Guard when sparring?

[Luther unleashed]

I like the input here and it's, for the most part, very free thinking and open minded.

Here's a picture of my gaurd... http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XDqi7sHM6eg/VguOqN8cj-I/AAAAAAABAZY/KMcTJyyuq3U/s1024-no/IMG_0276.JPG

That is my "home base" as I say. My hands tend to float and are free to flow with my situation and opponent. I do not lock them there but it's where they eventually go back to. My first experience in the arts was boxing so it's a fitting stance. The pros, my face is protected, my ribs are protected, and because I'm more sideways my body is protected. The cons, well I don't see a great deal that's why it's my base, but there are a few. For one thing my hands will be easier seen in my opponents vision so I must be very quick and do not telegraph. There is also typically a larger opening to the chest then a traditional stance.

I let my hands float because as seems to be the general idea, the situation should dictate what you do. As I say the boxing gaurd as I use it (although I don't do the most common version in which both hands protect the chin, I leave my lead hand out a bit) is simply like a turtle shell, and is a great base and a great gaurd for the less reactive martial artist in my opinion.

My real answer, each person is unique and all does not fit every person. Find your turtle shell and free flowing abilities writhin a loose, reactive gaurd/stance.

[mazzybear]

Mazzybear, would you classify your guard as a boxers guard?

Yes, I would say it's similar to a boxers guard, not unlike to the one Luther_unleashed has in the picture he just posted. Depending on my opponent I do sometimes let my arms drop completely and rely on slips and laybacks to avoid attacks and try and find openings. For the most part though, I do have my hands up.

Mo.

[JR 137]

I attented a kumite competition at the weekend. My first fight was with a woman who is famous for her hook kick, so my plan was to nulify that and try get her on the counter. The first part of my plan worked, I managed to completely eliminate her hook kick, but she caught me a few times on my blind side with her round kick, which reached right round my back. She was a good 6-7 inches taller than me, so my counter was falling quite short. I'm 5'7" so not exactly tiny, but compared to her 6' odds I was. Anyway she won pretty convincingly. One of the Instructors from another club pulled me aside and told me my guard was too high, which I do have a high guard, our whole club does beacause we tend not to go in for the tippy-tappy point stuff, we spar pretty full on, so protecting our face is second nature, hands up but elbows down to protect our ribs. He told me to keep my hands down low and slightly extended, so I tried this in my second fight with a woman more my own size. I felt SO exposed and she caught me twice on the face and I felt my attacks were slow due to to the low level of my hands. So I guess my question is this....... Where is your guard when sparring? Do you go in for the trademark karate low guard or do you prefer a high guard like boxers or MMA fighters? And what are the pros and cons in your opinion of each?

Mo.

I think your mistake in this was that you changed it during competition. You didn't have any experience (that I know of) with this guard before relying on it. Unless the competition is low, stick to what you know. Give the altered guard a through try in practice/class, not when it's going to potentially punish you most, so to speak. Minor adjustments such as moving your hands out, up, etc. a few inches are a different matter, but going from holding your hands by your chin to holding them at your stomach is pretty drastic IMO.

The dojo is where I'd try drastic (relatively speaking) changes. Unless it's your sensei or another person you train with regularly that knows you pretty well giving you that advice (or the judge telling you you have to), don't make major changes to technique during competition.

[JR 137]

My guard is similar to the woman in Luther's pic, except I have my hands out further from my chest. I usually block stuff targeted at my ribs and stomach sticking my elbows at it, moving my arms minimally while my opponent gets the point of my elbow across the back of their fist, foot, or shin. When it works right anyway. That leaves my hands to either push stuff away from higher attacks, grab, or counter faster.

Hard to describe.

[Hawkmoon]

Mazzybear, would you classify your guard as a boxers guard?

Yes, I would say it's similar to a boxers guard, not unlike to the one Luther_unleashed has in the picture he just posted. Depending on my opponent I do sometimes let my arms drop completely and rely on slips and laybacks to avoid attacks and try and find openings. For the most part though, I do have my hands up.

Mo.

ok cool, its a good position so why not extend it forward/out.

Keep the high just go 'forward' with it claim the space directly in front of you.

