Top 7 How To Fight If You’Re Tall And Skinny Best 131 Answer

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Is being tall good in a fight?

Both height and reach play a significant role in every combat sport. Generally speaking, a taller fighter with a longer reach can strike their opponent more safely, but they are also at risk of being a larger target if their opponent makes it past their range.

Does size matter in a fight?

Size does matter in the martial arts, but not necessarily in the way you might think. In martial arts fights and tournaments, there are weight classes to ensure that opponents are evenly matched. Of course, in a self-defense situation, you don’t get to pick the size of your opponent.

Do muscles matter in a fight?

You see, having big muscles doesn’t mean one can strike hard. The power of every strike comes from the rotation of your entire body, notably your legs and hips. Not having over-developed muscles makes a fighter more flexible and allows them to rotate their entire body faster, generate more power and speed in a strike.

Do skinny guys punch harder?

Therefore, the way in which you use your body is very important, whatever your body mass. In the grappling element of a fight a bigger guy will have a significant advantage over a smaller guy, at least initially. It is naturally assumed also that the bigger the person, the harder they can punch.

What is the best spot to punch?

The Best Places to Punch Someone, According to Science
  • The Nose. The nose is an excellent spot to hit someone if you don’t necessarily want to knock them out. …
  • The Chin/Jaw. …
  • The Neck. …
  • Behind the Ear. …
  • The Throat. …
  • Solar Plexus.

Does strength help in a fight?

It is important to work on the initial strength of a muscle in a near-resting state rather than a muscle that is already contracted, since this is very rare in a fight. The combined work of initial strength and acceleration strength will help you become quicker.

How do you know if you punch hard?

That’s why the big hands are an important factor when it comes to punching power. If your hand circumference is more than 8.5″, you have pretty big hands, which is a sign of a hard puncher.

What martial art is best for tall guys?

The 5 Best Martial Arts for Tall People
  • Taekwondo.
  • Muay Thai.
  • Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
  • Kickboxing.
  • Boxing.

How do you win a fight in seconds?

To win a fight in under 30 seconds, try to avoid your opponent’s first kick or punch by stepping to the side, then use their momentum to push them down from behind. Give them the strongest push possible by thrusting off the ground with your legs and following through with your arms.

Are taller guys better fighters?

because they make better fighters. Women prefer taller men because they are better at fighting, scientists claimed yesterday. A study has shown men hit hardest when striking downwards and the blows of a taller man are more powerful than the thumps of a short man.

What martial art is best for tall skinny guy?

The five best martial arts for tall skinny guys are:
  • Taekwondo.
  • Brazlian Jiu Jitsu.
  • Boxing.
  • Muay Thai.
  • Mixed Martial Arts.

Can skinny people learn BJJ?

Absolutely! Every body type is able to learn Jiu Jitsu and become very good. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has sport competitions that are based on weight (and experience/belt level). This creates an environment that somewhat limits weight/size advantages.


Fight Strategy for TALLER guys – How to use height as an advantage in a fight – Fight Smart
Fight Strategy for TALLER guys – How to use height as an advantage in a fight – Fight Smart


How to win street fights as an extremely skinny, yet tall guy – Quora

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  • Summary of article content: Articles about How to win street fights as an extremely skinny, yet tall guy – Quora Walk in a confent and simple manner. Keep your hands to your ses, stand tall, but don’t act like you have an ego, and move with purpose. …
  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How to win street fights as an extremely skinny, yet tall guy – Quora Walk in a confent and simple manner. Keep your hands to your ses, stand tall, but don’t act like you have an ego, and move with purpose. You can borrow some ideas from the MT fighters from Thailand. 🙂 You should use your reach and height advantage. Using more straight strikes is a good idea. Jab, cross, front kick, side kick are all good. The elbows are also an option in closer ra…
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How to win street fights as an extremely skinny, yet tall guy - Quora
How to win street fights as an extremely skinny, yet tall guy – Quora

