Strange Guards

[Taikudo-ka]

Has anyone ever successfully used some of the "stranger" guards I've seen demonstrated in karate, or do you just adopt a basic "boxing" guard when sparring?

 

How about the "Bruce Lee" style low hand guard? I found if I kept hands low like that in sparring I just get clobbered in the head...

 

Am I just not good enough?

[Eye of the Tiger]

In karate when we spar we keep the low stance with tour hands being away from your face and works because you can keep the oppenant away through kicks and blocks.

 

 

[ckdstudent]

Our guard is formed by relaxing the arms down by the sides, making a fist, then bringing the rear fist up to sit by the chin and the front up to shoulder-level in a v-shape. At least that's the technical guard, as time goes by and people advance in ranks the guard tends to start to 'float' which is very rarely an advantage an more often simple laziness, so closest to the boxing style. The lazy guard works when you're training with people who aren't as good as you, which is why seniors tend to pick it up, unfortunately it doesn't work against someone as good or better.

 

 

[--]

In Aikido, our guard is just a casual 'hands up and forward'. Not exactly boxing stance, but relaxed. Left hand near the body, right hand up and out toward the head. From here, you can whip your arms out to any part of your body, one close and low, the other out and high.

 

No matter what form this defense takes, everyhting, Northern Mantis, JKD, Wing Chun, Aikido, Shotokan, you name it, uses it in some form or another.

 

 

[larryjf]

i usually use a boxing type guard when sparring. Sometimes i do use a Bruce Lee type guard. When you use his type of guard, the lead hand and foot are the only ones to strike, you never strike with the rear hand or foot. Also, all of the blocks are with the rear hand, none are with the front hand. You really have to practice these in drills before you use them in sparring because it doesn't feel real natural. Also, his style tends to parry and strike at the same time instead of block then strike as 2 different moves.

[CTpizzaboy]

We were never thought any specific stance, just keep the hands up. Don't need to block every technique thrown. Bring in the elbows to blocks kicks.

 

Sparr alot and you will recognize how a technique looks like before it is even thrown.

[three60roundhouse]

There is no specific way for us, either. Just elbows in, keep them up. In my experience, I don't like to keep them up really high though - I find it easier to bring my hands UP to block somethign to the head than bring them really low to block something to, say the belly or groin.

 

 

[BlueDragon1981]

My gaurd stance is forever changing. My style does have traditional stance but we dont have to use it. I do a boxer stance sometimes, mauy tai sometimes. I change it to learn what works and what doesnt. I also use a adaption of a cat stance sometimes. A stance I kind of made up on my own. Im sure there are others like it but I use it a lot and the others in my dojo im sure have never seen it....Basically whatever works is my stance.

[AnonymousOne]

In sparring, I hold my hands in a postion much like a boxer yet slightly lower. This allows for easy defence of the head and lower body. The position ois designed for effeciency and not looks.

 

I also use the southpaw stance as a general rule in sparring, but I often change backwards and forwards to Orthodox to confuse my opponent.

 

I think the sparring stance Bruce Lee used is most effective and thats what I basically use

 

 

[Bon]

I've adopted more of a grappler's stance now 'cause it's confusing to pure strikers, feet still shoulder width apart, left jaw tucked into left shoulder, elbows in, hands open ready to grab someone if I wanna grapple, otherwise my hands make a fist.