...you made me spit out my tea you fuck!
You wouldn't believe that I've beaten something more than a few guys way bigger and stronger than me (in challenges)*. And that Pitt/Lee scene is exactly proving my point, you don't just hit somebody, you lure him into hitting you, protect youserlf and reverse the situation. Once you get hitten hard or in a weak spot, the normal reaction is to succumb to pain, leaving a lot of room for the opponent to keep hitting. Many don't how easy it is, but if someone is punching you, the stronger he is(read: SLOWER), the easier it is to counter his attack and throw him on the ground, you don't need to be that strong since he's the one applying all the force that would make him eventually fly. Since Ellie uses melee wepons, I don't think it's so strange for her to dodge faster and then counter with a deadly blade, especially since she kills for a living. I'm watching again some bits of Horizon (it has been a looong time), and yes probably a weaker individual wouldn't be able to resist such strong attacks, but trust me women can be deadly in combat too. All of this of course is possible if and only
if: they don't get hit first and they are trained enough. I believe speed is more essential in combat rather than brute force. Sorry for being explicit, but my martial art mixes as much styles and combat ranges as possible (biting, LOL), some years ago some guys even traveled to USA to train for shooting
Obviously, since this is what you are all thinking about,
a man punching a woman usually takes her directly to coma, but aggressors in general, due to the adrenaline rush, don't think about the possible response from the target, so there's still a chance. And to use such speeds, you need to have a sharp mind and train yourself daily, plus you must have motivation: getting beaten since you were 8 years old, having Neogaf laugh at you, feeling the rush to protect Joel and the likes.
With sting you mean her spear??
Yes, I've missed a line and misread weapon's list, sorry.
EDIT: I'm seeing things today sorry xD