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Fighting With Your Physique | Tall & Lean – YouTube

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Fighting With Your Physique | Tall & Lean - YouTube
Fighting With Your Physique | Tall & Lean – YouTube

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How to Fight Someone Skinnier Than You (If You’re Heavy) – YouTube

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How to Fight Someone Skinnier Than You (If You're Heavy) - YouTube
How to Fight Someone Skinnier Than You (If You’re Heavy) – YouTube

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How Much Does Height And Reach Matter In Combat Sports? – MMACHANNEL

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  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How Much Does Height And Reach Matter In Combat Sports? – MMACHANNEL Updating Regarding qualifying factors for combat sports, height and reach are some of the most important elements to determining natural ability. Most combat sports separate fighters…
  • Table of Contents:

Is It Better To Be Taller Or Shorter In A Fight

What Matters More In A Fight Height or Weight

What Is Cutting Weight

What Is An Ape Index

How Do You Fight Someone With A Long Reach

How To Punch Harder

Conclusion

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How Much Does Height And Reach Matter In Combat Sports? – MMACHANNEL
How Much Does Height And Reach Matter In Combat Sports? – MMACHANNEL

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How To Fight Someone Bigger And Taller Than You – YouTube

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  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How To Fight Someone Bigger And Taller Than You – YouTube Updating Follow in the footsteps of the best Muay Thai fighters ever, like Saenchai and Kaoklai, and learn how to fight someone bigger and taller than you! The quicke…How To Fight Someone Bigger And Taller Than You, how to fight a bigger opponent, how to beat a bigger opponent in a fight, how to fight a taller opponent in muay thai, how to fight a bigger opponent muay thai, how to win a fight, how to win a muay thai fight, how to win a fight if your smaller, how to win a fight against someone taller than u, fighting taller opponents, fighting taller opponents muay thai, fighting bigger opponents muay thai, how to fight, fight tips, muay thai
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How To Fight Someone Bigger And Taller Than You - YouTube
How To Fight Someone Bigger And Taller Than You – YouTube

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Fighting With Your Physique | Tall & Lean – YouTube

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  • Summary of article content: Articles about Fighting With Your Physique | Tall & Lean – YouTube Here are 8 tips how to be a more effective, intelligent and dangerous fighter if you are taller and leaner than most of your opponents. …
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Fighting With Your Physique | Tall & Lean - YouTube
Fighting With Your Physique | Tall & Lean – YouTube

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Fight Strategy for TALLER guys – How to use height as an advantage in a fight – Fight Smart – YouTube

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Fight Strategy for TALLER guys - How to use height as an advantage in a fight - Fight Smart - YouTube
Fight Strategy for TALLER guys – How to use height as an advantage in a fight – Fight Smart – YouTube

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[EXPLAINED] 5 Best Martial Arts For Tall Skinny Guys

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5 Best Martial Arts For Tall Skinny Guys

Why Tall Skinny Guys Should Learn Martial Arts

Taekwondo

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Boxing

Muay Thai

Mixed Martial Arts

Conclusion

[EXPLAINED] 5 Best Martial Arts For Tall Skinny Guys
[EXPLAINED] 5 Best Martial Arts For Tall Skinny Guys

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How to Beat a Taller and Bigger Opponent in a Street Fight

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  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How to Beat a Taller and Bigger Opponent in a Street Fight Updating Let’s face it – size does matter. So if you ever find yourself in an altercation with a larger opponent, it will be worth knowing how to employ the right offensive and defensive strategies to overcome their height and reach advantage….
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Steps

Expert Q&A

Tips

Warnings

You Might Also Like

References

About This Article

Reader Success Stories

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How to Beat a Taller and Bigger Opponent in a Street Fight
How to Beat a Taller and Bigger Opponent in a Street Fight

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Best Style for Tall Lanky People? – Combat – Forums – T Nation

