The biggest lie in martial arts

[@ryankauanui]

I think the original context was skilled vs. unskilled.

[@sergiomartinez5946]

Was going to say this.

[@SuperBlake89]

💯

[@skilledharmish]

Yup that's it

[@delo18th]

what does skill have to do with it? if a fist lands on someones chin they are going night night. no matter how big they are. same with bending someones arm back or wrapping around their arteries buddy. doesnt matter if youre super tall or heavy.

[@delo18th]

you say that skilled makes the difference. Yet if you walk into an mma gym. The big tall fighters cannot handle short boxers blasting inside. They cannot handle short wrestlers taking them down. These are both skilled fighters. Not randoms on the streets. yet being shorter or smaller is not an instant disadvantage

[@twistedcoffee1187]

Big guy with no skill is just a confidence booster, big guy with skill is a pure menace. Edit: Sorry guys my excellent comment has fueled some keyboard fighting below! Please stay away from those to keepi your mental healthy.

[@michaelm9710]

Once i learned to pressure pass and get into N/S 😈

[@dimajo3057]

A "big guy with no skill" doesnt engage you with BJJ except on the mat. There are all sorts of very easily available ways to deal with certain holds, but its not allowed to stomp on a person, knee a person etc. Once youre used to playing a game, you will be caught off-guard when you arent met with the games rules. This also goes for MMA, still has a ton of rules, you cant soccer kick a guy who is down it would be lethal. Ofc. it gives you something if you can remain flexible. But really Martial Arts just doesnt make sense for "fighting". As cool as they are, and as much as i love them.

[@michaelm9710]

@@dimajo3057 😂 you should try a no gi wrestling/ jiu jitsu class or Thai boxing or boxing class. It might be a game, but a lot of the guys who come to class are young, fit 20somethings who don’t know the “rules” yet. They do whatever they think will work to get them out of the choke etc.

[@dimajo3057]

@@michaelm9710 I never did wrestling but i did thai boxing and full contact karate. I know my comment will hurt a lot of egos and get a lot of cope to come out. but it just is what it is.

[@michaelm9710]

@@dimajo3057 😂 😂 😂 silly

[@SenseiSeth]

This video is way better than mine is gonna be lol

[@sevasentinel4146]

I've never seen you two in a room at the same time...

[@didjitalone9544]

I saw your video. It is a good video.

[@austinmeadows7032]

Seth, you have made an impact on my martial arts journey man. 🙏 Thank you

[@chancethornton6321]

I thought your video was also very good Sensei Seth.

[@DUDEBroHey]

It is definitely one of the videos of all time

[@Cigarbawz]

Bro 😭 I’m 30 and 55/60kg, 5’4, brown belt in Judo and it gets so tiring watching the big guys go from no skill and I can floor them to ‘untouchable’ in the span of a few months 😭😭

[@anonymousperson9279]

That is why I do mixed martial arts, wrestling, Judo, Taekwondo, and Glockfu.

[@RazanOraby]

Do u mean they develop skills quickly or they learn to not fall?

[@carlsutherland3730]

​@anonymousperson9279Yes, Yes, Glockfu! My fellow self defense practitioner, So glad to hear from you.

[@GuillermoSanchez-jr6mp]

Because your technique needs to get better to beat a bigger opponent

[@Andrew-un8tx]

Yep. When I started Judo it was about a month before I could prevent most of the black belts from throwing me. Just lower your butt and most of their throws won't be possible.

[@adonis44187]

With more size comes more power and I like to think of skill and technique as a power multiplier, meaning that cultivating a healty relationship of both skill and strenght is essential.

[@dreadtrain2846]

With size comes stamina and speed issues.

[@osmondliu5111]

IVE BEEN THINKING THE SAME! size and body strength are a constant, whilst skill is multiplicative

[@robertK3371]

​@@dreadtrain2846Absolutely. Einstein proved speed equals power. For example, a 170lbs guy can hit harder than a 220lbs guy with the same amount of skill. Provided that the 170lbs guy strikes faster than the 220lbs guy. It takes a lot more oxygen to move those big limbs. Now of course strength does come into play. It's all a matter of skill and of course stamina.

[@iminyourwalls8309]

@@dreadtrain2846 Wrestlers and Boxers don't seem to have stamina and speed issues and I wouldn't classify somebody who can lift another 200ib dude above his head as "weak". Bruce Lee disproved the "weightlifting makes you slow" myth decades ago. I know people want to shit on guys like Bradley Martin, but it's going to be very difficult to be good at something like BJJ or Muay Thai without strength training.

[@alexanderren1097]

@@dreadtrain2846FALSE! Not lifting weights and not cardio leads to speed and stamina issues. Large people that lift weights AND do cardio are an absolute MENACE to fight!

[@bigwave25]

I just started judo and the heavier lads have got a huge advantage.

