Height Advantage in Boxing, Kickboxing and Muay Thai

[Adnan Adil]

First, we all know that the size matters... always... period. But here is the question. Yesterday we had an interesting conversation with some friends and we have started to discuss in which striking combat sport the height and reach are biggest advantage.
As you can probably guess, we couldn't agree with each other. Everybody had a different view on the question. In boxing it is very hard to close the distance if you can't use many weapons like in other combat sports, but when you are close, your taller opponent can't maul you with knees for instance. In KB you might be kicked in the head, but you can still beat badly your taller opponent's legs. In MT the knees in the clinch can be a nightmare, but you can trip your taller opponent on the ground.
What is your opinion, guys?

 

[FighterTwister]

I would go with kicking combat sports utilizing leg kicks as you slightly lean back attacking the mid-range and low-line with your longest weapon.


To offer another opinion, your point is similar to another thread currently active now in tab.

My view would be that its about entry tactics and strategy that works for you not so much technique.

For example the awesome Mike Tyson he would fight tall guys like Lennox lewis, Hollyfield so on. He would approach them by shuffling left and right with guard up center then one long jab or slip left and right punches, till his in the pocket doing his thing.

On the apposite side, you have guys like Hollyfield that would jab then cross and circle cutting the shorter guys advantage.

So limit the advantage, through testing the waters so to speak if both fighters are equally skilled.

But I could also say that it much depends on the actual fighters abilities and skills, so its actually hard to say..... need examples.

For example Saenchai flips tall guys over like pancakes, but he know how to setup and break their balance easily I might add.

So it falls back to the knowledge of Strategy and tactics you employ and capitalize on when needed not so much styles or techniques from how I'm seeing it.

My 2c's that it is!

P.S. I like your style of posting, its good discussion makes you think and get involved........ keep that going love It!

 

[Adnan Adil]

I would go with kicking combat sports utilizing leg kicks as you slightly lean back attacking the mid-range and low-line with your longest weapon.


To offer another opinion, your point is similar to another thread currently active now in tab.

My view would be that its about entry tactics and strategy that works for you not so much technique.

For example the awesome Mike Tyson he would fight tall guys like Lennox lewis, Hollyfield so on. He would approach them by shuffling left and right with guard up center then one long jab or slip left and right punches, till his in the pocket doing his thing.

On the apposite side, you have guys like Hollyfield that would jab then cross and circle cutting the shorter guys advantage.

So limit the advantage, through testing the waters so to speak if both fighters are equally skilled.

But I could also say that it much depends on the actual fighters abilities and skills, so its actually hard to say..... need examples.

For example Saenchai flips tall guys over like pancakes, but he know how to setup and break their balance easily I might add.

So it falls back to the knowledge of Strategy and tactics you employ and capitalize on when needed not so much styles or techniques from how I'm seeing it.

My 2c's that it is!

P.S. I like your style of posting, its good discussion makes you think and get involved........ keep that going love It!

Good examples, man! The punching is the aspect in which most shorter guys have advantage at close range (after all they can not high kick or knee someone taller than them in the head). However in pure boxing they have less tools to distract the opponent to close the distance. From my experience when you think about many things, you are more vulnerable, because you defense is weaker. Probably that is why in boxing there is more defense than in KB or MT. It is very complicated. Also the body type is important- if you are thin, you are most likely more flexible and better kickboxer. If you are with massive upper body and skinny legs- boxing is better option.

P.S. Thank you very much for your kind words! You are motivating me for new threads in the future! And I hope that you would take part in them, too, because your opinions are very good.

 

[Kenneth Andrews]

There is a reason it's called a height advantage and not height guarantee.

I can tell you as a tall guy I have an easy time sparring with folks that should by all rights wreck me if we are talking pure skill level.

Yes in kickboxing you can use your kicks... But so can the tall guy. Now imagine always standing in kicking range with a guy who's 6`4.. And yes closing the distance isn't fun either when you eat uppercut, elbows, and knees. Remember height also means leverage when I grab the back of your head.