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  • Summary of article content: Articles about Best Style for Tall Lanky People? – Combat – Forums – T Nation If you are talking unarmed self defense: I’d say go with Muay Thai. It is a great bang for you buck , and it favors strength and reach. …
  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for Best Style for Tall Lanky People? – Combat – Forums – T Nation If you are talking unarmed self defense: I’d say go with Muay Thai. It is a great bang for you buck , and it favors strength and reach. I am 6.4 ft tall and am interested in learning some type of fighting style. Currently just bodybuilding at the moment but would like to use my muscle strength gains towards a fighting style for self defense.
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Best Style for Tall Lanky People? - Combat - Forums - T Nation
Best Style for Tall Lanky People? – Combat – Forums – T Nation

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Techniques to use and avoid as a lanky fighter | Sherdog Forums | UFC, MMA & Boxing Discussion

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  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for Techniques to use and avoid as a lanky fighter | Sherdog Forums | UFC, MMA & Boxing Discussion Stay long and fight on the outse. If youre gonna be longer then a lot of guys you get in there with this will more than likely be your … Hey,
    I’ve been training MT for about 8 months. I want to fight eventually but so far have only sparred. Im 6’4 170 without cutting (probably can make…
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Techniques to use and avoid as a lanky fighter | Sherdog Forums | UFC, MMA & Boxing Discussion
Techniques to use and avoid as a lanky fighter | Sherdog Forums | UFC, MMA & Boxing Discussion

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Best Martial Art for a tall skinny guy? – The Student Room

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  • Summary of article content: Articles about Best Martial Art for a tall skinny guy? – The Student Room it all depends where you live, i.e. if there are any good trainers. I’d suggest hapko/taekwondo – or a bit of sambo/judo (but being tall and skinny is a … …
  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for Best Martial Art for a tall skinny guy? – The Student Room it all depends where you live, i.e. if there are any good trainers. I’d suggest hapko/taekwondo – or a bit of sambo/judo (but being tall and skinny is a …
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Best Martial Art for a tall skinny guy? - The Student Room
Best Martial Art for a tall skinny guy? – The Student Room

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How to Beat a Shorter Boxer

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  • Summary of article content: Articles about How to Beat a Shorter Boxer You can always lean on him yet he can never lean on you. … As long as you keep fighting tall, he’ll be carrying you the entire fight. …
  • Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How to Beat a Shorter Boxer You can always lean on him yet he can never lean on you. … As long as you keep fighting tall, he’ll be carrying you the entire fight.
  • Table of Contents:

What’s So Great About Being Tall

Any Disadvantages of Being Taller

Beating a Shorter Boxer

The 3 Ranges of Fighting a Shorter Boxer

Long Range Fighting

Mid Range Fighting

Close Range

Examples of Great Tall Boxers

Being Tall is an Advantage in Boxing!

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How to Beat a Shorter Boxer
How to Beat a Shorter Boxer

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How Much Does Height And Reach Matter In Combat Sports? – MMACHANNEL

Regarding qualifying factors for combat sports, height and reach are some of the most important elements to determining natural ability. Most combat sports separate fighters into different classes based on their weight, but their height and reach can vary massively within these categories.

Both height and reach play a significant role in every combat sport. Generally speaking, a taller fighter with a longer reach can strike their opponent more safely, but they are also at risk of being a larger target if their opponent makes it past their range. They must have reliable defensive capabilities to overcome that disadvantage.

Combat sports are incredibly nuanced, and while height and reach are undeniably crucial to the sport, the way in which they affect an individual fighter’s abilities can differ enormously. Continue reading to learn more about how these elements affect every fighter and every match.

Is It Better To Be Taller Or Shorter In A Fight?

One of the most hotly debated topics surrounding combat sports is whether it is more advantageous to be taller or shorter in a fight. The reason it is such a divisive concept is that there is no clear answer to the question. There have been numerous successful fighters on either end of the spectrum across multiple disciplines, making a definite answer nearly impossible.