[Luther unleashed]

My guard is similar to the woman in Luther's pic, except I have my hands out further from my chest. I usually block stuff targeted at my ribs and stomach sticking my elbows at it, moving my arms minimally while my opponent gets the point of my elbow across the back of their fist, foot, or shin. When it works right anyway. That leaves my hands to either push stuff away from higher attacks, grab, or counter faster.

Hard to describe.

That's my daughter, only 13 lol. She spars a lot and likes the more boxing like stance to protect the head, she's been hit a lot haha.

[Luther unleashed]

Mazzybear, would you classify your guard as a boxers guard?

Yes, I would say it's similar to a boxers guard, not unlike to the one Luther_unleashed has in the picture he just posted. Depending on my opponent I do sometimes let my arms drop completely and rely on slips and laybacks to avoid attacks and try and find openings. For the most part though, I do have my hands up.

Mo.

ok cool, its a good position so why not extend it forward/out.

Keep the high just go 'forward' with it claim the space directly in front of you.

Easily a good position you explain. Personally I like my lead hand to be a bit more coiled so it can explode more easily, but the way you describe If I get what your saying, can be good to as you say "claim your space"!

[mazzybear]

I attented a kumite competition at the weekend. My first fight was with a woman who is famous for her hook kick, so my plan was to nulify that and try get her on the counter. The first part of my plan worked, I managed to completely eliminate her hook kick, but she caught me a few times on my blind side with her round kick, which reached right round my back. She was a good 6-7 inches taller than me, so my counter was falling quite short. I'm 5'7" so not exactly tiny, but compared to her 6' odds I was. Anyway she won pretty convincingly. One of the Instructors from another club pulled me aside and told me my guard was too high, which I do have a high guard, our whole club does beacause we tend not to go in for the tippy-tappy point stuff, we spar pretty full on, so protecting our face is second nature, hands up but elbows down to protect our ribs. He told me to keep my hands down low and slightly extended, so I tried this in my second fight with a woman more my own size. I felt SO exposed and she caught me twice on the face and I felt my attacks were slow due to to the low level of my hands. So I guess my question is this....... Where is your guard when sparring? Do you go in for the trademark karate low guard or do you prefer a high guard like boxers or MMA fighters? And what are the pros and cons in your opinion of each?

Mo.

I think your mistake in this was that you changed it during competition. You didn't have any experience (that I know of) with this guard before relying on it. Unless the competition is low, stick to what you know. Give the altered guard a through try in practice/class, not when it's going to potentially punish you most, so to speak. Minor adjustments such as moving your hands out, up, etc. a few inches are a different matter, but going from holding your hands by your chin to holding them at your stomach is pretty drastic IMO.

The dojo is where I'd try drastic (relatively speaking) changes. Unless it's your sensei or another person you train with regularly that knows you pretty well giving you that advice (or the judge telling you you have to), don't make major changes to technique during competition.

Yeah it's something I won't do again, at least not change as drastically during competition, there's one more sparring competition before the end of the year so hopefully I can make the necessary adjustments and get some good practice in before then. Thanks.

Mo.

[Hawkmoon]

Yeah it's something I won't do again, at least not change as drastically during competition, there's one more sparring competition before the end of the year so hopefully I can make the necessary adjustments and get some good practice in before then. Thanks.

Mo.

Do exactly that!

Use the dojo (aka training area) to tweak your position and get some experience with the new setup.

Consider Luther unleashed daughter, she has 'that' guard something that she has (possibly with out realizing it) developed over time, each fight subconsciously her mind making minor changes to what and how because it worked for her, 'that' guard may not be perfect for you but worth 'playing with to develop a position that works for you!

Experiment in the dojo, have fun with it, anything you can do to make 'it' (what ever it is) feel relaxed will allow you to accept it more readily and rally get a feel for it in combat.

[JR 137]

My guard is similar to the woman in Luther's pic, except I have my hands out further from my chest. I usually block stuff targeted at my ribs and stomach sticking my elbows at it, moving my arms minimally while my opponent gets the point of my elbow across the back of their fist, foot, or shin. When it works right anyway. That leaves my hands to either push stuff away from higher attacks, grab, or counter faster.

Hard to describe.

That's my daughter, only 13 lol. She spars a lot and likes the more boxing like stance to protect the head, she's been hit a lot haha.

Sorry Luther lol! I just saw height and long hair and assumed she was an adult.

Edit: Wow, that sounds bad. I don't know how else to put it.