If you're going up against a bigger opponent, it can be unnerving. They've got longer arms and longer legs. It's harder to aim for vital points in the face and neck area. They can keep you at a distance, yet still within their striking distance. So how to fight someone taller than you is a pretty tough question to answer.
But it's not all bad news for us short folks. Here are some easy tips that you can put to use against a taller opponent and in many ways you'll actually find that you are at an advantage.
You Have a Lower Center of Gravity
Being shorter is something of a benefit in that you're harder to knock over. To fight someone taller than you, you can automatically take advantage of your lower center of gravity. You're lower to the ground and harder to push down.
The taller you are, the higher your center of gravity and the easier it is to be knocked off balance by someone shorter than you.
Shorter People Can Use Their Legs For Power
Being taller, means that your opponent has a longer reach with both their arms and legs. They have the benefit of being able to punch and kick with much greater range. This is dangerous for a shorter person who needs to get closer to cause any real damage.
The benefit of being shorter is that you can use your legs for more power in your strikes. If you can crouch and then thrust your legs up, driving your fists into your opponent, say, under their chin, you can easily knock them unconscious.
That kind of strike is far more powerful than just a simple punch because your thighs are providing the real power behind it.
Get Low and Close
A taller opponent has an advantage if they can keep you at arms length. Keeping you further out means that you are always going to be at the end of their punches - precisely where the force is the greatest.
This means that you need to get in closer.
If you can get low, under their center of gravity, and in close to them, you can defuse a lot of the power beind their strikes. They can't get a full extension on punches and they can't get as low to the ground as you can.
Now even in this case, they could still do some damage, but you'll be taking away their height and reach advantage, which will go a long way in helping you win the fight and go home safely.