Technique over size. This age-old saying is at the very foundation of what martial arts are about. Countless fights (both at the professional level and on the street) have showcased the veracity of this saying, and it has yet to be disproved.

It makes sense when you think about it. All other things being equal, size is the decisive factor in a fight. No doubt. But pit a skilled martial artist against a heavier but untrained opponent and it’s very likely that the former will emerge victorious. That’s because technique, by definition, has been designed to counter the advantages of being the heavier opponent. And that approach to physical combat has been tweaked over centuries.

The following footage features a classic skilled man vs heavier but untrained opponent style of fight. The skilled man (wearing black pants) is obviously the smaller man here. You’ll see though that technique can very easily overcome size. Spoiler alert: the fight wasn’t even close.

The fight starts and the skilled man immediately throws a high kick out of the blue. The heavier man looks for the clinch but is literally ragdolled to the ground. He tries to grab a hold of the skilled man’s leg but eats a punch. He eventually manages to stand up but finds himself being thrown to the ground, again.

The skilled man looks like he’s not even breaking a sweat. Both men clinch again but break up rather quickly. The heavier man appears to be stunned and clearly is now thinking twice about engaging the fight again. Too bad for him, the skilled man wasn’t done just yet…

The heavier man gets hit by a kick to the face followed by a nice overhand-uppercut combination. And that’s all she wrote. He’s done, barely conscious. Technique over size, friends.