Size difference: The essential quality of jiu jitsu is to be able to control greater size and aggression with less. In the gym we are expected to spar with whoever you match up with in class, which often entails people larger than yourself. Some, like Garry Tonon, make it a feature of their competitive career also. His standout performances against big men like Marcus Almeida Buchecha, Roberto Cyborg Abreu, vinny magalhaes, Rousimar Palhares and here, Ralek Gracie, provide inspiration and live up to the ideals of jiu jitsu. Matches of this kind force us to emphasize different aspects of body and limb positioning, along with tactical considerations, in order to cope with the weight disadvantage. While it would be simply dishonest to claim that size and strength are not very important in determining the outcome of bouts ( there is a reason why there are weight/age/sex divisions in combat sports), it is nonetheless remarkable how training and tactics can allow a smaller person to perform very well against much larger people in what often become thrilling underdog matches.