There are advantages to being tall and being short, and there are disadvantages to both extremes. Review the following pros and cons of height variations to learn more about the inherent advantages and disadvantages of each.

Advantages For Tall Combatants

Generally increased range. There are certain exceptions to this rule, which will be discussed later in this article, but in most cases, the taller the fighter, the greater their reach. A fighter with a more extended reach than their opponent can strike without fear of reprisal.

Better defensive capabilities in individual sports. Especially in boxing, a taller fighter has the advantage of their opponent needing to punch upwards, which can lessen their effectiveness unless they are familiar with that particular matchup.

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU: Top 13 Tallest MMA Fighters of All Time, Ranked

Disadvantages For Tall Combatants

A higher center of gravity. In most instances, a taller fighter will be easier to throw off balance and have a more challenging time recovering their stance.

Weight class disadvantage. This aspect, in particular, is vital to consider when comparing shorter fighters to taller ones. It is easier to fit into a lower weight class as a smaller fighter, which can allow these combatants an advantage against others in their weight category.

Advantages For Shorter Combatants

Being shorter and smaller often provides the benefit of greater agility. A smaller body requires less energy to move around the arena, which can give an advantage in terms of endurance.

Close range. Shorter fighters can often beat taller opponents if they can position themselves close against their opponents, nullifying the range advantage. Since shorter fighters tend to have shorter limbs as well, they can execute full-power strikes more efficiently while eliminating their opponent’s range advantage.

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU: Top 15 Shortest MMA Fighters of All Time, Ranked

Disadvantages For Shorter Combatants

Getting into closer range. As effective as shorter fighters can be when they close the gap, it can be challenging to get past a taller fighter’s range. Most combatants with a range advantage are familiar with using that advantage to wall out their opponent and prevent them from getting close enough to strike.

As the match goes on in specific fighting disciplines and the combatants become exhausted, the taller fighter may end up leaning on the shorter fighter and using them to support their weight, alleviating some of their exhaustion and adding to their opponents.

However, it is of the utmost importance to be aware that every one of these advantages and disadvantages can be overcome with technique and practice. Understanding the natural advantages and disadvantages that stem from being tall or short is the first step for combatants to develop their skills to overcome those hurdles.

What Matters More In A Fight, Height or Weight?

Both height and weight play significant roles when determining an advantage in a fight. Especially in an unregulated fight, the heavier opponent will have an advantage as they have increased muscle mass, allowing them to hit harder and withstand strikes from their opponent more easily.

It is for this reason that combat sports separate fighters based on weight class. Creating different categories for fighters to compete in based on their weight helps to level the playing field. These categories prevent combatants from needing to spar against an opponent that creates an unfair disadvantage.

While height does play an important role, it determines the fighter’s style more than weight does. While taller fighters generally end up being in higher weight classes than shorter fighters because of their increased size, their height does not give them an ensured advantage beyond greater reach. Additionally, shorter fighters often find themselves in advantageous weight matchups because they can put on more muscle mass than taller fighters without being pushed up a weight class.

What Is Cutting Weight?

As mentioned above, weight classes exist to ensure some degree of equality between combatants by ensuring that participants are similar in terms of their overall weight. In professional fighting competitions, fighters agree to show up for the weigh-in at an acceptable range for their competing category. Cutting weight is the practice of rapidly losing weight before their weigh-in to compete at a specific weight class.

Through the process of dehydrating themselves, fighters can lose up to 30lbs over a period of 48 hours. In most professional fights, the combatants are then allowed 24 hours to rehydrate themselves before they compete. This practice often results in fighters weighing themselves in up to two categories lower than they will weigh on the day of the competition itself.

There are numerous dangers involved with cutting weight for a professional competition, and even more risks with amateur fights because the window to rehydrate before the match starts may be much shorter. Nevertheless, weight cutting is a common practice for most combat sports and is unlikely to change in the coming years.

