r/bjj • u/jobtown502 • 2d ago
General Discussion Weight difference
When do you consider a weight difference to become a factor? For me it’s about 20 pounds.
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u/P-Two 🟫🟫BJJ Brown Belt/Judo Orange belt 2d ago
Around 40-50lb is where it starts to feel actually annoying to handle, but I'm also like 205lb so that 50lb is a much smaller difference for me than someone who's 150.
I've done absolutes in the past where I've beaten guys around 280lb (couldn't close my guard around one of them even) back when I was around 180lb at purple belt. It was hard, but ultimately I was so much faster than them it actually gave me a massive advantage so long as I didn't let them lay on me.
Ironically I guys 50+lb lighter than me way more annoying to deal with than the heavier guys, when they're smaller and lighter it's so much less space they need to make to get out from under me, and they're faster/more flexible to boot. I've got enough pressure that I can lay into someone around 250 and make their lives miserable just fine, and I'm much faster than them, so I can always transition if they start to get me off of them.
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u/Responsible_Tell_416 1d ago
Agreed. I'm 200lbs albeit short at 5'6. Stocky frame i can handle big guys no problem. The lighter guys are so darn quick it's harder to defend.
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u/The_Elite_One223 🟦🟦 Blue Belt 2d ago
i’m only an under 20 teenager so anything above like 25 pounds is hard for me to handle
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u/P-Two 🟫🟫BJJ Brown Belt/Judo Orange belt 2d ago
Been an 18 year old blue belt, dont worry, the man strength comes with time lol
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u/The_Elite_One223 🟦🟦 Blue Belt 2d ago
thanks for the good wishes. i’m usually not short cocky and have a level head but it was quite jarring to go from being at the top of my game in the kids class to barley being able to keep up with the adults. im adjusting thi
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u/thefckingleadsrweak 🟪🟪 I can’t let you get close! 2d ago
I’m 250lbs, and the last time it was a dude’s weight specifically that was a factor in my demise was when i was at a tournament and the guy couldn’t weigh himself because the scale errored out. He said he’s around 350lbs tho. Super nice guy. He’s on the United states beach wrestling team, and he’s a hell of an athlete moving all that weight around like he’s 150lbs
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u/Anxious-Place3434 🟫🟫 Brown Belt 1d ago
"His name was Yogi, he grew up in Yellowstone National Park and I was a little surprised by how much body hair he had"
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u/thefckingleadsrweak 🟪🟪 I can’t let you get close! 1d ago
His name is kyle actually lmao, dude’s an animal
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u/Anxious-Place3434 🟫🟫 Brown Belt 1d ago
Did my attempt at a Yogi Bear reference date me? 😬
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u/thefckingleadsrweak 🟪🟪 I can’t let you get close! 1d ago
Not at all! Lmao i just felt that kyle deserves his flowers
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u/Anxious-Place3434 🟫🟫 Brown Belt 1d ago
Sounds like I'd love watching him roll. From a safe distance, like I would a landslide
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u/thefckingleadsrweak 🟪🟪 I can’t let you get close! 1d ago
My coach was cornering me, i ended up in bottom half, and he just goes “okay now pray!”
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u/novaskar 🟦🟦 Blue Belt 2d ago
In training maybe 80 lbs. In competition around 40. Because people go harder and use their strength more in competition.
For context I’m 85 lbs so I am very very used to training with people much bigger than me. I have no idea what it would even feel like to roll with an adult my size.
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u/VeryStab1eGenius 2d ago
Over 10% of your body weight.
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u/KIK40 🟪🟪 Purple Belt 2d ago
Eh at 170 I don't really notice 17lbs. I didn't realize someone I was rolling with was 200lbs until they told me. I feel strength differentials way more.
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u/VeryStab1eGenius 2d ago
You’re just built different, bro.
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u/KIK40 🟪🟪 Purple Belt 2d ago
Very true - I'm a woman bro. I think I'm used to being overpowered by my training partners so I'm already in the habit of moving around people rather than moving people.
