Shaq Fu- Martial Arts for the Gigantic

PaladinX13 · March 12, 2001, 02:35 AM

If you're 7 feet tall and 325 lbs (Shaq is something like 7'1" 315lbs) of muscle, what is the ideal martial art for you? Are agility important arts simply out of the question? Are people that big doomed to be slow? Would it be physically impossible for such a man to do a standing somersault (just out of curiousity- not as a practical martial arts move)?

ATeaM · March 12, 2001, 03:04 AM

Are you trying to tell us your 7 ft. 315 lbs ?

BTW, what kind of crackhead would pick a fight with someone Shaqs size ?

Coronach · March 12, 2001, 10:23 AM

Watch an NBA game...you call Shaq *slow*? Compared to the little pipsqueaks in his league he may not be quite as fast, but compared to the 99.99999% of the rest of humanity...

Mike

PaladinX13 · March 12, 2001, 10:41 AM

ATeaM, no one I know is 7' 315lbs... 7' 325lbs, however, is a totally different story.

Besides, I can think of quite a few reasons why people might attack someone that size (street cred, drunken "invincibility", wants to test themselves, etc.)... but, I'm told, that isn't the point of martial arts, now is it? People can want to learn to do martial arts and how to fight, for other reasons than wanting to or expecting to fight.

Coronach, I end up watching the Lakers fairly regularly as Kobe's my brother's favorite player. While he might not be a "lumbering giant", he is slow in a martial arts/dexterity kinda way... put another way, we don't expect Shaq's next film to star opposite Jet Li where Shaq is described as having "Fists of Lightning".

Spectre · March 12, 2001, 11:28 AM

Someone with extremely long limbs can pick an art that lets them be used to advantage. Judo, or other arts that require one to close with an adversary, would largely negate that advantage.

Someone that large should be careful in an armed society- it can reasonably be argued that someone in an altercation with such a behemoth was indeed "in fear for his life", and so was justified in using potentially lethal force in defense.

Large people are just bigger targets, but don't let 'em hit or grab you. I always like training with much bigger training partners, except when they're sloppy and arrogant. Then I tend to make my application of techniques just a weee bit more painful, in the hope they will learn while they can, in a safe environment.

PaladinX13 · March 12, 2001, 12:17 PM

What would be an art that fits your criteria? I mean, I notice that is an occuring theme in the martial arts- "This will let you take on people much larger than yourself" but what of the large themselves? You point out how it can be costly for a large person to defend themselves against- say a gang thug looking for some street cred (he knows the big guy is a mild mannered law abiding citizen who- if he fights back, is likely to get in more trouble than if he just takes the beating).

Or, if a large person wants to take part in some form of serious competitive competition... I would hope they do more than enter the ring screaming "I'M BIG!!!" then get the tar beaten out of them by martial artists who train on taking down big guys. There is a sense, almost, that against a martial artist a big guy is "just bigger targets" as you say.

So what's a big guy to do?

Danger Dave · March 12, 2001, 12:31 PM

Train - with people of different sizes, including big people. And train under someone with some real skills of their own.

In my experience, a lot of big people rely on their size. It's hard for them to learn techniques, simply because they can force them to work against smaller people. That's fine - until they run up against somebody too big to force their technique on.

How about wrestling? Or boxing? From what I've seen, though, there seems to be a maximum optimum size for fighters. I don't know why this is, it's just based on observations - there just aren't a lot of highly skilled fighters of any sort that I would consider Huge (not just real big).

Bogie · March 12, 2001, 02:58 PM

Sheesh - anyone here remember that Bruce Lee flick that had Kareem in it? At least I think it was Kareem...

Big guys get noticed more.

I took one karate class once, and the instructor decided to use the biggest guy in the class as an example. That hurt, especially when he popped me in my nose. He ended up with a couple of broken ribs, and I dropped the class.

Spectre · March 12, 2001, 06:02 PM

Paladin, Dave makes good points. A lot of the big people I've trained with think someone has to be big to teach them anything, or be worth training with. FWIW, most of these people I have to really hold back with when training, because they are usually inflexible. (I'm 5'6", and heavy at 148 or so.)