What Is An Ape Index?

At this point, we have established that one of the few concrete, natural advantages in combat sports is that of greater reach. Having the ability to strike an opponent while staying out of their range is often a significant factor in determining who wins in a fight. While taller fighters generally have greater reach due to their increased stature, it is not always the case. Sometimes, combatants have greater reach than their height would suggest, which led to the creation of the Ape Index.

Ape Index refers to the measure of a fighter’s arm span relative to their height. In most cases, the average arm span of a person is the same as their height. Ape Index is measured by subtracting a person’s height from their arm span, which would result in a neutral ratio for the average person.

The average boxer has an arm span that is approximately 2.5″ longer than that of a regular individual, which translates to an Ape Index of 2.5″. It is important to note that this difference does not indicate that boxing increases a person’s arm length. However, people with longer arms have that advantage of reach, making them more likely to become boxers than people without that advantage.

Below are some of the height, reach, and corresponding Ape Indices of fifteen boxing champions.

Fighters Height Reach Ape Index 1) Sony Liston 6’1″ 84″ +11.0″ 2) Hasim Rahman 6’2.5″ 82″ +7.5″ 3) James Douglas 6’3.5″ 83″ +7.5″ 4) Sam Langford 5’6.5″ 74″ +7.5″ 5) Steve Cunningham 6’3″ 82″ +7.0″ 6) Lennox Lewis 6’5″ 84″ +7.0″ 7) Primo Carnera 6’6″ 85″ +7.0″ 8) Adonis Stevenson 5’11” 77″ +6.0″ 9) William Landon Jones 5’9″ 75″ +6.0″ 10) Larry Holmes 6’3″ 81″ +6.0″ 11) Paul Williams 6’1″ 79″ +6.0″ 12) Tommy Burns 5’7″ 73″ +6.0″ 13) Marvin Hagler 5’9″ 75″ +6.0″ 14) Charley Burley 5’9″ 75″ +6.0″ 15) Thomas Hearns 6’1″ 78″ +5.0″

While reach does contribute enormously to success in boxing, specifically due to the focus on punches as the primary form of attack, it can benefit fighters in other disciplines as well. MMA is another combat sport with many champions possessing higher than average Ape Indices, as shown below.

How Do You Fight Someone With A Long Reach?

Boxing, MMA, and other combat sports are filled with examples of shorter fighters with less reach defeating taller or longer reaching opponents. While their individual techniques differ depending on the combatants’ specialties, there are unifying principles that exist across this spectrum.

Fighters who possess longer-ranged punches or kicks also have the advantage that their limbs have a greater torque, resulting in a more powerful strike in most instances. However, this additional force is only generated at the end of the strike, which creates a situation where shorter combatants have a way to take advantage.

A good analogy is that of a baseball bat. In baseball, the batter tries to strike the ball with the end of the bat, as their swing generates the most force at the farthest end. If the batter hits the ball with the end of the bat closer to their hands, there will be significantly less force behind the swing, which results in the ball traveling less distance.

The same concept applies in combat sports. If a taller person with a longer reach connects their strike without reaching their limb’s almost full extension, they cannot generate the maximum amount of force possible. Conversely, shorter opponents with shorter limbs can achieve their maximum extension over a shorter distance, which gives them an enormous advantage if they can close the distance between themselves and their opponent.

In boxing, this concept of fighting in very close quarters is referred to as “in-fighting” or fighting from the inside. The vast majority of shorter boxers fight from the inside to negate the reach of their taller opponents, but they are only able to do so if they have the speed and mobility to get past the taller opponent’s reach.

A famous example of this tactic is Mike Tyson, who was shorter than many of his opponents and had an average Ape Index, meaning that many of his opponents outranged him. Tyson would use deceptive head movements and defensive options to lull his opponent into making an unsafe strike. Then Tyson would slip past his opponent’s reach and hit them with close-range hooks and uppercuts to win many matches.

