06-14-2004, 08:13 PM
Hey,
In actuality, the fact that you fully extend, but just the mass of the limb makes just about everything take longer. The longer ranged attack <chuckle> can be very advantagous if your chance to hit <snicker> was sufficient enough to ensure that when you hit them, it will stun <smile> your opponent for long enough for you to be able to strike again.
All joking aside. I've found that it's harder to retract an arm that is still traveling to its extended point. It can be done, but if I'm swinging at someone, and they are able to dodge, it leaves me wide open for a counter attack. My line of logic is, if you miss, you're toast. Especially if your opponent is coming in to attack at close range (e.g. Karate vs. Judo). Not to mention that when you have long limbs, the leverage of your arms and legs isn't an advantage. A shorter limbed person would have an easier time moving thier arms faster due to the leverage of the elbow joints, let alone the fact that there is less "dead weight" (bone) in the arm.
Also as a taller person, you would have a higher center of gravity, which makes you less stable if you're fully standing upright. But to counter that, you sort of slink yourself down, where you get your "stance." But ANY martial art has some sort of stance, which is geared towards lowering your center of gravity, but also making your base wider, so you're more stable period. And it's easier for a shorter person to be more stable, and to be able to twirl around or do whatever pseudo-aerobaticly than a taller person.
Don't believe me? Why do you see people of the shorter persuasion as gymnists? It broke my heart when I hit 6' tall, because that meant I couldn't fly the F-14 because I was too tall. Not to mention that it's harder for taller people to withstand extreme G-Forces. And that is due to a circulatory system that has to work hard just keeping everything where it's supposed to be in the first place. Another thing... why is it that the only sport where it's good to be very tall is basketball? Yes, due to the fact that once the arm gets going, being a baseball pitcher wouldn't be too bad of a thing.
But if you ask me, tall people get the short end of the stick if you're going long range vs short range hand to hand unarmed combat. Now, that doesn't meant that I wouldn't try my best to win a match, nor would it be an excuse if I lost. It's just my observations on physiology...
Oh yeah, and if you're considered "short," please do not take offense. I couldn't think of another word to use, and being politically correct would have just been confusing to read.
-SaxyCorp (6'3" and proud)
In actuality, the fact that you fully extend, but just the mass of the limb makes just about everything take longer. The longer ranged attack <chuckle> can be very advantagous if your chance to hit <snicker> was sufficient enough to ensure that when you hit them, it will stun <smile> your opponent for long enough for you to be able to strike again.
All joking aside. I've found that it's harder to retract an arm that is still traveling to its extended point. It can be done, but if I'm swinging at someone, and they are able to dodge, it leaves me wide open for a counter attack. My line of logic is, if you miss, you're toast. Especially if your opponent is coming in to attack at close range (e.g. Karate vs. Judo). Not to mention that when you have long limbs, the leverage of your arms and legs isn't an advantage. A shorter limbed person would have an easier time moving thier arms faster due to the leverage of the elbow joints, let alone the fact that there is less "dead weight" (bone) in the arm.
Also as a taller person, you would have a higher center of gravity, which makes you less stable if you're fully standing upright. But to counter that, you sort of slink yourself down, where you get your "stance." But ANY martial art has some sort of stance, which is geared towards lowering your center of gravity, but also making your base wider, so you're more stable period. And it's easier for a shorter person to be more stable, and to be able to twirl around or do whatever pseudo-aerobaticly than a taller person.
Don't believe me? Why do you see people of the shorter persuasion as gymnists? It broke my heart when I hit 6' tall, because that meant I couldn't fly the F-14 because I was too tall. Not to mention that it's harder for taller people to withstand extreme G-Forces. And that is due to a circulatory system that has to work hard just keeping everything where it's supposed to be in the first place. Another thing... why is it that the only sport where it's good to be very tall is basketball? Yes, due to the fact that once the arm gets going, being a baseball pitcher wouldn't be too bad of a thing.
But if you ask me, tall people get the short end of the stick if you're going long range vs short range hand to hand unarmed combat. Now, that doesn't meant that I wouldn't try my best to win a match, nor would it be an excuse if I lost. It's just my observations on physiology...
Oh yeah, and if you're considered "short," please do not take offense. I couldn't think of another word to use, and being politically correct would have just been confusing to read.
-SaxyCorp (6'3" and proud)