Much as I hate to say it, something like TKD might actually be of utility to someone like Shaq. Anything that has longer-ranged strikes and kicks. Boxing might also be a good choice. People this big really need to work on speed and agility, because power obviously comes easy. For li'l guys like me, OTOH, speed and agility come easy. I work on power most of the time.

I guess I'm not really answering your question. Yes, I think big guys can be agile. I have seen a 300+ lb fat man whip through rolls while having wrist locks applied by about the closest the US has to a "master" martial artist. Can they be as agile as a little guy? Maybe not, but the big ones can make up the difference in distance and power. 'Kay?

gryphon · March 13, 2001, 06:54 PM

The Bruce Lee movie with Kareem in it was Game Of Death. That was the movie Bruce Lee was working on when he died. It had the pagodas and there was a new villian to fight on every level.

ATeaM · March 13, 2001, 07:28 PM

Why do you want to do martial arts ? Self Defense ? Exercise ? Fun ?

Self Defense- A number of martial arts would suit your purposes, I would stay away from the ones requiring a gi (for a number of reasons, finding a gi your size being one of them). Pancrase, Krav Maga, lots of hybrid MMA would suit your purposes.

Excercise, fun, agility- Boxing or kickboxing. For a big guy these would be the most fun. You would improve your agility and speed, have an easier time doing it than learning fancy shmancy "whooping crane" kicks in the other old school styles. Besides, boxing is cool. You need to take up boxing.

March 12, 2001, 10:23 AM	#3
Coronach Senior Member Join Date: March 25, 1999 Posts: 3,147	Watch an NBA game...you call Shaq slow? Compared to the little pipsqueaks in his league he may not be quite as fast, but compared to the 99.99999% of the rest of humanity... Mike __________________ The axe bites into the door, ripping a hole in one panel. The maniac puts his face into the hole, cackling gleefully, "Here's Johnny...erk." "And here's Smith and Wesson," murmurs Coronach, Mozambiquing six rounds of .357 into the critter at a range of three feet. -Lawdog "True pacifism is the finest form of manliness. But if a man comes up to you and cuts your hand off, you don't just offer him the other one. Not if you want to go on playing the piano, you don't." -Sam Peckinpah "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." -Robert Heinlein

March 12, 2001, 10:41 AM	#4
PaladinX13 Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2000 Posts: 519	sigh... why... is... it... so... hard... just... to... answer? ATeaM, no one I know is 7' 315lbs... 7' 325lbs, however, is a totally different story. Besides, I can think of quite a few reasons why people might attack someone that size (street cred, drunken "invincibility", wants to test themselves, etc.)... but, I'm told, that isn't the point of martial arts, now is it? People can want to learn to do martial arts and how to fight, for other reasons than wanting to or expecting to fight. Coronach, I end up watching the Lakers fairly regularly as Kobe's my brother's favorite player. While he might not be a "lumbering giant", he is slow in a martial arts/dexterity kinda way... put another way, we don't expect Shaq's next film to star opposite Jet Li where Shaq is described as having "Fists of Lightning".

March 12, 2001, 06:02 PM	#9
Spectre Staff Alumnus Join Date: October 23, 1998 Location: ATL Posts: 3,277	Paladin, Dave makes good points. A lot of the big people I've trained with think someone has to be big to teach them anything, or be worth training with. FWIW, most of these people I have to really hold back with when training, because they are usually inflexible. (I'm 5'6", and heavy at 148 or so.) Much as I hate to say it, something like TKD might actually be of utility to someone like Shaq. Anything that has longer-ranged strikes and kicks. Boxing might also be a good choice. People this big really need to work on speed and agility, because power obviously comes easy. For li'l guys like me, OTOH, speed and agility come easy. I work on power most of the time. I guess I'm not really answering your question. Yes, I think big guys can be agile. I have seen a 300+ lb fat man whip through rolls while having wrist locks applied by about the closest the US has to a "master" martial artist. Can they be as agile as a little guy? Maybe not, but the big ones can make up the difference in distance and power. 'Kay? __________________ John Wandering Thoughts

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March 12, 2001, 02:35 AM	#1
PaladinX13 Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2000 Posts: 519	If you're 7 feet tall and 325 lbs (Shaq is something like 7'1" 315lbs) of muscle, what is the ideal martial art for you? Are agility important arts simply out of the question? Are people that big doomed to be slow? Would it be physically impossible for such a man to do a standing somersault (just out of curiousity- not as a practical martial arts move)?