Tyson would take this technique one step further by never leaving that close range, especially early in his career. For many smaller fighters, half of the challenge is getting into that close range to be able to strike their opponent, but the other challenge is managing to get back out when their offense has worn out. Tyson would overcome that challenge by never letting down his aggressive approach and preventing his taller opponents from using their range and power over that longer distance.

How To Punch Harder

Having explored many of the advantages that greater range brings to combat sports, many people may assume that longer arms punch harder. This concept is true to a point, but as mentioned above, this is only the case if the punch coming from a long arm can reach close to its full extension and if the fighter with the more extended arm can move their body entirely.

Learning how to punch correctly, whether with long arms or short ones, is the best tactic to deliver a more powerful blow. There are many techniques and practices to understand how to do this properly, but they all revolve around certain basic principles.

Martial artist Bruce Lee described the theory behind his famous one-inch punch as the importance of putting weight behind your strike, and the way to do that is by using your entire body. Moving your whole body one inch will deliver a more powerful strike than moving your arm one foot. The trick to generating power in this way is to move your entire body all at once, even if only over a short distance.

This concept also applies to the importance of fighters using their legs to create additional force behind their punches. The leg muscles are some of the strongest ones in the entire body, and using them to generate extra power behind punches is necessary to deliver powerful strikes.

Lastly, it is vital to understand the importance of using range effectively. The most potent punches are not delivered at the arm’s maximum extension but instead just before that point. This distance generates the full amount of force before it dissipates when the arm reaches the end of its extension.

Conclusion

Height and reach are undeniably important elements of combat sports. In particular, while reach confers an advantage to the fighter with longer limbs, it is not an insurmountable obstacle, and proper training and education can overcome that hurdle. The history of combat sports is filled with examples of fighters on every part of the spectrum excelling at these disciplines. While natural advantages play their role in individual fighters’ careers, the training and practice that those combatants underwent were more critical than their innate capabilities.

[EXPLAINED] 5 Best Martial Arts For Tall Skinny Guys

Reading Time: 7 minutes

It can be quite intimidating being a tall lanky guy.

Speaking from experience going to my first jiu-jitsu class as a 6 foot tall, 65kg, 19-year-old.

You feel helpless due to your lack of upper body strength.

But martial arts is a great way to build confidence, learn self-defense and have some fun.

In this post, we’ll be looking at the five best martial arts for Tall Skinny Men.

5 Best Martial Arts For Tall Skinny Guys

The five best martial arts for tall skinny guys are:

Taekwondo Brazlian Jiu Jitsu Boxing Muay Thai Mixed Martial Arts

Learning martial arts will provide so many benefits, for a lanky guy.

If you’re on the fence about learning martial arts, I’ll give you a few reasons why you should consider doing it.

Why Tall Skinny Guys Should Learn Martial Arts

If you feel vulnerable due to your slender frame practicing martial arts is one of the best things you can do to build confidence in yourself.

Never underestimate how much good technique beats strength and size.

There was a reason the Gracie family picked Royce to carry the touch for their family and martial art at UFC 1.

He was one of the least physically imposing members of the family.

He was 6ft 1 and weighed about 170lbs or 77kg.

He was taking on the likes of Ken Shamrock who was 220lbs and sub 10% body fat.

To the untrained eye in 1993, Shamrock looked to be the heavy favorite.

But we all know how that ended.

Here are my top 5 reasons you should consider learning a martial art:

It helps promote a healthier lifestyle It teaches you self-discipline It builds confidence It teaches you self-defence It’s a great way to meet likeminded people and make new friends

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Taekwondo

Taekwondo is a Korean-based striking martial art.

It was developed in the 1940s and 1950s.

Designed to provide the fastest and most powerful strikes possible.

The art allows punches to the body but it does prioritize kicking.

Meaning a tall long person will be better equipped to manage the distance.

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Why Taekwondo is great for Tall Skinny Guys.