[@AGuy-s5v]

Right? If my "lower center of gravity" is such a huge advantage then why am I getting ragdolled? lol

[@Skywalker96214]

@@AGuy-s5v "lower center of gravity" is not an advantage when the other guy can literally pick you up and slam you... ask me how I know 😂

[@Urmomma5f4t]

Drop Seoi helps. But yes arguably in judo size matters more cuz standup relies on weight a lot more than bjj ruleset. A small guy can win absolute with leg locks. Judo greats below 81kg struggle to win anything in the all Japan tournament which is an open weight class comp in judo. There’s strategy for smaller judoka but generally you’ll get smashed. I’m about 150-160 and can regularly take down a 260lb power lifter that wrestled and did judo. You can definitely do it but you need to be very switched on, much faster, and much more skilled in judo. Never let them get two hands on you which is just movement and grip fighting. All easier said than done but yes I agree. Once they grab you it’s over 😂

[@WaLor-ld3wg]

​@@AGuy-s5vlowering your center of gravity only really helps with you resisting your opponent more effectively as you get into a stronger base and stance your opponent has to deal with. If your opoonent however catches on you will get lifted up and thrown either way.

[@WaLor-ld3wg]

​​@@Skywalker96214sparring, right? or at least that's what most people would say.

[@marcusirishdavis]

As someone who’s been a martial artist since 1982 and a professional athlete for over 22 years, 15 time UFC veteran, I’ve often heard people say, “Size doesn’t matter in a fight.” While this statement has its roots in promoting skill and technique, the reality is more nuanced. In my experience, size does matter-when all other factors are equal. In a fight, numerous attributes contribute to the outcome Speed Power Strength and Conditioning Knowledge of Fighting Ranges Technique Strategy and Tactics If two fighters are evenly matched in these areas, size and weight provide an undeniable advantage. The bigger, stronger fighter can generate more force, absorb more damage, and utilize their mass to dominate in clinch and ground situations. This is why someone like Bruce Lee (135 lbs) could undoubtedly beat an untrained 250 lb barroom brawler-because of his superior skill, speed, conditioning, and technique. However, against a trained and skilled opponent of that size, like Jon Jones (6’4”, 250 lbs) or Brock Lesnar (6’3”, 265 lbs), it’s a different story. When fighters possess similar skills and understanding of the fight game, size becomes a critical factor. Larger fighters can Use their mass to control the clinch or ground game. Deliver strikes with significantly more force due to their weight. Exploit their longer reach to keep smaller opponents at a distance. This isn’t to say smaller fighters can’t succeed against larger opponents-martial arts is about maximizing your potential and overcoming obstacles. Royce Gracie showed this in the early UFC days, where he used technique to dominate larger, less skilled opponents. However, once those larger opponents developed comparable skills, their size and strength began to prevail. In combat sports and martial arts, size isn’t the only thing that matters, but it’s a major factor in any match where skills, speed, and tactics are evenly matched. This is why weight classes exist in sports like MMA, boxing, and wrestling. They’re not just there for fairness-they’re a recognition of the physical realities of fighting. Skill beats brute force, but skill + size beats just skill. That’s the truth.

[@izzy031096]

I agree with everything here, very well said and comes from a place of experience. I would only add that generally speaking, as size increases, so does strength and durability (as you mentioned). However, with the added size, conditioning generally takes a dip. In that you can’t sustain that output for as long as a lighter and better conditioned fighter. More muscle requires more oxygen. Skinnier bodies also dissipate heat far more efficiently.

[@oaksaint4458]

Extremely reasonable and logical take.

[@carltaylor2975]

Hey Marcus big fan, I remember watching your fights all through my 20's and thinking damn, that dude is jacked, and he looks like he hits hard lol. But no, I agree with you, I'm a decent sized guy myself, 6'2 and 250 (cutting weight right now after bulking) and when I spar lighter people in both boxing and BJJ it's completely different than fighting people who are my size or bigger. The lighter guys are usually more athletic, and they are usually a bit faster, they also seem to be more technical. I think that's because they have to be when they fight bigger dudes. Being big and strong is great, it helps a lot, but to the bigger fellas out there, try not to use those advantages so much. Work more towards really being technical, it will pay off huge in the long run. I've noticed two things, from sparring bigger guys and sparring smaller guys. Bigger guys seem to rely more on their size and strength, and smaller guys tend to rely more on their athleticism. Anyway, I've noticed I can get away with a lot of stuff against smaller people that just wouldn't work against guys my size. There is indeed a reason that we have weight classes in fighting. I've always said if you take two people who are equally skilled, and stack 6 inches of height and 60 pounds on the other guy, he's winning that fight far more often than he's losing it.

[@marcusirishdavis]

@carltaylor2975 100% agree. It's all logical thinking. And thanks for the complements

[@carltaylor2975]

@@marcusirishdavis Yeah for sure man, it was an honor talking to you brother.

[@andrewtanczyk4009]

The same goes with boxing, wrestling, UFC. I heard a saying,”nothing beats shear horse power.” Yes, technique and skill is very important yet these combat sports have weight classes for a reason. Matching bouts by weight class is a fair way to match bouts along with fight experience. Thanks for the video!

