Fix my guard!

[DWx]

Does anyone have any good drills to work on to keep my hands up?

Its not that I don't have a guard, I do. I just tend guard more torso instead and only raise my arms to block/parry a head shot that I think might hurt. My problem is that getting punched in the face doesn't really bother me so its not really become an ingrained habit for me to protect my face when sparring. This is a big problem for point-based sport sparring as I'm giving away too many points on the head punches because in my head I'm thinking "I can take that and it won't hurt so why block it?". Its a very bad habit that I need to get out of! Aside from the points issue, because I don't guard my face well, occasionally a harder punch will go through and twice now in competition I've had a shot land and nearly send me crashing to the mat because of it.

I do shadowbox but am looking for any more drills I could work on.

[Taiikuka]

I had the same problem as you did never did find a good drill to fix that problem. What did finally fix that problem was someone cleaned my clock once with a hit to the chin. I hope you can fix that problem the easy way.

[MasterPain]

Train with boxers for a while. Point sparring tends to be done with control and light contact, while sparring for boxing is done with control and harder contact. getting hit in the face hard will make you want to keep your guard high.

[DWx]

Train with boxers for a while. Point sparring tends to be done with control and light contact, while sparring for boxing is done with control and harder contact. getting hit in the face hard will make you want to keep your guard high.

Thanks for the suggestion MasterPain. I have considered doing that to also work on my punches too but at the moment time and lack of money means its not really possible. TBH we do get hit quite hard in the face in our point sparring; ITF Taekwondo is pretty much full contact apart from you can't win if your KO opponent. I really think my problem stems from having a high tolerance to pain and being able to roll with the punches. My coach always says I won the fight just not the spar. It just means I'm giving away points.

[MasterPain]

Train with boxers for a while. Point sparring tends to be done with control and light contact, while sparring for boxing is done with control and harder contact. getting hit in the face hard will make you want to keep your guard high.

Thanks for the suggestion MasterPain. I have considered doing that to also work on my punches too but at the moment time and lack of money means its not really possible. TBH we do get hit quite hard in the face in our point sparring; ITF Taekwondo is pretty much full contact apart from you can't win if your KO opponent. I really think my problem stems from having a high tolerance to pain and being able to roll with the punches. My coach always says I won the fight just not the spar. It just means I'm giving away points.

I was always the opposite, I can take a few body shots but hate being hit in the face.

I always thought TKD and boxing would make a great striker.

[Groinstrike]

I agree, once you get git on the button once or twice and get knocked stupid, you will get your hands up. As ive said before, being able to take a good punch is not a virtue upon itself.

[MasterPain]

I agree, once you get git on the button once or twice and get knocked stupid, you will get your hands up. As ive said before, being able to take a good punch is not a virtue upon itself.

Unless you're Fujita.

[Taiikuka]

It will come to a time where you stop letting yourself get hit in the head. Remember even if it doesn't "hurt" you to bad it is still doing damage to your brain so try and not let it keep happening needlessly.

[tallgeese]

I'd give this a go for a few classes or portions of class:

Warm up with focus mitt drills that are worked off of your partner taking shots to the melon. Defend, combo. Or combo, defend. Mix it up with some preset combos.

Move to non-defined mitt work. In other words, move as if sparring. Then have your partner show you mitts for combos or try to tap you. Work about 1/2 speed or less. The goal is NOT to knock you silly or try to prove what you can or can't make work, but to drill movements you can use later.

Then, move to sparring. Do rounds of you just defending. That's it. No coutners even. Start with your partner again just taking head shots. After a couple of rounds of that, let him take any shots he/she wants, just keep defending. That's all you get.

At the end of the session, reward yourself with some normal rounds, but keep in mind the hands up and defenses from there.

Keep this pattern in the routine until you feel progress. It should help quit a bit. Consider doing it for maintainence occassionally as well. It will usually take a few sessions of work like this to really get improvement.

If you're going to train solo, work on something else for a bit. Only work this while you've got someone to keep an eye on your hands up. Once you've got the feel, I recommend putting some time in on your own. The idea though is to not slip back into bad habits, so I'd break out the video and record your sessions. Either shadow boxing or bag work and check out where your hands are going. Review it on the spot after each round to keep yourself honest.

Hope this helps. Let us know how it goes.

[DWx]

Thanks tallgeese. Will give that a go when I have time with a partner.

What do you (or anyone else) suggest as to the positions of the arms? Over the years I've become more concerned with protecting my mid section and ribs so my guard reflects that and its probably not suitable just to lift it up as then my ribs will be very exposed. Guard far too open and relaxed tbh. Example of it, I'm in the blue gear (although in this fight she was a lot smaller than me so didn't have to protect my face but that's no excuse).