It’s not easy to learn how to win a fight against someone bigger. You will have to defend yourself as well as strike back to wear the person down, and that can be very challenging. For your safety, we’ve compiled a list of tips right here, so scroll down to read more!

How To Win A Fight Against Someone Bigger

Try To Avoid These Fights

Anybody who has ever told you that “size doesn’t matter in fights” is either lying to make you feel safer or provoking you into an unnecessary match. 

Trying not to fight when you don’t have to is the best way on how to fight a big guy. Even when you’re confident that they can’t exude much force, they will gladly make up for it with a larger mass. Perhaps it’s best to avoid all fights, especially ones that look like the other party has prepared. They might bring weapons or even drugs to trip you!

There is no shame if you run away from violence for your own self-preservation because it will be your first instinct to do so. Your brain’s first reflex is to find an alternative solution to the current conflict, and that is to keep you safe.

Focus Your Energy On Defense:

If your attempt to avoid violence proves unsuccessful, stay calm and keep a close eye on your opponent. You just might be able to spot little physical cues and defend yourself by reacting accordingly.

Your opponent’s body can tell you a lot about how they’re going to attack and when. If they clench your fist, it’s likely that they will try to strike you with it, and the punch’s landing spot will be the body part they’re staring at. When you see your opponent prep a foot back, stay out of their kicking range.

Your eyes should be watching, but what is the rest of your body going to do? Try a boxing default stance to keep yourself covered and stable against attacks! Lower your body to secure your center of gravity to stay stable, and keep your forearms parallel to your face to protect your head. Don’t rest yourself too much on any foot; instead, shift back and forth in order to keep yourself mobile.

Image 1. Boxing stances are useful at letting you keep watch and protect yourself.

There are also other stance variations, such as the Karate stance (where both your feet are on a straight line instead of to the side as usual) or the Thai-boxing stance (more square, thus giving you a chance to counter your opponent). Do your research for when the time comes!

Even though your body is lower, always remember to keep your eyes on the same level as your opponent’s to keep watch of them!

Featured Reading: Boxing Gloves For Heavy Bag Reviews

Punch First And Punch Hard:

If you’re in an unwilling fight, the best strategy on how to fight someone bigger and stronger than you is both physical and mental. 

Throw the first punch, and throw it hard enough to disorient the other person and prevent them from recovering immediately. You will need to land the punch on their nose, on their throat, or their solar plexus (a little above their belly button). After you have called the shots, find a way to run away, and if they try to engage in more hostility, defend yourself with a weapon.

If you have somehow knocked out the other person, leave the fight. Don’t try to make them unconscious or choke them.

Your Size Can Be Your Leg-Up:

With a small shape, you might not have torque or force, but you have mobility. You can try to wear your opponent’s stamina by dodging and constantly moving out of harm’s way, and they will have no choice but to try to grab you or pin you down. Always stay on your guard and on the move.

You can look to Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu – or BJJ – for a guide on how to defend yourself against a bigger person despite not having much strength. They have many techniques that can help a person protect himself despite the size difference.

BJJ is great at setting aside height differences.

Get Dirty When The Time Calls For It:

If you have no other ways to run, you will have to cheat. Don’t try to be the bigger man when you’re forced into a situation outside your control. If you want to leave this fight unscathed, here are a few tips:

• Use your environment to your advantage. Throw a lump of dust in your opponent’s face, whack them with a stick you find, whatever it takes to get them to stop trying to pick a fight with you.
• Anything can be a weapon or a means of defense. A trash can lid can shield you from hits (and potentially ward off offenders with its smell). You can also raise your own backpack to block them off or try to cover their face and arms with your jacket. Creativity is also a weapon if you know how to use it properly.
• Use the moves that people usually consider low-brow hits because those are the most effective tactics. You can target places that are rather forbidden in usual matches, like genitals and face. You may also trip your assailant or try to tie them up.

Hitting in these spots will disorient them enough to let you run.

When they force you into fighting, they’re already fighting dirty. That means you can play dirty back, don’t worry!

Do not rely on your knowledge on how to win a fight against someone bigger to try to defeat them. Remember these three pieces of advice: cover up, run when you can, and hit them where it matters. We hope you do not end up in such a disadvantageous situation, but when you do, we wish you luck!