[@chimyshark]

Just the fact that “size doesn’t matter” has gained so much traction is a travesty of human reasoning. Anyone who understands science knows that you can’t answer this question with mixed skill levels, you have to control for all other variables besides size if you want to find out if size matters. That means both are unskilled or both are equally skilled. Only then does the comparison make sense. The mantra “size doesn’t matter” is a marketing ploy, an appeal to emotion, and a confidence boost for smaller skilled players, but it is a general falsehood.

[@kingartifex]

everybody trying to data science these kind of claims, when all it takes is common sense and a modicum of experience...

[@chimyshark]

@@kingartifex common sense is also a misnomer because most people don't have it. Most people's emotional side is much stronger than their weaker logical side.

[@kingartifex]

@@chimyshark that's true, but we are getting to the point where people are trying to overanalyze every single basic claim to human existence. What's next, lets make a statistical analysis to confirm that chocolate tastes like chocolate? I am by no means a statistician, but I've worked with data before, and I can say that often you can just make up any story you want with the data you have depending on your angle and interpretation. Often the data might even be recorded "lazily" so its not that accurate or trustworthy. Point being, that data analysis isn't that much more accurate than common sense

[@jmgonzales7701]

The people who say Size dont matter are always massive copers, they are often short people who fears that their girl dumps them for the bigger stronger Chad. Simply put it people don't like when they are being limited and undestimated.

[@kingartifex]

@@jmgonzales7701 on that we can agree

[@EduardoHenrique-nd1ro]

Another amazing and informative video, Josh! Thanks for sharing with us! Have a great weekend ahead! Cheers from Brazil!

[@andrewd6438]

Just remember guys, in the david vs goliath story david uses a sling which can deliver rock or lead projectiles at energies close to that of subsonic 9mm. David beat goliath by bringing a gun to a spear fight

[@davefletch3063]

Which equates to superior tactics and strategy to overcome the advantages of the enemy

[@andrewdunn8778]

Yep lol everything that made David the "underdog" was an advantage. Also David had killed lions before this so

[@djkell78]

I never thought about it like that. 😂 But you're right.😊

[@ez-g3090]

But what of Goliath would have also had a slingshot?

[@andrewd6438]

@ez-g3090 then it would come down to other factors, just to name a few: the skill of each user(if I remember correctly, david was a Shepard so he would have significantly more time practicing with the weapon), the range of the engagement, weather, what they ate the night before and whether it gave them the shits or not, their hydration, their moods, position of the sun relative to the eyes of each combatant, the social interactions leading to the fight(is someone calling 1 2 3 shoot or are they just going off of vibe or when someone draws the sling), the terrain and position of each "shooter" in it, their tactics (again is this a stand off, a sudden fight breaking out with slings lol, or is one ambushing the other), and of course luck. I think based on the first factor, skill, david is more likely to strike goliath with his first stone/sling bullet accurately than goliath is because goliath being a professional soldier and not a Shepard would be mostly unfamiliar with the weapon. In ancient Mediterranean they didn't train soldiers to use slings to make slinger regiments they levied peasant shepherds who used the weapon daily to fend off livestock predators. If you're trying to equate this to more of a modern situation like what happens if a big guy with a gun and a little guy with a gun get in a fight, then all the same factors and questions apply, but the luck factor becomes more important and the skill factor less. This is simply because guns require less specific training to use effectively than a sling, so an untrained firearm user has a higher chance to shoot a trained user than an untrained sling user against a trained sling user

[@AlexisLK]

This gradient zone of dominance is exactly on point. It sums up in a very simple concept, the long and tricky to explain :" A small guy with skill beats a big guy with no skill, but a small guy with skill gets smashed by a big guy with skill". I've practiced 8 years mostly judo and karate and you see all kind of situations. I saw a very small guy simply destroying very big dudes with knowledge, experience and technique. I saw a very big guy, destroying a small guy that was a champion, and was way more experienced. And so on... At the end you're kind of confused and you start to think that there's a big part of randomness in fighting. You start to understand that ranks, experience, size, and all these elements, are just a few elements in a bigger configuration that is taking in account millions of elements that you're sometimes not able to see. So congratulations for showing that really cool infographic, that should be thought in any martial art or fighting sport, the first year of practice, so people understand this key takeaway and most importantly, where they are, where they can be at their maximum potential, and what's their "dominance zone". It would save people a lot of time and sometimes delusions. For people who don't practice: - If you're big, it's not because you're big that you necessarily have the advantage over a smaller guy IF you have no skill. Most of the time skill beats big-sized ignorance, but not always. If you practice; - If you're an experienced and skilled fighter, ALWAYS keep in mind, that YES, size do matter, it should be considered as a serious element in a bigger set of elements that is going to impact the fight.

[@jmgonzales7701]

The people who say Size dont matter are always massive copers, they are often short people who fears that their girl dumps them for the bigger stronger Chad. Simply put it people don't like when they are being limited and undestimated.

