Short vs. Tall In Judo | Who Has The Advantage?

Physical properties, whether its height or weight, matter a lot in any combat sport, so as in judo.

But if we have two players who weigh the same, but one is taller than the other, does it automatically mean that the taller one will have an edge?

Short player strong points

It’s all about the spin moves

Because a shorter person doesn’t have to bend down to be at a lower point than his opponent, taking advantage of throws that revolve around koshi-waza (hip techniques) and te-waza (hand techniques) is the thing to do.

Especially stuff like drop seoi nages, that’s the arch nemesis of any tall player, that’s for sure.

And that’s really the main advantage of somebody who is shorter than the player he is fighting – making the most out of the fact that your hips are already lower than his. Hip throws for days!

Tall player strong points

Foot throws!

To put it in better terms, ashi-waza.

Osoto gari, ouchi gari, kosoto gari, really any foot-centered technique will work best for taller players, because of the fact that you’re going to be able to dominate your opponent’s lapel or collar, as you have longer reach.

But let’s not forget the best of the best, uchi mata.

You’d be foolish to not have this throw in your arsenal. There’s a reason why uchi mata is still one of the most used techniques in the sport – it works.

But what is actually better?

If I was to pick one, I’d say a player that is shorter than his opponent will generally have a slight edge over a taller one, if their skill level is the same.

Having said that, I think this is more of anecdotal evidence than anything.

At the end of the day, it all depends on the particular player, and how well he utilizes his strengths and weaknesses.

If a player who has height advantage is only trying to shoot for a seoi nage, well, it makes all the sense why would he be losing. Now if he makes do of what he was blessed with, fights for the collar and controls the opponent’s posture, that’s a recipe for success.