Height and Fighting

[dirtyvibe]

My friend and me were arguing about how much height matters in fighting. Like 2 guys at the same weight, one 5'8 and one 6'2, I think the the 6'2 guy would have a massive advantage and my friend thinks the 5'8 guy just needs to "not fight like a ***** and get a few inches in". I think it's pretty hard for the 5'8 guy to do that though and that the 6'2 guy should be able to keep him back pretty easily with his massive range advantage. What do you think?

 

[Mr. Unique]

Sylvester stallon who is 5'7 vs Leonardo dicaprio who is 6'0, who do you think wins.... Case closed.

 

[WORKEROUTER]

A short person fighting a tall person needs to get in close and break the distance and range that serves as a tall person's primary striking advatage. It's not easy, and it takes practice, but it can be done. Bruce Lee describes this in detail in his JKD book.

For a great example of this, analyze some fights of Mike Tyson (who wasn't that tall) versus taller opponents. Sure, he had uncanny power, but he totally massacred taller opponents by working his way in and striking to the body.

Also, shorter opponents should utilize their explosiveness and quickness that is so beneficial in ground fighting. Get in to the opponent, take him down, and choke him out!

 

[al77]

Originally posted by dirtyvibe
I think it's pretty hard for the 5'8 guy to do that though and that the 6'2 guy should be able to keep him back pretty easily with his massive range advantage. What do you think?

Sure a taller guy have some advantage in general.
Why do you think chick love tall guys? Ask them - "Because he makes me feel safe.." Naive, but this is what they have in their minds for thousand years. A tall caveman was usually stronger than and short caveman.

Many things changes since then though. If you are trained you have much more advantage of course.

 

[WORKEROUTER]

I'd say the ideal height for a fighter is around 5'10 to 6'0.

 

[Pilo]

it also depends a lot on the experience of both. If the tall guy is a boxer and the shorter guy is a wrestler, then we all know that the shorter guy will win once he takes down the taller one cause the taller one has a great disadvantage on the ground. So that can't be a yes or not question.

 

[Reyaj]

You guys are forgetting about weight.....


Your original question asked who would probably win, a 5'8 guy vs a 6'0 who are the same weight. Well if they are both the same weight and lets say that is about 185 lbs, then the short guy is probably more stock and the 6'0 guy is thinner. I'd say the shorter guy is stronger. The thing is usually taller guys have greater weight and thats what makes it a challenge for someone who is outweighed in a street fight.

 

[silverfox]

Where are they fighting? Why are they fighting? Is it competition or a street fight? Are they both trained or just one or neither? Is one attacking the other? Are they in good health? How are they feeling today?

There's more to it than height.

 

[Chillisauce]

Your all missing the real question..

Do either of the fighters know hidden monkey style kung fu?
Or know a biker's girlfriend named Suzy who hangs out in West end.

 

[MuayThai]

Lol Workrouter knows the score.

Hight IS an advantage, but unless you know how to use it, you'll get beaten.

Not trying to show off but, I regulary spar with a guy 9 inches, yeah 9 inches, taller than me. and he doesn't have a thing on me, beat him from every angle. and he's 30 pounds heavier.

in a real fight aggression and size win. or maybe 4 years of jujitsu training (because everyone in the world has that)

 

[Phoenix_of_the_ashes]

Originally posted by Mr. Unique
Sylvester stallon who is 5'7 vs Leonardo dicaprio who is 6'0, who do you think wins.... Case closed.

Shaq vs. Danny Devito, case reopened.

 

[reyalp]

taller people have more range, but they also have less leverage with their muscles. shorter people, pound for pound, are stronger than taller people, almost entirely due to muscle/bone leverage.

i've seen a 5'2, 110lb 13yr old kid beat the living daylights out of his 6'1, 200lb stepdad. his stepdad went to the hospital to have a broken jaw wired back together.

in addition, i grappled with a guy who had around a 6in height advantage on me, probably weighed in at about 10lbs less than me, and he was in much better shape than i was. the match was over in ~45 seconds, concluded when he passed out from a rear naked choke. but he didn't know squat about grappling, he was into TKD.