[@philosophicaljock]

I’ve literally NEVER heard anyone say “Size doesn’t matter” 🤷‍♂️

[@JaimeAres-sh8xv]

Size doesn't matter though. The sports , the sportster modern mindset people made that belief and want to apply it to all of us. Like nope. You might not fight a giant but I will!! Makes me tougher than you , so that means if I'll fight that giant and you won't? Then you wouldn't fight me either then

[@Obsidian567MC]

Bro wonder boy is not some you test the size doesn’t matter card on. He’s an absolute beast of a fighter

[@shugyosha7924]

Do people really say/think this? It's obvious the bigger person has a huge advantage, all else being equal. I never really heard anyone say "size doesn't matter".

[@stephenowens8658]

Agree completely, especially after rolling years ago with untrained 300 lb guys in bjj when I was 180 & training a lot. Only thing I didn’t agree on is showing Ronda Rousey when referencing those that were good until others caught up in skill. She started losing by training with a boxing trainer & got away from her Olympic Judo & just start boxing women known for good standup.

[@mahmoudgadel-karim2897]

14:49 hit me right in the fat cells. As a 6'2 320b Lbs Blue Belt, its extremely hard finding training partners where I can actually use my full weight and strength during drilling/rolling on the mats. Literally through out the whole video everytime I see another big boi I mentally went "oh, look a big guy, I wish he came to my gym", "oh, he's big, I wish he came to my gym". I think I've developed some messed up fetish from the lack similar sized training partners 😂 Thanks a lot Josh, amazing video as usual.

[@robertK3371]

Just came upon your channel. I think it's very well done. I have been practicing MMA for over 20 years, with most of my time spent at AMC Pankration. Just wanted to say thank you for creating your channel. I wish you all the best. I truly enjoy that you are humble and you are willing to roll with anyone!

[@Jet_Feather]

Great video. I have this discussion all the time. I am a white belt, 40 years old and i can take down blue belts that are smaller and younger than me. On the other side, I do not have a chance with one blue belt that has 50kg more than me (around 100 pounds more), no chance at all, his weight and strength just keeps me down, simple as that. I try to explain this to my training partners but the idea that size does not matter in BJJ is so fixed in their minds that I just give up. I am an engineer, I understand that mass is a key element in force generation, so for me this idea is clear from the first day I have started to learn BJJ. Regards from Portugal. Keep doing these types of videos.

[@plank3000]

Of course it matters, that’s why weight classes exist

[@AJonVolk]

As a 6'6 125kg dude I can confidently say size doesn't matter :P

[@thebagnechannel3183]

Size absolutely matters. I love how you’re experimenting in different weight class.

[@CervusGreen]

I actually worry when I see new big guys try out the sport. They have a target on their backs, because many small guys want to test their skill, and often go at the big guy with intensity.

[@carlosgranah]

I love this content. I struggle as a 46 year old brown belt 76 kg with young heavier blue belts.b Great content!!!

[@lucianowebdev8686]

I was super heavy in June last year, in two weeks I'm competing in the middle weight class for the first time. I feel I can move a lot better and I'm more athletic. Probably I'll be the biggest in the division. Let's see if I can get a win this time and maybe fight the big guys in the open class!

[@joshbeambjj]

Woah crazy jump! Looking forward to seeing how you do / feel in the new weight class

[@salvadorromero9712]

I know almost nothing about BJJ, but have always wondered if its reputation for being dominated by nerds like Mikey Musumeci is (even at that elite level) due to a talent pool effect as much as it is due to any inherent, insuperable rule set flaw that would doom it to being dominated by guard pullers etc. over time. And that if the sport were swamped by wrestlers who started to train seriously in the submission chess to supplement their wrestling skills, they would dominate and the sport would look more like the wrestling-to-the-point-of-submission, wrestling-without-the-pin-rule that it should look like. Now after seeing this video I wonder if this effect varies across weights, and the lighter ones are inherently prone to being less wrestley and the heavier ones more.

[@joshbeambjj]

@salvadorromero9712 that’s actually an excellent observation and something I see a lot (I think I understand what you’re saying but correct me if I’m wrong). Big dudes = wrestly, small dudes = guard pully. I think this is because even if you’re a huge dude, it’s still really hard to hold the weight of other huge dudes (not as hard as if you’re a small dude, but still really hard). I mean we still see lots of big guys using their guard (it’s half of the game…), but it’s usually called out as an exception when bigger guys focus the majority of their game on bottom position (we say they’re “playing like a small guy”).

[@rusochileno639]

@@joshbeambjj i’m 270, been training for four years and vouch for this lol anytime I roll with someone that is my size and I’m on bottom I feel like I’m dying.

[@KylesGuide]

Coming from a wrestling background of nearly four decades, size and raw athleticism are huge benefits. If you're both on or near the same skill level and training shape, bigger is usually going to win. In regards to weight cutting, I can't emphasize enough that for your long-term health and performance, being strong, eating well and feeling good will pay huge dividends. Good video!

[@TangomanX2008]

This seems to be a lie common in all martial arts. I don't deny that someone with the right training can defeat someone with superior strength, but I don't think people realize that there are people who can resist grappling techniques in ways you don't expect due to their raw strength. There are people who can take your attempts at a rear naked choke all day, people who can curl out of your arm bar like as if you were a feather, and are like irresistible rocks when you try to try to take them down.

