Long arm guard

[Kung Fu Wang]

I don't like the 2 arms head protection boxing guard for the following reasons.

- Put yourself in defense mode.
- Give your opponent's too much free space.
- Invite your opponent's low kick.
- Invite your opponent to pull your guard apart.
- Easier for your opponent to control both of your arms at the same time.
- Make fight in your own territory instead of your opponent's territory.
- ...

I like the long arm guard better. If you are good in long arm guard, you can almost disable your opponent's jab and cross.

Your thought?

 

[Gerry Seymour]

There's a reason this doesn't get used as often in competitive fighting. That arm is (relative to the close guard) easy to move. One hand can deflect it while the other punches. It can also become a handle for grapplers to start changing your structure. I tend to like a relatively long guard when they are far away - it seems to give some folks a false sense of the distance they need to cover when entering. But once they are within striking distance (or an easy grab of that arm), I want my guard closer, to protect me.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

One hand can deflect it while the other punches. ... an easy grab of that arm...

If your opponent thinks about to deflect/garb your arm, he is not thinking about to punch you, this can be an advantage if you are a wrestler.

 

[Hanzou]

All I see from that is a possible arm drag to a back take.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

All I see from that is a possible arm drag to a back take.

The moment that your boxer opponent is not thinking about to punch your head, you have just forced your boxer opponent to play your favor grappling game, and not to play his favor boxing game.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

If your opponent thinks about to deflect/garb your arm, he is not thinking about to punch you, this can be an advantage if you are a wrestler.

He can do both at once. One hand clears the guard, while the other punches.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

He can do both at once. One hand clears the guard, while the other punches.

Clear the guard is the same as deflect.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Clear the guard is the same as deflect.

Yes. And it still doesn’t mean he’s not trying to punch.

 

[Hanzou]

The moment that your boxer opponent is not thinking about to punch your head, you have just forced your boxer opponent to play your favor grappling game, and not to play his favor boxing game.

You’re just leaving your arm out to get snatched up. Like @gpseymour said, there’s a reason you don’t see that being used much.

This video shows just a few nasty things someone can do to you with an arm drag;

 

[JowGaWolf]

I don't like the 2 arms head protection boxing guard for the following reasons.

- Put yourself in defense mode.
- Give your opponent's too much free space.
- Invite your opponent's low kick.
- Invite your opponent to pull your guard apart.
- Easier for your opponent to control both of your arms at the same time.
- Make fight in your own territory instead of your opponent's territory.
- ...

I like the long arm guard better. If you are good in long arm guard, you can almost disable your opponent's jab and cross.

Your thought?

So here is what I do when I see that mess. If you stick you arm out like that to me, then I'm going to start attacking the arm or your hand. I'm equally as satisfied to cause damage to your arm than your face. You'll get Fist #2 or #3. If you don't get the fist then I'm going to start lighting up that elbow joint with some kicks.

Long guard used on me in a lower stance, Attacking the elbow joint here. I only tapped him during the sparring session so not to injure him. The only thing I as looking for was accuracy from my end.

Knocking long guard out of the way using a back fist to the guard. This prevents any striking that would come from that guard. Part 1

Cross stance foot is within striking position. Turn my back to bait my opponent to advance or kick. Part 2

Shift weight to my right leg. Begin sweep, continue to drop toward the floor. This is to avoid a kick.

Sweep leg. The sweep that I did here doesn't make him fall. The rule in the school was to never do full power sweeps because the carpet is just laying on top of concrete and offers no cushion for falling bodies or heads. Again not sure why he stood there. Maybe he's just seeing what I was up to. It would have been a different story if he advanced or if I would have made a harder sweep.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Exact same step as the first one. This time he kicks but my my body is jamming his kick. I'm too close for him to get a good kick in.

He proceeds with the kick. At this point, I'm bailing out of the attempted sweet, but I have to follow through with the sweep. The rotation from the sweep will keep the kick from landing with any force.

As I sweep through. I use my left hand to capture his foot.

At this stage I have control over his leg with both hands, and I have him off balance. He had to hop around a few times.