So can a tall guy be beaten? Sure. But it absolutely is an advantage.

 

[SandisLL]

Why only high kick with knee might be enough effective?
To execute Hiza Geri and it's variations is more comfortable for most guys than to do tobi xxxxxxx kicks. What from this?
Body kicks with knee in solar plexus, sternum, under floating ribs and on them are quite effective tools.
Wider body allows more powerful hooks and kicks from side, also there low kicks exists a lot with wide usage.

In KB I think, not less than 50% of defense from punches is ability to kick or at least to do enough trustable false telegrafs for kicks " attempt " mixed with some real kicks.

 

[spacetime]

I think reach is more crucial than height but since these generelly go hand in hand with height, it's the same

 

[j123]

Height is more of a factor in MT, taller guy controls 2/3 distances

At the end of a day, skilled fighters can still win even though they're manlets, but the amount of energy and work out in to even it out is like swimming uphill

 

[Adnan Adil]

There is a reason it's called a height advantage and not height guarantee.

I can tell you as a tall guy I have an easy time sparring with folks that should by all rights wreck me if we are talking pure skill level.

Yes in kickboxing you can use your kicks... But so can the tall guy. Now imagine always standing in kicking range with a guy who's 6`4.. And yes closing the distance isn't fun either when you eat uppercut, elbows, and knees. Remember height also means leverage when I grab the back of your head.

As a tall guy, too, I think height is advantage in all kind of sparrings. It is also an advantage in grappling. The biggest problem with boxing is that the punches are the only (and partially the leg kicks) weapon which is suitable for shorter dudes. Their only goal is to close that god damn distance and to throw some bombs or punches in bunches. From other hand, if you have only two fists to worry about, you would be more confident and you would stop attacks from distance easier.

So can a tall guy be beaten? Sure. But it absolutely is an advantage.

Why only high kick with knee might be enough effective?
To execute Hiza Geri and it's variations is more comfortable for most guys than to do tobi xxxxxxx kicks. What from this?
Body kicks with knee in solar plexus, sternum, under floating ribs and on them are quite effective tools.
Wider body allows more poverful hooks and kicks from side, also there low kicks exists a lot with wide usage.

In KB I think, not less than 50% of defense from punches is ability to kick or at least to do enough trustable false telegrafs for kicks " attempt " mixed with some real kicks.

Yes, the knees are very dangerous weapon for the shorter guys.

I think reach is more crucial than height but since these generelly go hand in hand with height, it's the same

So generally you think boxing is better for taller guys (who usually have longer reach, too)? In KB and MT the reach is not such an important factor, because the kicks can stop a guy who has long arms, after all the legs are always longer than the arms.

Height is more of a factor in MT, taller guy controls 2/3 distances

At the end of a day, skilled fighters can still win even though they're manlets, but the amount of energy and work out in to even it out is like swimming uphill

Yes, here we talk about guys with close or even same skills. If the skill levels are quite different the height is still a factor, but not a decisive one.

 

[RightToBareKnuckles]

i assume KB/MMA/MT like others have said, since with longer legs/height it's easier to kick or knee someone in the head/body. if someone has the time, it'd be neat to look at some recent headkick/knee KO's and see if the winner is usually taller than the person who got KO'd. (i've got two kids, so no time for such research )

 

[Adnan Adil]

Looking at the top boxers and kickboxers right now it is hard to understand in which sport the guys are taller. In the lighter divisions it looks like that the boxers are a little taller, but this is normal, because the kickboxers have heavier bones and bigger legs and it is not possible to weight as the boxers. In the heavier divisions the things start to become more even. The situation is like in the freestyle and greco- roman wrestling.

 

[spacetime]

So generally you think boxing is better for taller guys (who usually have longer reach, too)? .

Without a doubt. Boxing is the striking sport where open weight division makes the least amount of sense.

 

[SandisLL]

I think for guy with longer legs than his opponent's legs is valuable advantage in TKD, where scoring rules encourage to do high kicks and any kick is more desirable than punch.
This sport is loved by tall guys with long legs.