[@ADzx1034]

Loving this real world context you apply to your videos. You don't just blabber opinion you get in there and put it to a test

[@Nenad-ICXC-Shuput-GFAMMA]

The bigest scam is the weight cutting. And Great video, thanks..

[@joshbeambjj]

Thanks for watching! Yeah weight cutting is a big thing, should def be talked about more

[@fimfengius]

Being in my late 50s I decided to once again in my life train really hard in the gym for at least 4 days a week - which I have done for the last 9 months also taking protein supplements, but in modesty. I have up to date re-gained considerable strength and muscle mass. I look almost 15 years younger and my body fat and belly has decreased considerably. My leg strength has also improved and this season I have skied on par with former alpine competitors (although not world class) who are 20 years younger with me. I also had a coffee meeting with a former girl friend from decades ago in my own age who told me that the only difference she could spot was the change of my hair colour. This has made me wonder about serious gym training for older people and its effect on their performing abilities in martial arts. It would be interesting if you could investigate this further or if you have any refreshing experience in this field. Good channel, thanks!

[@Just_me_Jack]

Hell yea good going.

[@AidanJianfa]

I agree with you, it's absolutely critical in barehand fighting. Size is a huge advantage. As someone who primarily does sword fighting/fencing. Size (of the person) has a bit of an effect but is much less important (but not zero). The importance of size shifts to the weapon, and the weapon design. Polearms have a massive advantage over shorter weapons, like swords, which can be overcome with enough skill, although the skill gaps get even higher... Or even longer range weapons (enter throwing knives and arrows). For example, a longer two handed sword, even when shorter than a spear often handles a spear well due to the differences in weapon design (really long blade vs shorter blade on long pole) has an asymmetric match up. Weapon balance also plays a role. But in general, a person's size only doesn't matter in weapons, where the difference comes down to skill and speed. (Also, larger people have different angles and strategies compared to shorter people, but they balance out)

[@jakedo4577]

In Jiu-jitsu the equalizer for size will always be strategies and knowledge. Cause if you go back to your take on the merit of skill acquisition, then a smaller guys can still dominate the bigger guys. Prime example of this is Marcelo Garcia vs Ricco Rodriguez, Mikey Musumeci vs Seid-Eddine Houmine. In MMA, Randy Couture vs Tim Sylvia or Kazushi Sakuraba vs Kevin Randleman

[@davefletch3063]

There are lots of good examples

[@cybermidas3973]

Not as much as an equalizer as a gap shorterner, if you will. Sakuraba starting losing badly after the skill level in MMA heavyweight division increased, he would have a much better record if he decided to stick to middleweight. Couture suffered the same fate. Marcelo's losses always came against larger guys with a comparable skill level.

[@Colossus1993]

Former amateur bodybuilder, did boxe and kick boxing closer to 7 years, started my bjj journey 7 months ago and gonna do my first GI competition in 3 weeks, 6'1 230lbs. Strength and size does help a lot when you lack experienced I really felt that on my earlier rolls.

[@jackfisher1921]

Nice video. So much truth to everything you said.

[@taskyr819]

My only problem with big guys and why avoid em is that they can injure me very easy without them even trying to do it. I’m 154 and I have even 290 pounds people in my team.

[@walterwhite5705]

Really appreciate your great content! Cheers from Germany

[@nerdobject5351]

Great video. After 4 years of training as 42 yr old blue belt hobbiest I find the size matters. New white belts who are big are usually not much of scrap but I never want to play bottom and I stay offense always. But they catch up fast and after about a year or so they become way more challenging.

[@jonathanrayburn5514]

I’ve been training for 10 plus years and I have never heard someone say that “size doesn’t matter.

[@jasonm9067]

I just went through the whole cut down for a comp and I'm now in the binge eating phase. I came to the same conclusion during prep, I'm going up to to middle. The ups and downs are hard mentally and physically and I seem to get injured more when I'm lighter. This video made me realize I've made the right choice.

[@daddyrooster88motivate]

Excellent video. What’s hurting me as a 51 year old big guy (220 lbs)Whitebelt is the lack of wrestling experience.

[@gold4player500]

Imagine Eddie hall as a black belt

[@cybermidas3973]

Halfthor Bjornsson destroyed a BJJ black belt in a recorded match after only six month of training from zero.

[@elviseugene1233]

💀

[@sergeipravosud1848]

IMHO the best weight class is middle 82.3 or medium heavy 88.3. It's where you have decent speed, mobility, endurance and moreover strength to compete with both smaller and bigger guys.

[@AGuy-s5v]

Sorry, my american education system only taught me how to measure weight in Libras (lbs).

[@rico14]

I’m not sure if you mean entertainment value, but from a fighting perspective it’s always better to be bigger(up to a point). I mean even in bjj, where size matters less than striking, all the best open weight grapplers are 90kg+. There’s a reason for that.

