(Approx 1 minute 50 second read)

This week, a potential student expressed concern about his low weight and its impact on the effectiveness of karate for him.
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Does size give someone an advantage in a fight?
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Height, reach, and weight play significant roles in combat sports, and most tournaments have weight categories to ensure evenly matched opponents.
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In a self-defense situation though, you obviously don’t get to choose the size of your opponent.
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We often hear that one martial arts style is stronger, more powerful than another – how many videos are there of ‘this-style vs that-style’?
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But it’s not the style that is better than any other. No one style is inherently stronger, there is no ‘ultimate’, regardless of what you might have heard.
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It’s the individual’s dedication, training, and application of skills that make the difference. Two people practicing the same style can have vastly different abilities.
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But in a real fight, everything matters. You can make anything work for or against you. Many factors come into play, and size of course can be one of them.
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Confidence, skill, endurance, power, mobility, and even the kind of shoes you are wearing can matter, with the environment playing a role too.
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De-escalation, situational awareness and people-handling skills become crucial, because self-defense skills don’t start with a physical response.
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Ultimately, it’s not about the type of body you have or the style you follow. It’s about how you train, in the right context, with the right mindset. Anyone with any body type can become proficient with proper training. The only question is, how much effort are you willing to put in?
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Of course, size and weight are important, and it’s imperative to consider this in your training, because you will never know the advantages your opponent may have.
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The statement ‘The bigger they are, the harder they hit’ can be true to some extent, as larger individuals often have more mass and strength, which can translate into more powerful strikes. However, it’s not an absolute rule. Other factors such as technique, speed, and skill play crucial roles in the effectiveness of a strike.
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A smaller person with excellent technique can deliver very powerful strikes, and a larger person who lacks skill might not hit as hard as their size might suggest. Therefore, while size can contribute to striking power, it’s not the only factor.
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What matters most is not weight or height; ultimately, the most important elements are your skill, and how you apply yourself to your training – whatever style or method it is.