Your long limbs and slender frame will mean you’re likely to be a lot taller than your opponents of similar weight.

So you’ll be able to control the range well with your leading leg.

Similar to how Stephen Thompson does in MMA.

Another problem lanky guys tend to deal with is back pain.

Due to excessively looking down and not having the muscles to properly support the spine.

Taekwondo requires so much mobility and flexibility because of all the kicks, it helps to develop strength in these weaker areas.

Doing lots of dynamic and static stretching to gain that mobility will do wonders for back pain.

A lot of lower back pain is due to tightness in the sciatic nerve which goes from the bottom of your spinal cord down the back of your leg, all the way to your foot.

All that stretching will relieve tightness in your sciatic nerve.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has its origin from Japanese Judoka, Mitsuyo Maeda.

Maeda came to Brazil around the time of the First World War and fought in professional wrestling challenges hosted by the circus.

Where he later taught the art to the Gracies.

Over time, they refined the ground game of Judo known as Newaza.

Into what we know today as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

A style of grappling that primarily takes place on the ground.

With a heavy focus on control, strangles, and joint lock.

Similar to kickboxing and wrestling, Jiu-Jitsu has had a big impact on mixed martial arts.

Notable modern MMA fighters with a strong Jiu-Jitsu base are Rodolfo Vieira, Demian Maia, and current UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.

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Why Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Is Great For Tall Skinny Guys

The great thing about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is that there’s no one body type that you need to be successful.

There are short stocky guys like Rousimar Palhares, who is 5ft 8 and competed at 88kg or 194lbs.

As well as Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu, who is 5ft 11 and weighs over 220lbs.

Then you have very lanky competitors like Ben Eddy who competes at 145lbs despite being 5ft 10.

Not to mention Keenan Cornelius who competed at 88kg in gi, despite being 6ft 2.

There are aspects of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that are effective for all body types.

Someone who has long limbs for their weight will find it very easy to be proficient at triangle choke.

A choke that involves the legs going around your opponent’s neck and one of their shoulders.

This is because you won’t have to create many angles to get the strangulation.

Which is where most triangles are lost, in the creation of the necessary angle.

Another big factor in Jiu-Jitsu is the guard.

The guard is controlling your opponent with at least one part of your legs.

The top player needs to completely pass the bottom person’s legs so they can go into their most effective attack from the top.

Having longer legs mean you can manage distance better by pushing them away.

Also because there will be more of you to get around.

Boxing

The martial sport of boxing needs no introduction.

This fast-paced combat skill uses various systemized methods of training fighters for both offense and defense.

Fighters learn to hone their skills using a variety of punching styles, combinations, and fast footwork.

Boxing is one of the oldest fighting sports and tests a fighter’s ability in various ways, including cardio.

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Why Boxing Is Great For Tall Skinny Guys

Being a taller guy will likely mean you have a very long reach for your weight.

If you’re a fan of the UFC you might know featherweight fighter, Sean Woodson.

He came from a boxing background and is very tall and skinny.

Standing 6ft 2 with a 78-inch reach, which is larger than half of the heavyweights.

But probably walking into the cage around 165lbs.

He’s successful because of his strong jab and great cardio.

Currently, he’s 3-1 in the UFC

If you’re a guy who’s tall and skinny, you’re more likely to be slow-twitch muscle fibre dominant, and do better in endurance sports.

I know I always found aerobic exercise came a lot easier than anaerobic.

Boxing has a lot more rounds and a longer time limit than other martial arts like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, with a lot of local competitions only doing 5-minute matches.

Boxing can have as many as twelve 3 minute rounds.

Those later rounds will favour someone who isn’t carrying very much muscle mass.

I bring it back to MMA where most fights are 15 minutes.

A prime example of a fast-twitch heavily muscled fighter struggling in the later round is middleweight Abdul-Razak Alhassan, where all of his wins are by 1st round knockout.

But struggles later on in the fight.

