Icy Mike, a martial arts instructor and YouTube sensation, recently posted a meme stating, “There is no martial art that is designed for smaller people to defeat bigger people… this includes BJJ”. This is a bold statement as one of the cornerstones of martial arts training is that a smaller opponent can defeat a larger assailant. So, what does he mean by this? Well, unfortunately, I am unable to crawl inside the head of Icy Mike, a fact I’m sure he is grateful for, but we can discuss the topics that his statement bring to light.
First, we need to establish context. Otherwise, we leave ourselves open to the realm of what-ifs. Most people always make the mistake of confusing martial arts as self-protection and try to merge the two. Icy Mike does not provide any clues as to which category he is speaking, but, as an avid follower of his work, I feel I can make some predictions as I am pretty sure he is speaking only about martial arts. Remember, I define a martial art as a cultural or regional expression of fighting. Keep this in mind as it will help shape the discussion.
So, how about we tackle the big issue head-on: does size matter? The simple answer is, yes! I can already hear the peanut gallery lining up with stories claiming this is not true. However, let us take a breath and think about this logically. If size is not a deciding factor, then why does every combat sports competition have weight classes? Competition is designed to test the skill of two competitors and size is a variable that needs to be eliminated if one truly wants an accurate representation of skill. Think about it, if I have two competitors who match up roughly in height, weight, and training, then what is the deciding factor to determine who will be victorious?
But maybe a sports context is too radical a line of reasoning to support this idea, so let us turn to science. Two variables are measured when determining force, the mass of an object and speed the object is traveling. So, one can assume that if I want to inflict more damage or generate more force then I simply need to bulk up and get faster. This is true but here is the thing; everyone has a plateau point where the human body just peaks. There is no way around genetics. If an individual is built with a smaller frame there is only so much that can be done.
To address the elephant in the room, why can all these martial artists point to so many cases where a smaller person defeated a larger opponent? Again, context is key in determining the appropriate answer. Is this some so-called “street altercation” where a wide range of variables occur and it is not necessarily martial arts related? Is this a grappling competition where no strikes are permitted? Or how about a kickboxing match where I am unable to take someone to the ground? Yes, there is always a wild card factor that can affect an outcome. However, to have blind faith as a martial artist that training always trumps size is foolish. An untrained individual who outweighs someone by a hundred pounds and has a height advantage can still do serious damage if given the opportunity. Yes, training can be an equalizer, but it is not a guarantee.
Let us look at an unlikely scenario within the realm of possibility. We have an individual who trains at a martial arts academy, but has never trained with anyone of different body type or weight from themselves. Does this individual still possess the skills necessary to deal with a smaller or larger opponent? On paper or face value, yes. However, in reality or in practice, absolutely not. It’s one of the main reasons why instructors encourage yet almost demand students train with different body types and weights. A technique or drill can change drastically when there is a large discrepancy in size. This is just a simple way of illustrating the point that size matters.
We have to remember that a martial art in and of itself is not designed around a specific body type no matter how much we may will it to be so. It is just a reality. However, specific instructors in a style may be better at teaching strategies that work to combat specific body types. Let me clarify this more because we have to understand that a strategy taught by an instructor is not the same as the art. It may seem as if I am splitting hairs but I swear that I am not. If a strategy is the same as the art then if we had a group of instructors from the same style all in one room, they would agree and propose the same answer to the problem. However, having been in martial arts for more than 5 minutes I can guarantee that seldom happens. People have different opinions and experiences that shape their perspectives.
But what about the Filipino martial arts with all their fancy stick and knife work? I mean surely those are made for smaller people. Yes, thank you to the peanut gallery. It was only a matter of time before someone shouted out about weapons. Weapons are always the great equalizer which is why someone invented them in the first place. But it does bring us to a grey area as most people do not think of weapons in martial arts. Even though there are numerous martial arts built around weapons practices. But even here, it is hard to definitively state that these martial arts provide a clear advantage or are designed with smaller people in mind. If someone with a bigger frame and another with a small frame both swing a stick, which one hits harder? Remember, force is calculated by the mass of an object multiplied by the speed it is traveling. While the mass of the stick does not change, the speed in which it travels can. Someone with a bigger frame and more muscle is going to be able to swing a stick faster, thus resulting in more force.
The same logic can be applied to all weapons, even firearms. The bigger a bullet, the more energy released, which requires more stability to handle the recoil. A person with a larger frame would have an easier time handling the recoil. Bigger people have more muscle mass which allows them to hit harder and be stronger, no two ways about it. Yes, the person there jumping up and down with your cellphone in the air, let me guess you found some YouTube clip of a small guy beating a bigger guy in the “street”. Well, I guess we’ll address the last elephant in the room.
Remember, martial arts is not self-protection. A person cannot use one to justify the other. So, to quickly touch upon this area of discussion, I will address a few key points. Self-protection is a set of skills devoid of martial intent or origin designed to avoid and handle violence. These skills include knowledge of tactics and tools meant to give an individual the most advantages in an encounter. Part of these tactics is understanding how size factors into an equation with a ridiculous number of variables that are always changing. Notice how I said size is something to be considered not dismissed.
The act of violence does not understand the concept of size. A large person, whether trained or not, can deliver large amounts of force. Throw on top of that many variables such as drugs, emotional instability, mental illness, weapons, and social settings, then we have a highly dangerous situation. Conversely, a smaller individual can be just as dangerous under these conditions. If a smaller individual has the intent and the will to commit acts of violence with lethality, then they will find a way. Which is why size is something that is factored into training for self-protection.
In the interest of fairness though, I will make an honorable mention to say that a martial art can provide strategies for dealing with size discrepancies for self-protection. Just as I stated earlier, many instructors demand that students work with training partners that differ in body type and size from themselves. Because of this type of training, students learn how to be adaptable, which is a skill that can carry over into self-protection training. This is not to say that because students are training to be adaptable, they are training for self-protection. Self-protection and martial arts are two separate entities, but they can have skills that can correlate between the two.
But before we get too sucked into the self-protection wormhole, let us get back to the topic at hand and see if we can make a point out of all this. A martial art in and of itself is not designed around a specific body type. There may be arts that favor certain body types but that does not mean the opposite of those body types cannot train in them. It just means those individuals have obstacles to overcome. If an individual tries to use a specific situation to justify their position, remember, just to hammer it home one more time, context matters. That and a heavy dose of objective reasoning along with some common sense, but we take what we can get. Size matters. To suggest otherwise is ignorant and foolish, no two ways about it. As I am unable to say it better, I give the last words to Icy Mike, “There is no martial art that is designed for smaller people to defeat bigger people”.
Editor’s Note: Author Richard Morgan goes deeper in the discussion of martial arts versus self protection in his previous article here!
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Appropriate force to deflect an attack is usually permitted under state and federal law. To attack, because you FEEL threatened could subject you to criminal or civil penalties. This applies to protection of those we are with. There are many non-lethal ways to disable an attacker, but our first priority is to try to get our loved ones safely away, then try to defuse the perceived threat.