day

[@gordiandres]

how did it go for you ? I just lost my first fight against someone who was taller than me and while I was aware of some of these things it really is harder said than done.

[@moredown1303]

@@gordiandres from my experience I can tell you one thing, you need to be first. If the taller guy gets the momentum you can't stop him, so you can't be passive, you need to be first, either with fakes, pressure, attack, kicks, punches, it doesn't metter, but you cant let him get the momentum. As the smaller fighter everything you do matters more. Good luck. And how my fight went? I lost, i was too focused on not getting hit that my attack was lacking and i lost becouse of volume. We are still getting better thou

[@umeshurocks]

The thing as a shorter and not bulky fighter, its hard to spar people on the same weight class. Most guys are either taller and heavier, or same height (5'7) and also heavier!!! I'm 62kgs and 170cm male

[@jonathanplummer129]

Bro I'm 5ft and 53kg....and I normally spar people with a foot and 20-30kg advantage....I feel your pain 😅

[@G27388]

thank you for everything you do sir.

[@Moreezo__]

Thank you 😊

[@Docinaplane]

As you said, you have a real advantage for your weight being so tall. I've been the shorter lighter fighter every time for a lifetime. I don't disagree with your recommendations. They are all good. In addition, I use creating angles offensively and defensively, independent motion blitzes, and groin kicks from any angle, as back in the day, when I did tournaments, groin was a legal target.

[@someboi4903]

Tf ? Were you fighting in Vale Tudo or something ???

[@Docinaplane]

@@someboi4903 No, open karate tournaments.

[@G36-999]

The All Valley Tournament @@someboi4903

[@TheErik1119]

Groin was a legal target 😂😂

[@Docinaplane]

@@TheErik1119 At the time, it seemed normal. Looking back, it's more like WTF lol

[@chan_serv]

thank you for keeping the content going even though you’re injured! Gabe I wanted to ask if you’ve ever done any wrist strengthening as part of your routine? I injured my wrist tendon earlier this year while working the heavy bag and have been wanting to strengthen it more since to reduce the chance of future injury.

[@MarcosAG90]

Ugh been there! I think my boxing resented since then because of the fear of getting hurt

[@blackpsalmmusic9180]

When I first started I would regularly tweak my wrist, especially during heavy bag ground and pound drills. I've spent a considerable amount of time emphasizing wrist alignment while striking and I haven't had such an occurrence in months now, even when blasting the Thai bags in 4oz gloves, technique is the key considering your hand is a bag of floating marbles being thrown at a hard surface.

[@Godisahomo]

How do you deal with knees from a taller fighter?

[@Basarakn]

me as a taller fighter taking notes

[@LisaRossmann]

Exactly what I needed, this is very motivating. Just started to train Muay Thai regularly and there are no girls there - I’m just 1,60 and have 50kg. The guys are so much taller and heavier. I really like the tips that are especially about fast movements/fakes to go in and out and also the last one to fake a kick and punch - I know these already from Karate and it seems the guys at my gym aren’t very familiar with that, since they only train Muay Thai for MMA and focus more on closer ranges to get the opponent on the floor.

[@tchaliz4925]

Moving forward faster is SO important, is there a way to train your legs for faster movement?

[@jonathanplummer129]

Sprints

[@ChriseFTW]

@@jonathanplummer129Don’t recommend this, sprinting can work your legs yes, but fighting includes dynamic movement in ALL directions. Explosive squats, and side jumps are more scientifically backed

[@jonathanplummer129]

@@ChriseFTW yeah mate I know how to fight....this guy asked how to develop faster movement going forward.....and sprints are good for developing explosive movement and fast-twitch fibres so are a good option?

[@fiftyfadesofgrey]

I think of Mike zambidis with the counter attack the pull counter ex. And superman punch ko.

[@dracolich345]

Gabriel where do you train? Do you host seminars?

[@ayevaboo]

What do you think of just eating low kicks and responding back fast like Marat Grigorian?

[@lupus4687]

5'11" 135lber here. Studying my enemy ;)

[@jonathanplummer129]

Spy in the camp 😅

[@YerDa67]

Yes!!!

[@defaultset]

As the taller fighter, how can you beat shorter fighters that know all these 😢

[@PazCristo]

Any tips for defeating a tall fighter who has one Sensei Seth+ a half Kevin Lee's high?

[@fenrir834]

Everyone has made videos on how to fight taller opponents, make a video on how to fight shorter opponents too

[@borgy7085]

one two, teep kicks, legsweeps, long roundkicks, keep distance... Ez

[@Nergal123]

@@borgy7085don’t forget, clinch knees if they close distance or intercepting knees and then push them away and angle off.

[@shootits48]

It's harder to fight taller opponents, smaller opponents you keep at range fight at your distance

[@fenrir834]

@@shootits48 If that was true, then every fighter would try to be as skinny as possible

[@jocoolshow]

@@fenrir834Being skinny doesn’t affect your height 💀 And if you’re saying they cut as much weight as possible to fight at a lower weight class, then they’d have no chin, energy or strength. In a perfect scenario they can keep the shorter guy out for a few rounds but when they get in close, a few hits to the body, get that chin down, GG

[@dirtpoorchris]

The kick as they punch works extra extra good for taller fighters if thhey copy your strat. Ive won street fights easily by using footwork to bait their punch and then blast their lead leg with a kick. The shorter street fighter pretymuch gives up after 1 leg kick then complains that you "used a pussy ass kick on them."

[@Isao-k9g]

❤

[@djamillakhdar-hamina3824]

I feel like clinching is risky, taller fighters do have a serious advantage in clinch

[@_penguin_9946]

Shorter fighters have more of an advantage in the clinch because of a lower center of gravity. It also helps if you know some wrestling. Taller fighters have a striking advantage in the clinch but shorter fighters have everything else.

[@djamillakhdar-hamina3824]

@ No taller fighters have the advantage that’s why many of the greatest Muay khao are tall and lanky. Look at dieselnoi. The reason is that it’s easier to wrap around , you can reach and grab them from far, and you can put your weight on them and drag their neck down easier and it’s also easier to throw knees, especially to the head. Balance is important but it doesn’t come from having a low center of gravity when doing tall standing grappling which clinching is. This isn’t Greco roman. I am a clinch fighter and I wreck shorter people because of this , especially significantly shorter fighters.

[@nacktheslayer9882]

me: 5'4 finally

[@panoss2362]

i have a question... im a kickboxer I cant catch their kicks by the rules.. Is there any alternative solution?

[@enne1122]

Check, use dutch block, step back, teep the attacking leg, push-kick before you get it or change organisation/ rule set.

[@panoss2362]

@@enne1122 thanks that was really helpful 👍

[@DKYtut]

A really underrated attack is to time and throw an inside leg kick to the standing leg when the opponent repeatedly uses a middle or high kick. You can either do it when thy just start throwing to kick or during retraction of their kick after you Dutch block it. Standard counter would be a Dutch block and using the momentum to counter with a hook and combination, but if the opponent is a lot taller it doesn't work that well imo, the above one works the best from my experience.