 

[shincheckin]

muay thai IMO

 

[Borass]

IMO, boxing is the striking sport where beeing shorter is the less disadvantageous. But as the shorter, you need something to counterbalance the situation. For me, in mma, kb or mt, as the shorter, you need to have a better footwork because you need to cover more distance and be able to « in,out » often ( pendulum step for instance ).
Also, you need to be quicker and save energy from being punching dominant over kicking. Saenchai is not a good exemple because he is an alien from another Planet...

 

[spacetime]

IMO, boxing is the striking sport where beeing shorter is the less disadvantageous. But as the shorter, you need something to counterbalance the situation. For me, in mma, kb or mt, as the shorter, you need to have a better footwork because you need to cover more distance and be able to « in,out » often ( pendulum step for instance ).
Also, you need to be quicker and save energy from being punching dominant over kicking. Saenchai is not a good exemple because he is an alien from another Planet...

Boxing does allow you to overperform if you got hand speed though, which isn't possible in kick and boxing.. If you don't have good dexterity kickboxing, you're gonna get chopped down and floored ad inifinitum.

 

[spacetime]

Ever heard of a slugger kickboxer? Exactly.. They don't exist at higher levels. Good fighting instincts can not make you a kickboxer, unlike in boxing

 

[FighterTwister]

First things first, is you need a good set of lungs, the smaller guy will always have to work harder and smarter.

You don’t want to be Conor.......



<Lmaoo><Lmaoo><Lmaoo>

 

[eternaldarkness]

Ever heard of a slugger kickboxer? Exactly.. They don't exist at higher levels. Good fighting instincts can not make you a kickboxer, unlike in boxing

never heard of "iron" mike zambidis?

 

[William Huggins]

Whomever can implement their game wins, styles make fights, there are shorter fighters that are good at baiting their opponent and play the game well against tall counter fighters, there are also tall fighters that excel at in fighting. It's not always a case that natural advantages just extend to range but it's the only advantage that's measured on a fighter, fighting has fallen behind on technology regarding measuring fighters against each other.

 

[Adnan Adil]

IMO, boxing is the striking sport where beeing shorter is the less disadvantageous. But as the shorter, you need something to counterbalance the situation. For me, in mma, kb or mt, as the shorter, you need to have a better footwork because you need to cover more distance and be able to « in,out » often ( pendulum step for instance ).
Also, you need to be quicker and save energy from being punching dominant over kicking. Saenchai is not a good exemple because he is an alien from another Planet...

It seems that you are right. In boxing you stay in kicking range (which is actually the safe range, becuase there are no kicks... obviously) and you are exploding from less distance. In KB you stay outside of the kicking range to be safe and if you want to get in and throw some bombs with your hands, you have to move more. From experience I know that the shorter guys just want to throw some punches from close range. If it is boxing they have to use faints, if it is kickboxing they could throw some kicks, too. However in KB they could take much more punishment. I still keep insisting on my own view- when you kick you have to lift your your leg from the ground and you lose your mobility. If you just punch- you are in your opponent's kicking range no mater who is taller. I don't say that in boxing the tall guys are in better position, but in this sport it is definitely easier to get out "dry". In KB there are too many weapons and it is harder to defend yourself from all those tools, while you try to attack, too.

First things first, is you need a good set of lungs, the smaller guy will always have to work harder and smarter.

You don’t want to be Conor.......



<Lmaoo><Lmaoo><Lmaoo>

Yes, exactly! Man, you are so right. I don't know why, but seems that noone notices that with the progression of the fight the smaller guys usually start to fade. They need more energy to close the gap. They have to be more creative. They have to throw wilder punches and in bigger volumes in shorter amount of time (when they are close). They have to close the distance explosively. When they are tired- they just eat strikes, while trying to march forward. For instance look at Jon Jones- he is starting to shine in the later rounds with some of his shorter opponents- Cormier and Rashad for instance.