[@blakecastillo5208]

I think Helio Gracie said that because he was just really good

[@lambosnicko]

No he wanted to teach people who limited themselves due to physical weakness that they could defend themselves. Helio taught for the majority of his life and the majority of his fights were done against opponents who were heavier than he was.

[@CancelIFR]

My third tournament, I did open weight, but my age bracket (40+) and ran into a 235lb guy (I'm 185). He smashed me the whole time, but I got a Hail Mary ankle lock with 8 seconds left. I was cooked and could barely stand up.

[@Charely1925]

I was sparring with a few guys one day. There's a dude whose 30lbs heavier than me and his kicks felt like I was getting hit by small tree trunks. Size really makes a difference.

[@MrCBTman]

I think a much bigger problem now, especially among combat sports fans, is grossly overestimating the advantage that size gives you.

[@joshbeambjj]

Ah yeah! Sensei Seth dug into that in his most recent video about strength

[@thelastchimp]

great video josh, love the zone of dominance graphics would you mind doing a video on your weight loss? personally still struggling with this since that big major world event

[@ukestudio3002]

" Good big man will,beat a good little man ." Is a saying I often heard in my martial arts days, many moons ago .. 😁

[@rjvanloon4769]

Skill and experience do matter, which was the whole point. Against an unskilled larger person, they will definitely even the odds. In a real fight, during an attack, surprise due to skills is also a huge factor, something which doesn't exist when you enter a tourney. Even when I was 45, I could still beat some guys in their 20's who were larger and quite a bit stronger, due to a higher level of skill and experience, but even than there is a limit to what you can achieve. As you said, when the skill-gap gets smaller, size, speed and weight become important.

[@FuryoTokkosho]

In the Jiu Jitsu documentary Choke i guess Rickson Gracie says he feels like he would not even need to fear Mike Tyson, since its one of the most prominent documentarys circulating in jiu jitsu circles i guess thats where it came from, since Rikson just doing a bit of bodyweight exercises but refuses weight training. Same with Royce whose heaviest strength training was to swim.

[@robertomagarzofitnessandma6217]

Great video, I been training martial arts basically my entire life so I agree that size, age and strength matter in all martial and combat sports.

[@ronselporter4739]

Nabil Anane vs Nico Carillo in a nutshell

[@dl6225]

Good stuff! Im a 52 y/o 155lb Purple belt. I have never in 7 years of training rolled with anyone my size, rank and age. Not once.....I'm the oldest and smallest guy in my gym. I really don't even know where I am given my parameters.....only my belt says what it says but I don't know what it means....

[@Blake-gh8xl]

Videos, edits and ideas are fun and solid!

[@MarcSolomonScheimann]

Wow - it would be interesting to hear your weight loss story, in the context of martial arts

[@johnkein7346]

Brother Josh, I’ve been waiting for the college wrestling video 😈

[@KonginDB]

We got to remember that Helio was a row boating champion when he was doing BJJ.

[@MisterAndyS]

This actually makes me feel good. I'm about 160 lb, and when I started jiu-jitsu I was already a judo black belt with decent ne waza. For the first year I could beat most of my classmates most of the time, but then they got better. As they should. There are three guys 200+ lb, and I hardly ever beat them any more (they have 7+ years experience now.) Even the 180 lb blue belt I can only beat a little over half the time. Still having fun, though!

[@Tunda2]

You just know a little guy came up with that line

[@GRTakerTh]

Great video !!

[@henning14]

True. Size matters. If no there wouldn’t be any weight classes. I experience the same result at Kockboxing and Muay Thai. Bigger and/or heavy sparring partners with significant less experience could be dominated. When they are on my skill level or higher I’m done🤷🏼‍♂️.

[@polykarpos1969]

In ancient Olympics Boxing, Wrestling and Pankration(MMA) were called heavy sports. As there were no weight divisions, the heavier fighters usually won the the fight

[@rstlr01]

As a 42 yo former wrestler that subbed my way through a blue belt tournament with 6 months of training. Size definitely mattered, Since I am built like a bowling ball I smashed through the guards to mount finishing head and arm choke on all 4 younger fitter competitors which was my game plan when I signed up. 5’10 260 bro.😂 I’ve lost about 20 lbs since with my goal of being 200 lbs then I’ll be ready to compete again.

[@H33t3Speaks]

I’m 5’7” and at 194lbs I can clean and jerk a set of 50lbs bells. I’ll be at 70lbs soon enough. I also have years of Freestyle Catch experience. I’ve not met a practitioner of BJJ in my 20+ years of fighting, that I couldn’t dominate through raw strength and basic technique. The minute strikes come into play, they fall like wet paper but you can’t tell these kids nothin’ until they’re completely whooped. It’s sad, really.🤘🏻

[@WisconsinDIYGuy]

At 10:10 your graph including age seems spot on. I started ju jitsu last fall at the age of 57. 6'4", 225 lbs and I am very active. But still one of the worst and slowest learning white belts in the world. Young guys learn faster, quicker, stronger, etc. I did karate in my late teens and early 20s til testing for brown belt so I know the diff here. But I press on. I enjoy it and it keeps me limber.

