Rank is not only about who you can throw and who can throw you . Physical advantages aside of which there are many . The real question for rank is of who has better understanding and execution of technique . This includes live settings like randori , understanding the theory and positioning of kuzushi , just how many different throws you can actually do , knowledge of gripping , and so on . Skill in shiai and randori is very important , but it is not the end all be all . PS . You actually sound a lot like a kid I train with . He ' s right around 13 or 14 at the moment , blue belt , and comes into the adult classes and really struggles . The size and experience gap is really big . The thing is that when he goes to tournaments and fights people his size and his age , he just plain mauls them . I ' ve never seen him phased by an opponent ' s physicality once . Heck , I ' ve only seen him not pull out gold at a single tournament . To conclude , DO NOT FEEL BAD ABOUT STRUGGLING WITH NEW TRAINING PARTNERS . THAT IS A GOOD THING . Be determined to catch up . Work your butt off to catch up you ' ll be a better judoka for having struggled to beat him .