 

[Shiftkey]

Generally speaking, the taller guy has a small advantage if everything else is equal. However in your example, if the shorter guy weighs as much as the taller guy because he has extra muscle mass, the shorter guy wins.

Overall, the main factors in a fight are skill and motivation (aka "heart"), not size.

Originally posted by Phoenix_of_the_ashes
Shaq vs. Danny Devito, case reopened.

Danny Devito wins. He has a clear straight shot to Shaq's nuts.

 

[Tallerguy]

Weight is the single most important factor in comparing fighters. This is why Boxing, kickboxing, wrestling and UFC fights are alway broken down into weight catagory.

I am 6' 6" and a good fighter. The extra reach is only a help in the first phaze of combat, Striking. If I can land my jab consistently you are going to be hurting.

I am currently studying some MMA and as soon as you hit the second and third phases of combat, clintch and ground you are better with a stockier frame with all things being equal.

I do love a good scrap

Tallerguy
"he who hesitates, masturbates"

 

[Adone]

Originally posted by reyalp
i've seen a 5'2, 110lb 13yr old kid beat the living daylights out of his 6'1, 200lb stepdad. his stepdad went to the hospital to have a broken jaw wired back together.

Are you serious about this? I personally find it almost impossible to believe that such a thing has happened. The kid was both younger and incredibly smaller.

 

[reyalp]

the kid just got the drop on him, started wailing.

this kid was the type of person who'd black out and not remember fights. he went to jail numerous times during high school for that reason.

it was funny because he was the quietest person you'll ever meet. when people would mess with him, he'd snap, and not be able to stop himself.

 

[Nightwing]

Originally posted by dirtyvibe
My friend and me were arguing about how much height matters in fighting. Like 2 guys at the same weight, one 5'8 and one 6'2, I think the the 6'2 guy would have a massive advantage and my friend thinks the 5'8 guy just needs to "not fight like a ***** and get a few inches in". I think it's pretty hard for the 5'8 guy to do that though and that the 6'2 guy should be able to keep him back pretty easily with his massive range advantage. What do you think?

Look at heavyweight fighters like Mike Tyson and Joe Frazier. Those guys were the best in the business in getting in on taller figters and knocking them out. I think it's about using what you have to your advantage.

 

[Adone]

Originally posted by reyalp
the kid just got the drop on him, started wailing.

this kid was the type of person who'd black out and not remember fights. he went to jail numerous times during high school for that reason.

it was funny because he was the quietest person you'll ever meet. when people would mess with him, he'd snap, and not be able to stop himself.

Now I begin to understand how that could be possible... I thought you were talking about a typical skinny 13-yrs-old. He probably was experienced in fights, beside being crazy...

 

[Shiftkey]

Originally posted by Tallerguy
Weight is the single most important factor in comparing fighters. This is why Boxing, kickboxing, wrestling and UFC fights are alway broken down into weight catagory.

I dissagree.
1) Boxing/etc matches are not real fighting. There's rules that must be followed, and it's inpersonal.
2) Fights are broken down into weight catagory because it is the only factor (other than height) that can be objectively followed.

Take a look at other sports where the players get into fights. Basketball for example - most of those guys are huge, yet they can't land a punch (or if they do, it's a very weak hit). I'm smaller than most of them, but I KNOW I'd be able to win a fight against most of them because of my skill. If weight were the single factor in a fight, you'd be wasting your time training in MA. Instead you should only be lifting and eating.

I'd place important factors in this order:
1) Skill/Experience
2) Motivation
3) Age (child vs adult vs elder)
4) Weight
5) (waaay below weight) Height

 

[petah2001]

I'd just like to add that short people have a big advantage in head buts. If you grapple somebody taller than you, don't be afraid to headbut them. Plus you'll look like a total badass if it works.