 

[JowGaWolf]

He takes the long guard again. This time I kick it with a half moon kick

 

[JowGaWolf]

The images below were from one of the increased intensity sparring sessions where we were hitting than normal.

Opponent using Long Guard. I use an outward circular movement so that I'll have a path to go through. Step 1

I follow through with another circular punch . This punch would have landed if he didn't move back. As you can see he's trying to initiate another long guard in which this punch would have looped over. But he moved back so I flow to the next strike (this is a combo straight out of the form).

A few frames over as you can see that my arm has looped over his long guard. The problem with the long guard is that it leaves downstairs open and the combination from the form makes use of it. As you can see me prepare to kick.

Kick lands on his ribs. Had I kick with full force his ribs would have been broken. This is not push kick. This kick takes the ball of the foot and kicks upward into the ribs instead of kicking straight into the ribs. I had to actually pull some heat off this kick

The long guard works with some things but like everything we do, there's a way to get around it.

 

[JowGaWolf]

If your opponent thinks about to deflect/garb your arm, he is not thinking about to punch you, this can be an advantage if you are a wrestler.

I think this is only true, you see the arm as a barrier and not an opportunity to strike you. With me, for you to stick your arm out like that is an opportunity to strike it. By your arms being up like that, I know 2 things.

1. Your field of vision is reduced
2. It will take your arm longer to get to where I'm going to kick you.

 

[drop bear]

There's a reason this doesn't get used as often in competitive fighting. That arm is (relative to the close guard) easy to move. One hand can deflect it while the other punches. It can also become a handle for grapplers to start changing your structure. I tend to like a relatively long guard when they are far away - it seems to give some folks a false sense of the distance they need to cover when entering. But once they are within striking distance (or an easy grab of that arm), I want my guard closer, to protect me.

It does get used by lanky guys a bit. John Jones does it. But then he is constantly trying to eye poke people.

It is the only situation where I have found a use for a scissors block.

I don't do it much. And I am a front foot fighter.

 

[JowGaWolf]

It does get used by lanky guys a bit. John Jones does it. But then he is constantly trying to eye poke people.

It is the only situation where I have found a use for a scissors block.

I don't do it much. And I am a front foot fighter.

I teach to ALWAYS deal with the lead hand. Punish it, move it, pull it, push it, pin it, or strike it. Never let that lead hand to have freedom like that. I always see fighters try to move around it and dodge it and I'm always like WTF!?!. Punish that lead arm and he won't be so willing to stick it back out.

like at 1:23. the guy just lets it sit on his face.

 

[lklawson]

Long arm guard? In Boxing? You mean like this?


Position - "Boxing" by Allanson-Winn by lklawson
[Position - "Boxing" by Allanson-Winn, G. Bell & Sons LTD, London, 1915]


Position - Fox's "Boxing and How to Train" by lklawson
[Position-On Guard - Fox's "Boxing and How to Train", Richard K. Fox, 1913]

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Daniel Cormier has been known to make judicious use of the long guard. He doesn't use it exclusively, but he can utilize it effectively either to set up a clinch or to hand fight and set up punches. (Like Anderson Silva, he's also been criticized for eye poking.)

I'm not a huge proponent of the long guard, but it definitely can be effective if used skillfully in the right context.

 

[drop bear]

I teach to ALWAYS deal with the lead hand. Punish it, move it, pull it, push it, pin it, or strike it. Never let that lead hand to have freedom like that. I always see fighters try to move around it and dodge it and I'm always like WTF!?!. Punish that lead arm and he won't be so willing to stick it back out.

like at 1:23. the guy just lets it sit on his face.

The issue is if you put your hand out to deal with it you open up you own guard for counter attacks.

 

[drop bear]

Daniel Cormier has been known to make judicious use of the long guard. He doesn't use it exclusively, but he can utilize it effectively either to set up a clinch or to hand fight and set up punches. (Like Anderson Silva, he's also been criticized for eye poking.)

I'm not a huge proponent of the long guard, but it definitely can be effective if used skillfully in the right context.

I have a mate of mine who uses it a lot.