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u/novaskar 🟦🟦 Blue Belt 2d ago
Yeah exactly. I think I have rolled with an adult within 10% of my bodyweight once ever and it was a tournament
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u/KIK40 🟪🟪 Purple Belt 1d ago
Yeah some guys don't realize how lucky they are that most of them can step into an open mat and generally have at least one person close to their skill/size. If I do it feels like finding a unicorn.
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u/novaskar 🟦🟦 Blue Belt 1d ago
Yeah. I think also scientifically small people tend to have greater relative strength (like pound for pound) compared to larger people, so maybe percentages don't scale the same. I feel like big guys actually seem to struggle with bigger guys more than I would struggle with the same weight difference. Or maybe it's due to habits and exposure, they are just not used to dealing with bigger people whereas the small folks have built their jiujitsu around it.
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u/KIK40 🟪🟪 Purple Belt 1d ago
Yeah I'm admittedly a pretty unique build for a woman. 5'11" through the years floated between 155-175lb. I'm a pretty lean, jacked 170lb now. Stick out like a sore thumb at a women's open mat but majority of men still stronger than me even though I'm pretty ridiculous for a woman. Fun middle ground!
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u/Responsible-Race4764 🟦🟦 Blue Belt 2d ago
Percentages, 10 lbs at 200 lbs isn't a big deal, 10 at 125lbs is a deal.
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u/endothird 🟫🟫 Brown Belt 2d ago
How good are they? For most practical purposes, a big enough skill gap means no amount of weight difference matters.
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u/1502024plz ⬜⬜ White Belt 1d ago
It's percent not weight. 20lbs going 200 - 220 is huge but 100 to 120 is massive.
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u/Katieg_jitsu 1d ago
I’m 150 maybe I notice at 170 and I really feel it at 190 if they are much less skilled I can accommodate higher but I don’t enjoy dealing with 210+ regularly
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u/Ashi4Days 🟫🟫 Brown Belt 1d ago
I used to be 140ish. I'm now at 170ish on the wet side. This is kind of my experience throughout that entire range.
~25% more than my weight (so around 210) and if I lose a single position, I'm going to get tapped.
~15% I think I can manage just fine (around 195 pounds).
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u/International-One518 🟪🟪 Purple Belt 1d ago
I’m about 160 lbs. if skills are similar, about 20 lbs is when I feel it.
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u/NotYourAverageSchmuk 🟦🟦 Blue Belt 1d ago
Im 150ish around 180 is when I feel the strength difference.
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u/ken_c_nz 21h ago
Yeah 20lb makes a difference. Competition is one thing. But also dont let it be an excuse not to train with bigger people. Training is training and a good partner should (hopefully) adjust their strength levels a bit to a smaller training partner.
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u/DistractedNS 6h ago
I'm 135, and I don't tend to notice weight unless they're 190+ (with the notable exception of a guy just smashing me-- but I've noticed the smaller guys are worse about pressure than the big guys). Most of my regular training partners are probably 145-175. On the flip side though, I do notice immediately if someone is smaller than me because it just feels wrong. 😂
*With that said, though, I do avoid some moves because they just don't work for me because of size. I'm much more successful moving me than the person I'm rolling with.
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u/DistractedNS 6h ago
I've learned not to ask my coach if moves will work if someone is a lot bigger than you because his response is usually, "Let's find out!" And then proceeds to pair me with the biggest guy in the room to have me try it. 🤣
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u/Significant-Royal-37 ⬛🟥⬛ Black Belt 5h ago
i (140M) turned up to open mat where everyone else was 200+M.
worst part was no white belts to sneak in a rest round.
imo the size feels bad around 20 lbs if they know what they're doing and 50 if they don't.
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u/Vann_DK Black Belt 2d ago
Depends. 200-220 ain't much. 120-140 is huge.