Once you get confident in boxing and can control your nerves, someone like you with a tall skinny frame can keep that same volume from the earlier rounds.

Maybe even increasing it when you get your second wind later in the fight.

Everybody has a unique physiological characteristic and they can make you successful in a given martial art.

As long as you use them to your advantage.

Muay Thai

Muay Thai, also known as The Art of Eight Limbs is a striking martial art using your hands, feet, knees, and elbows.

The art of Muay Thai came out of Thailand where it’s still a very popular sport in the country.

ALSO READ: [EXPLAINED] Boxing Vs Muay Thai | Which Style Is Better?

Why Muay Thai Is Great For Tall Skinny Guys

Similar to the other two striking sports, boxing and taekwondo, you can use your reach advantage against more compact fighters.

Another reason you’ll have success in Muay Thai is through the use of elbows and knees.

Being very boney as a tall and skinny person, you’ll likely have very sharp elbows and knees.

Having these sharp features will cut your opponents open far easier.

So if you’re interested in doing competitive Muay Thai, the ability to open up cuts would be a big advantage.

As you’ll either make the fight more difficult for your opponent, or you’ll get a stoppage victory from the cut.

Mixed Martial Arts

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a recent development in the martial arts world.

Popularised in the 1990s by UFC in the US, Pancrase in Japan and Vale Tudo in Brazil.

It quickly became one of the fasted growing sports in the world.

Going from a fringe, heavily looked down upon sport.

To being on the biggest sports networks in the world.

In just a matter of 15-20 years.

The sport is self-explanatory, it’s a mixing of the martial arts.

It has stand up where you can use everything but headbutts, groin strikes and eye pokes.

Clinch and cage work is quite unique to MMA, as it’s very different from clinching of other martial arts.

A ground game where all submissions are legal, and in some promotions in east Asia, kicks and knees to a grounded opponent are also legal.

ALSO READ: [EXPLAINED] 5 Best Martial Arts for Bullying

Why Mixed Martial Arts Is Great For Tall Skinny People

As previously mentioned, you can keep range well when standing due to longer limbs and extra height.

Something Dan Hardy brings up when taking down tall people on the fence.

It’s like trying to take down a table.

There’s always a limb or some sort of post making it awkward.

You might not have the same level of upper body strength of some of your opponents.

But your unique body type poses some unusual problems.

Like closing the distance, and dealing with unusual takedown defence.

Also in MMA, you’ll learn a bit of everything.

So from a self-defense perspective, you’ll be comfortable in all aspects of fighting.

Whether it’s stand up or on the ground.

Conclusion

If you’re a bit insecure, starting a martial art is a great way to build confidence and it’s great exercise as well.

You’ll also improve in many other parts of life, as martial arts tend to be a mental and emotional practice as much as it is physical.

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How to Beat a Taller and Bigger Opponent in a Street Fight

This article was co-authored by Adrian Tandez . Adrian Tandez is the founder and head instructor of the Tandez Academy, a world-renowned self-defense training center in Mountain View, California. Trained under the renowned martial artist Dan Inosanto, Adrian is a certified instructor in Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do, Filipino Martial Arts, and Silat, among other things. Adrian has over 27 years of self defense training experience. This article has been viewed 1,350,024 times.

Article Summary

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If you’re faced with a taller and bigger opponent in a street fight, try to protect yourself at all costs. Dodge any strikes your opponent throws at you rather than trying to block them, as you’re likely to be the weaker one. Stay mobile to keep out of their punching range and to try to exhaust them. Avoid wrestling if you can, as the bigger person will always have the advantage in this situation. If you do happen to be on the ground, get back up as quickly as possible so that you can make use of your speed and evasiveness. To do some damage of your own, aim for sensitive targets if you sense that things are going to get nasty. Go for the eyes, ears, nose, or groin, which will hopefully put an end to the fight. For more tips from our Self Defence co-author, like how to keep your guard up, read on.

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