March 12, 2001, 03:04 AM	#2
ATeaM Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2001 Posts: 601	Are you trying to tell us your 7 ft. 315 lbs ? BTW, what kind of crackhead would pick a fight with someone Shaqs size ?

March 12, 2001, 11:28 AM	#5
Spectre Staff Alumnus Join Date: October 23, 1998 Location: ATL Posts: 3,277	Someone with extremely long limbs can pick an art that lets them be used to advantage. Judo, or other arts that require one to close with an adversary, would largely negate that advantage. Someone that large should be careful in an armed society- it can reasonably be argued that someone in an altercation with such a behemoth was indeed "in fear for his life", and so was justified in using potentially lethal force in defense. Large people are just bigger targets, but don't let 'em hit or grab you. I always like training with much bigger training partners, except when they're sloppy and arrogant. Then I tend to make my application of techniques just a weee bit more painful, in the hope they will learn while they can, in a safe environment.

March 12, 2001, 12:17 PM	#6
PaladinX13 Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2000 Posts: 519	What would be an art that fits your criteria? I mean, I notice that is an occuring theme in the martial arts- "This will let you take on people much larger than yourself" but what of the large themselves? You point out how it can be costly for a large person to defend themselves against- say a gang thug looking for some street cred (he knows the big guy is a mild mannered law abiding citizen who- if he fights back, is likely to get in more trouble than if he just takes the beating). Or, if a large person wants to take part in some form of serious competitive competition... I would hope they do more than enter the ring screaming "I'M BIG!!!" then get the tar beaten out of them by martial artists who train on taking down big guys. There is a sense, almost, that against a martial artist a big guy is "just bigger targets" as you say. So what's a big guy to do?

March 12, 2001, 12:31 PM	#7
Danger Dave Senior Member Join Date: April 21, 1999 Location: Dallas, GA, USA Posts: 791	Train - with people of different sizes, including big people. And train under someone with some real skills of their own. In my experience, a lot of big people rely on their size. It's hard for them to learn techniques, simply because they can force them to work against smaller people. That's fine - until they run up against somebody too big to force their technique on. How about wrestling? Or boxing? From what I've seen, though, there seems to be a maximum optimum size for fighters. I don't know why this is, it's just based on observations - there just aren't a lot of highly skilled fighters of any sort that I would consider Huge (not just real big).

March 12, 2001, 02:58 PM	#8
Bogie Senior Member Join Date: June 5, 2000 Location: Job hunting on the road... Posts: 3,827	Sheesh - anyone here remember that Bruce Lee flick that had Kareem in it? At least I think it was Kareem... Big guys get noticed more. I took one karate class once, and the instructor decided to use the biggest guy in the class as an example. That hurt, especially when he popped me in my nose. He ended up with a couple of broken ribs, and I dropped the class.

March 13, 2001, 06:54 PM	#10
gryphon Senior Member Join Date: November 21, 2000 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,069	The Bruce Lee movie with Kareem in it was Game Of Death. That was the movie Bruce Lee was working on when he died. It had the pagodas and there was a new villian to fight on every level.

March 13, 2001, 07:28 PM	#11
ATeaM Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2001 Posts: 601	Why do you want to do martial arts ? Self Defense ? Exercise ? Fun ? Self Defense- A number of martial arts would suit your purposes, I would stay away from the ones requiring a gi (for a number of reasons, finding a gi your size being one of them). Pancrase, Krav Maga, lots of hybrid MMA would suit your purposes. Excercise, fun, agility- Boxing or kickboxing. For a big guy these would be the most fun. You would improve your agility and speed, have an easier time doing it than learning fancy shmancy "whooping crane" kicks in the other old school styles. Besides, boxing is cool. You need to take up boxing.