Topic
In the rec.martial-arts newsgroup in June 2003, 'Eddie' asked a question about overcoming the reach advantage of larger guys:
But how do shorter guys overcome the reach advantage? Are there any drills to help "close the gap"? I often feel like im lunging forward which often gets me clocked… any ideas as to what i can do?
Summary
From the thread came the following essential points:
- Don't just walk into range to hit them. Move, to make them move and expose gaps.
- Get inside and counter.
- Clinch, driving him to the ropes, wall or cage.
- Level change alot to make it difficult for them to anticipate the shoot.
- When going in, penetrate with the lead foot so you can hit past the opponent.
- Practise evasion with a partner, staying just out of range.
Detail
Dan Winsor replied with some tips on training with a partner:
That being said, get a couple of people willing to work with you of varying heights. Go light contact at first so that you can concentrate on the drill, not worry about getting clocked. Now box, but evade with footwork only.
Play a game with yourself to see how close you can get to your opponent without him being able to hit you. Make sure they know what you're after here so that they don't just back you into the ropes and beat you down. What you're looking for here is when you're too far out of range to be effective, when you've closed but can still evade easily (and therefore eventually counter), and when you've committed and are at a disadvantage due to your shorter reach.
Eventually you'll probably want to add grappling to that but that isn't my forte nor what you're asking about. Anyway, hopefully you'll begin to sense when you're right on the edge of your opponent's range and will be able to use that to your advantage.
Bill Mahoney made a number of points in reply to Eddie's request:
- dont just walk into their range to hit them, they will get off first. Move, if the guy is moving around holes in his defense will appear , in other words either for an instant he will not be in position to punch at the place you are presently standing, it is then that you go in.
- counter. Dont give him a target by keeping your defense up, he will strike at you from the outside using his reach, as his blow comes out move his target zone inside(and preferably not straight in) so he misses and you are in tight to him, able to counter.
- clinch. Drive him to the ropes, if he is lankier then you are denser,a tight belly to belly clinch is better for a smaller man. use your lower center to push him around. WHEN YOU ARE LOCKED UP YOU CAN BOTH REACH EACH OTHER and the guy backed to the ropes/cage has a disadvantage.
- In MMA Level change alot.Make him fear your shot even if you dont aim to shoot, if you can catch him coming down to meet a shot when you have a strike going up to meet his head you can hurt him.
Frank Benn closed the thread with a posting about the importance of footwork.
Compensating for lack of reach is usually a matter of footwork. Range and penetration. Tall or short, fighters with good footwork can get in and land, and those without it can't.
In the case of Igor Vovchanchin, his punch is the overhand right. The reason he lands it is the fact that he's committed. It's about where he sets his left foot as he's coming in. He throws the overhand like a sledgehammer.
But since he's short for a heavyweight, he knows he can't stand in front of the opponent and throw it. Doesn't work that way. You'll tend to miss, and get picked apart on the counter. When Igor throws the overhand right, he's going toward you and even past you as he throws it. Moreover, the overhand puts his head in a safe position from counter-attack in many cases – i.e. off-line.
The key for a shorter fighter to land punches on a taller opponent is the placement of the lead foot. When you're coming in, it has to penetrate to where you can hit past the man. If your lead foot isn't close enough to the opponent, then you're just reaching with your punches and you're off balance. From a left lead, as you come in you need to plant your left foot close to and outside his right foot – not in front of him. That's your range. That's where you can hit, and where you have a follow-up.