Brennon EH wrote:
You have almost exactly the same body characteristics as I do. I'm 5'11" and 240. I'm going to give you some hard advice, and I want you to realize that it's coming from an expert in the field who has personal experience with your situation.
First, drop the excuses. You aren't losing because they are in shape and you aren't. You are losing because you're being outfought. You need to internalize your loss and change your view of combat. The correct mindset is "I only lose because I make mistakes. I must identify the mistake in each loss and correct it." If you have a mindset that says "I lost because my opponent beat me" then you are essentially setting up mindset of being a helpless victim in the confrontation.
I appreciate the hard advice, but i think your reading excuses where there are none. I am fully aware of the mistakes that i make when fighting, and i know full well when i am being out fought.
My main reason for making this post was not to come in here and cry about how im losing because a few people are faster but to get ideas on how to improve as a bigger fighter. I used them as examples, because frankly every realm that i have been to has at least one or two people who are fast and agile, and a few more that are a bit bigger. That's just how it works.
A glaive is not an effective weapon. It can be an enjoyable weapon, but it is not effective. It also does not promote the development of the core skills of combat, and it gives you a distinct disadvantage in one-on-one combat against a competent opponent. If you enjoy fighting with a glaive and knocking people around, go for it. If you are serious about improving as a fighter, you need to ditch it.
I recommend fighting single short sword, minimum weight, with proper balance. This will force you to develop the key necessary skills to excel in any sort of foam combat: Timing, distance control, footwork, and prediction.
Mentioning the glaive was clearly a mistake. I should mention that i rarely use it outside of larger group situations when i have a couple shieldmen to work with.
For one on one and small group situations i use a short sword and a 30inch round strap.
You will get better returns by developing a well-rounded style and working to eliminate your weaknesses. Work hardest on the things that are hardest. Get everything to the same level, and then cycle through pushing each of them to the next level. My 'primary style' is fight control. I routinely fight single short, florentine, short and strap, and short and small punch.
I am all for a well rounded style, but i think its also important to know your limitations as well. I'm not 16, nor am i an idiot. I know i have limitations. Pushing that boundary is fine, but there are just some things i will not be able to pull off with my size and weight. This is just a fact of life, and while you may be able to site a few people our size who can move like Jet Lee, by and large, the average guy my size will not be able to dodge strikes matrix style and i think its just as important to realize that as it is to improve as much as you can.
You need to move away from this mentality. You cannot just overpower a smaller fighter who is better than you; it doesn't work that way. It might be fun to beat up on them, and if that is what you are looking for then go to it. It is not, however, a viable platform for long-term improvement.
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This is the only thing you have said that i actually disagree with. While long-term improvement on reflexes and technique is not disputed at all, and i don't think there is anyone who would dispute that it's important and that we all need to work on it, i would disagree that i can't overpower a smaller fighter who is faster and has better technique. I have done it before, and yea your right, it is fun to beat up on them, but the result of long term improvement is winning, not just winning in one particular way. Now i know its not going to work every single time, just like having flawless fighting technique won't win you the fight every single time.
If i can get the win by shield kicking them off their feet and then taking out the leg while they are on the ground, ill do it. That's a win in my book and its just as legit as someone making a flawless right cross to catch my shoulder before i can turn away. Both are technique in their own way and just because one took more muscle and weight to pull off does not in any way negate the technique involved.
This is the same reason i don't get upset when some kid runs through the field stabbing me in the back with a dagger before i even knew he was there. Maybe you think its cheap, but its still a win regardless of how he managed to do it. I couldn't do it, I'm not that stealthy. That's fair in my book. I may hate going out like that, but I'm not going to begrudge him the kill just because he did it a different way than i do.
