This is a problem that affects mostly bigger students. It’s hard sometimes putting bigger students with smaller students because the weight difference does effect the training.
It doesn’t even matter if there is a difference in skill level.
Just having a big size difference will put off some training partners. Because they might be afraid that they will get hurt.
I know that’s the case with me. When I was younger my instructors would often pair me up with the big boy weighing over 280 lbs.
That was okay in my early 20’s. But now, not so much.
As a bigger guy, this can be a big issue especially if most of your training partners are smaller so what can you do to work on this?
This is a pretty open ended scenario but one thing that bigger guys can do is to really focus on rolling with technique this means not crushing smaller students or using an absurd amount of power while rolling.
This is not easy by any stretch of the imagination and will take time to develop.
Something that will help you do this is to play on bottom more so than playing on top when going with smaller training partners.
This will allow you to focus on your technique and you won’t have to really use your pressure as much.
And when you do play on top try to utilize more speed movement versus strength and pressure.
All that being said, the bigger guy game is a lot different.
It’s more pressure and to be honest a more gritty form of Jiu Jitsu.
Techniques that work on smaller opponents don’t always work on bigger guys once you get to the extreme sizes.
Think football players and freaks of nature that dwarf your average person.
The only way to develop this is by rolling with other bigger guys.
So try reaching out to other big guys to roll. Going to open mats at academies with big students, and inviting your big friends to try a Jiu Jitsu class.
It’s not easy if you don’t have access to a lot of big guys at your academy.
But where there’s a will. There is a way.
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