[@kevinschultz6091]

There's a phrase I learned recently from a HEMA forum (I do escrima, but I watch the western stuff), and it's from one of the 16th century manuals: In a duel, the better fencer wins. If fencing is equal, the better wrestler wins. If wrestling is equal, the stronger wins. While that's not an exact quote, and of course there are other elements in play (such as luck or environment), it does point to this idea that skill is a great component to have, but other elements definitely matter.

[@SidneyPrescott-c3s]

I definitely agree with you especially white through blue belt. I'm not the most skilled honestly unranked and have never had a hard a super hard time with other white all the way up to blue belt. It isn't till the skill gap gets really big where the problem comes in

[@SuperBlake89]

Great video and so true bro. This myth of bjj being the big guy beater can be detrimental because as you progress in your skills and so do others you start to realise that size and strength does become a major factor (like most sports). Without the awareness of this myth not being true it can really fuck with you and make you question your own skills and development. At the end of the day there are weight classes for a reason, because despite what your girlfriend told you, size does matter 😮

[@delo18th]

excuses

[@DejiiJones_]

@@delo18th Reality, you can choose to hide from it all you want

[@michaelfarar4232]

This was about a skilled bjj guy against a larger non skilled guy

[@johnroberts3824]

Good luck on your journey!

[@boomshot24]

as someone with 0 jujitsu knowledge other than 1-2 classes and ufc watching and going into sparing my muscle does help to not be submitted just 0 way to get down to the mat and also 0 idea submission that much

[@Docinaplane]

Enjoyed your story, Thank you! IMO, all things being equal, the larger fighter wins the fight. Our key as the smaller fighter is to find ways to have an advantage. I've always been the smaller fighter other than one time. I had to fight someone my size. Before the match I thought great, this should be easy as everyone else that I had beaten was bigger than me. Once the match began, I quickly realized that he had only fought bigger fighters also. I was very lucky to win the match. Interestingly, in my next match that day, I fought a larger fighter that was from the same school as the man I had just beaten. For the first time in my life, I saw fear in his eyes before the match. I later realized it was because he knew I had just beaten his better teammate. Yes, I won that match.

[@dumplingduppy1502]

As a bigger guy, i found in karate a lot of black belts were scared of me when it came to striking pads . Even when I threw with no power and more control 😢

[@Bigramt]

I'm 3rd kyu in judo and weigh 260 plus I give the smaller black belts a lot of trouble now. They are still better but size still is a factor Strength is never a weakness,but technique first

[@florianpoulin7108]

My question is which natural advantage matters the most ? For example, if, like in videogame, you have an average character (like 5'10, 170 lbs, blue/purple belt, average on everything), and then you can boost him on only one over the top attribute, which one would be the most efficient, and how to rank them ? Being 6'6 (with same kind of BMI), or 220 lbs of muscles, or freak athlete, or skilled 4/5 degree black belt, fast moves, or fast scaning and reflexes, or something else.

[@hooovyedge]

Smaller guys should never loose hope though, I'm 6"4 260 pounds and some of the short guys absolutely destroy me at my gym, their top game is insane, I can't push them off because they are too quick. I am still a white belt though, I have managed to dominate a purple belt once by getting into side control, I trained Judo before, a lot of newaza and that was the position I was in most of the time.

[@evanmcclure67]

In judo, I dealt with bigger untrained opponents, no problem. now if you go against a big guy with some training, you're screwed.

[@hooovyedge]

@@evanmcclure67 work deadlifts and squat

[@evanmcclure67]

@@hooovyedge I do, the problem is heavier judokas deadlift and squat four times as much lol

[@msg63bretired82]

Ah the charles atlas ad: "the insult that made a man out of mac" ❤

[@donaldnewell4868]

That looks like a redone Charles Atlas commercial from the 60s. Pretty good remake.

[@HenkvanMierlo]

I'm at another side of this spectrum. With 62 I can beat people that are 20 pounds lighter at the same belt level (brown) but can struggle with an athletic heavier blue belt. So somewhere there's a balance between weight and age.

[@JubairOnYoutube]

Dude this was fascinating and very helpful for a tiny old guy like me 😅

[@nickhockings443]

If you want to eliminate the effect of your opponent's muscle mass, use a drone.

[@jessehall5894]

It seems like the problem with a lot of modern jiu jitsu - especially with those coming from a wrestling background is they rely too much on muscle/speed/athleticism. This is easy to do when there are weight classes - but that doesn't work when someone is bigger, stronger, faster or more athletic. Watch Marcello Garcia or Rener Gracie roll with huge guys - it's graceful and effective technique. Also..as the previous commenter said the original context was skilled vs unskilled. Martial arts used to be secret - it was literally a secret weapon - that's why Royce dominated the early UFC. As soon as people started seeing it over and over they started figuring it out - and once everyone knew it then yea of course other factors come in to play. There are probably limits the "size doesn't mater vs unskilled" thing - but Royce did also tap out a sumo wrestler lol

[@BigUriel]

Martial artists: size doesn't matter Ok let's eliminate weight classes then Martial artists: wait not like that

[@TCyca]

Easy sub, you are a natural.

