For anyone out there with either great research skills or an encyclopedic knowledge of the show, a question: Of all the various adversaries Caine faced, was there ever a man-mountain: a guy just so huge that his sheer mass and strength posed a challenge?
I ask because I’m reminded of a line from the Garth Ennis 4-issue miniseries of Unknown Soldier. I can’t find the exact quote but it’s something to the effect of the following:
“When you study martial arts, there’s something your sensei should tell you at the start; if you fight someone a head taller and a hundred pounds heavier than you, you’re going to lose”.
No info WRT the TV show, but can confirm that in fighting size does matter - but does not control. I intentionally put on 30# at one point because at 185# I was right at the bottom of the unlimited heavyweight class for NHB. I was finding myself going up against 300+ pounders. Even if my skills were better than theirs, that amount of weight is tough to handle. At 215# it was a little easier.
Against a huge opponent, I’d likely try to keep my distance and go after their legs/knees.
Going the other way, I’ve sparred much smaller opponents. Quickness is very important. But it takes an exceptional small fighter (Bruce Lee?) to readily handle a much larger opponent with any level of skill. Given relatively equal skill, size confers a significant advantage. There is a reason every combat sport has weight classes.
More than one episode. “Chains” from season one features Caine captured and shackled to another prisoner who is a huge dude hellbent on revenge. I think I’m getting this right, but the two part episode, “Besieged: Death on Cold Mountain,” takes place entirely in China before Caine fled to America. There’s a big, barbarian type character who makes friends with the monks at the temple. One of the monks plans on betraying the temple to the warlord, he tricks the barbarian into looking away before striking him from behind, but his blows are ineffective because the dude is so huge.
There were several large men during the series. Most I recall were on briefly and quickly embarrassed in a conflict with Caine because of their lack of actual fighting skills. One memorable character that Caine was assisting was a big guy who had a large box on a wagon that he insisted was his late wife who he intended to bury. He appeared to be a little shy of full rationality and it turned out his wife was actually a statue. I think this episode also had something to do with a stolen Gatling gun but I may be conflating episodes. I think it was a two-parter and was pretty good. It included some humor because of the large man’s odd behavior.