Short legs

[Dylan Yastremski]

I am having problems with doing basic srikes becasue I have fairly short legs. I find that when I use passing steps that my strikes tend to fall short when most other people's reach much more easily. Is there any way I can compensate for this problem?

[Matthew_Anderson]

Everyone has a certain reach with their arms and length of stride, which combined are your "range". Taller fighters naturally have more range and often learn to make use of this advantage by staying outside the range of shorter fighters. You will have to learn to judge what your range is and learn to launch attacks from within your capability to pass your feet and reach with your arms. Practice on a pell. Try starting from various distances until you learn what works for you. You'll never have the range of a taller fighter but you can get good at judging what your range is and get good at fighting in closer, relying on quickness, agility, etc. tio move in and out of range as appropriate There are smaller fighters who do very well fencing against larger opponents, it just takes practice.

[Mike Chidester]

Indeed. In our study group, this is exemplified well by Stew and Eli. Eli only has a couple inches on Stew, but it looks more like 7 or 8 when they fight, because Stew fights "small" and Eli fights "big," each trying to maximize their advantages.

In your case, you're already a small target, so adopt a low stance to make you an even smaller one. You're not going to be able to power your way through any fight, so you need to be thinking tactically. Spend time just watching for openings when others fight, particularly on the targets that are easiest for you to reach, like forearms and hands (and the front leg, if your opponent isn't careful).

[JeffGentry]

Hey Dylan

I would also advise to realy to work on binding and winding and fuhlen(feeling), and going weak and hard as dictated by your opponent in the bind, that way when your to far away to strike him and are defending you can somewhat control his sword and tell what he is going to do whether it be gather himself for another strike or whatever, when in the bind you can go weak/hard on the bind and move into your range, as you redirect his weapon.

I am fast becoming a convert of more winding, more winding, feel and close to end the fight quickly, through grappling thrust cut or slice, remember the main thing you have to learn is when it is safe for you to close the distance on your opponent, defense is a necessary part of this it is not as good as offense it is necessary though other wise it will end in a double kill which is worse than not defending or not defending long enough.


Just my 2 cent's.


Jeff

[M Wallgren]

And also with your smaller stature you might have the chans to be faster than the taller guy. Use that. You will also have a advatage if you go for the lower blossen when you are in Krieg. Because this will be harder for a Taller fighter to avoid from a smaller man or woman.

And read the concepts and pricipals of Hanko Döbringer. He will help you find a way. He mensions that sometimes it takes two steps. Don´t be static and move alot hand you will improve.

Martin

[Joachim Nilsson]

If you, for example, want to through an oberhau from right to left, and you are leading with the left leg; take a cockstep/false step with the leading leg before making the passing step with the cut. This will significantly increase your reach.