[@joshbeambjj]

Appreciate that! ❤️

[@shanew762]

Great video...Yes, the original Gracie context is trained vs untrained opponents. Make no mistake...size matters, so does age and athleticism

[@Fabyfakid]

Ruleset also affect how effective one can be against bigger opponents, if you're able to leglock that give you a much better chance.

[@cameronlazenberry4099]

Size clear matters. In submission grappling where you can play guard, I think that margin is smaller, but still obviously matters. Though when I watch Gordon Ryan beat larger opponents sometimes, I think it's mostly just a skill/strategy thing.

[@24inchDubs]

Might mouse

[@davefletch3063]

Gordon ryan uses chemical enhancement

[@AdroitDojo]

The only martial artists who say size doesn't matter are those that were never taught how to fight. They've probably spent all those years doing drills and kata, maybe meditating but never learning the MARTIAL arts.

[@DrJosephKim7]

50 yr old black belt here. Size AND age matters. Heh nice experiment!

[@Zak19915]

This video is good, and I do agree with the fact that athleticism, size, strength, and speed do matter, but you gotta learn how to use it correctly, and learn how to use it with your technique, and I don’t think that the more size you have, or strength you have equals the belt level you have, because just because you can tap a purple belt at white belt, doesn’t mean your a purple belt, because what makes you a purple belt is “Knowing your jiujitsu” is what my teacher said, or basically knowing your own style of BJJ, hope this makes sense and helps!

[@Kodtheupandcoming]

Athleticism = relative strength x absolute strength

[@djkell78]

When skill is near equal. Size does matter. The thing is most bigger guys feel there is no need for them to learn how to fight.

[@DewanMMA]

When you are less than 66kg, size doesn't matter is the mentality that you need, to improve at a faster rate than anyone else. You have to forget the fact that your sparring partner is bigger than you. Forget it until your technique is so good that you can beat them. Size and strength matters, but what that matters more is speed, task specific explosivity and athleticism, and last but not least technique. Being small also brings the advantage of not gassing out so you can keep practising way more than bigger guys. When you love it and with a little break in between you can go 20 live rounds while some bigger guys with worse mentalities and less love and passion for the game only go 3-6 rounds. If your a small wrestler you need to adopt a judo mentality. There is a reason why tournaments in judo still have openweight divisions. Across bjj, judo and wrestling there are grappling techniques that even work against big guys with ease. Of course it's gonna be hard to suplex a guy double your weight, when you could've dropped for an arm throw or gone for a trip instead. A lot of small wrestlers need to counter wrestle or do a chain of attack, instead of only going for that one throw where you can overpower him with strength, because that shit is not gonna work when he's stronger than you. Fake him until you get the right reaction and then commit with speed. Also hit the weight room, if you are forced to get expert level technical skill so your moves work against bigger stronger guys. Then imagine your techniques when your stronger and more explosive than your opponents. You'll become unstoppable. When you lose the mental game and give yourself the excuse that he's bigger than me so its ok if i lose. You've already lost. Do not accept that. Who dares, wins.

[@gdzietotak]

I was doing 7 years of Judo when I was 11-18. I could handle very well bigger guys at school but they were not trained. In the dojo it was impossible to win with someone 2 weight categories above me, also untrained colleague who was way bigger then me like 20 cm/10 inches and 25 kg/50lbs was very difficult to handle but not impossible. If he would train for 9-12 months he might win, he was naturally very strong.

[@maddustman3196]

Btw, if we are not talking about sport, JJ got very nice arsenal vs fingers. Unless going complete berserk and ignoring pain, finger controls are atrocious.

[@MC-qu9jw]

Intent, strength, technique, in that order of importance, are what count's. The later in the list it is the more of it you need to overcome the things earlier in it, if you don't have the minimum of intent any strength or technique is useless, don't have the minimum strength the technique is useless. People who make their money teaching the technique have always downplayed strength aspect as a big part of the customer base doesn't want to do hard exercise or aren't at an average or above size/health. The biggest thing those who aren't already strong/big and haven't physically trained their bodies to a good level get out of martial arts training is the intent part, not the techniques/skills, at least not until they have spent a long long time on it, and in most cases never.

[@joseeduardo732]

The Homie Smurf from AOE

[@QlueGaming]

As a 145lb guy in no-gi absolutes, I feel this

[@drakemoreland9787]

Yeah i trained in judo for 3 years. I was holding my own and sometimes getting the better of black belts with 10 or more years experience. Thats because they are light weights and im 6'2" 250 pounds with some highschool wrestling back nothing crazy. When you have such a physical advantage you can override a lot of technique especially when youre not being nice. Most big guys who start in martial arts go easy with smaller dudes even without them knowing it

[@oramac7237]

14:48 I do exactly the same thing! I'm 6'4", around 230-240 pounds. That exact thing happens to me all the damn time.

[@neuroman04]

Cool vid!