Tips for kicking around a guard

[skribs]

One of the problems I have with sparring is trying to land my kicks on someone when they have their guard up. Does anyone have any tips for finding the openings in their guard to hit?

I have even more problems against a 4th degree black belt at my school who uses a more active guard, but I'll get to that one later.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Best thing I have found is to use combos. Use attack A to get them to move their guard so B can land. Same for CDEFGHI...
Hooks (kicks or punches) are also a good way to get around a guard.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Are you allowed low kicks? Combining low and high kicks can work.

 

[skribs]

Are you allowed low kicks? Combining low and high kicks can work.

WT/Olympic-Style rules. Kicks to the body and to the head.

 

[Jaeimseu]

WT/Olympic-Style rules. Kicks to the body and to the head.

Not sure where you aim your kicks, but I kick as low as possible to begin with. It’s faster, and my opponent needs to move his hands if he wants to block (or keep them down if using a low guard). Mixing up belly and kidney side kicks also helps.


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[Flying Crane]

I don’t really know the Olympic rule set so what I am about to suggest likely will be irrelevant, but I’ll say it anyways because it could be relevant if you ever need to defend yours or on the street.

I suggest you use your arms to remove his guard. do attacks with your hands, including feints or tie-ups to get his hands busy with other things, then you can kick him.

If you really want to do it all with kicks, then destroy his guard. Kick his arms in ways to break his bones. Kick at his hands and wrists where the bones are small and more fragile, kick against the back of his elbow if his arm is extended. Assume you are wearing shoes, and that will amplify the effect.

Look at his guard as as opportunity. You don’t need to hit the head or the body to end the fight. A broken finger or wrist or elbow or forearm will likely do it well enough. If he presents a guard, then his guard becomes your target of choice.

 

[JowGaWolf]

One of the problems I have with sparring is trying to land my kicks on someone when they have their guard up. Does anyone have any tips for finding the openings in their guard to hit?

I have even more problems against a 4th degree black belt at my school who uses a more active guard, but I'll get to that one later.

Not sure in what context you are asking this question but you can kick the crap out of their guard. Deliberately attack the guard. Why do you think you have to go around the guard? If you wear that guard down enough, then he will remove it for you.

See the 0:45 mark

If someone is willing to give you their arms then take it. I do it all the times and people look at me strange. I kicked one persons arms and she was like WTF? because that's all that I did. Kick her guard. It frustrated the mess out of her.

Like Flying Crane stated. The guard is an opportunity. You can just let it stay there untouched or you can beat the mess out of it and wear it down. Granted in competition you don't have try to break it, but after repetitive hits muscles in the arms start to become strained and bruises start to develop. This makes the person less willing to keep their guard out there for target practice.

 

[skribs]

@Flying Crane @JowGaWolf

This is interesting advice, however in this thread, I'm mainly looking at how to score points in more friendly competitions than I am to win championships or to stop someone on the street, if that makes sense.

I don't want to give the kids and teens at my dojang broken arms and fingers just for coming to class and being unlucky enough to spar me.

 

[JowGaWolf]

@Flying Crane @JowGaWolf

This is interesting advice, however in this thread, I'm mainly looking at how to score points in more friendly competitions than I am to win championships or to stop someone on the street, if that makes sense.

I don't want to give the kids and teens at my dojang broken arms and fingers just for coming to class and being unlucky enough to spar me.

If you are doing Point Sparring then I can't help you, with anything point sparring related. Point Sparring is something entirely different and often times non-fighting techniques get counted as scores. Some of the other's may be able to help you with that.

 

[Flying Crane]

@Flying Crane @JowGaWolf

This is interesting advice, however in this thread, I'm mainly looking at how to score points in more friendly competitions than I am to win championships or to stop someone on the street, if that makes sense.

I don't want to give the kids and teens at my dojang broken arms and fingers just for coming to class and being unlucky enough to spar me.

Understood. Hence my caveat.

 

[WaterGal]

What Dirty Dog said. Practice combos that involve hitting to 2 different targets. I like doing a body-level kick and then a head-level kick. They bring their guard down to block the body strike, then their head is available for the head strike.

 

[dvcochran]

One of the problems I have with sparring is trying to land my kicks on someone when they have their guard up. Does anyone have any tips for finding the openings in their guard to hit?

I have even more problems against a 4th degree black belt at my school who uses a more active guard, but I'll get to that one later.

Explain what you mean by "active guard". You know up front that time is limited when sparring a stranger. That said, you have to "set the stage" and dictate the ebb and flow. More often than not this is done by slowing things down, unless you are crazy fast. If you have matched the person before, (the 4th Dan you mentioned) you should be learning their tendencies. Try to get them out of their preferred position(s) before you strike. Counters and combos are very effective.

 

[skribs]

Explain what you mean by "active guard". You know up front that time is limited when sparring a stranger. That said, you have to "set the stage" and dictate the ebb and flow. More often than not this is done by slowing things down, unless you are crazy fast. If you have matched the person before, (the 4th Dan you mentioned) you should be learning their tendencies. Try to get them out of their preferred position(s) before you strike. Counters and combos are very effective.

What I mean his his guard is constantly moving. For example, my guard is generally fixed in front of me. My lead hand switches sides as I switch feet, but other than that it's fairly static unless I'm choosing to block a kick. He has a tendency to shift both his arms to his left to protect his body and face if he's kicking with his right leg, and vice versa. (and that doesn't really leave him open to a kick from me on the kicking side because of a combination of the way he leans and the fact he's taller than me).

I don't know the name for the block he uses, but if he's covering his left side, his left hand protects his body and his right hand protects his face.

 

[Headhunter]

Experience...we can't say much because we can't see you or the other guy but you'll find your own ways recognise his patterns and tendencies and find your own way to do it

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

I don't know the name for the block he uses, but if he's covering his left side, his left hand protects his body and his right hand protects his face.

That's a Kenpo Karate style guard. If he stays in a low stance with left leg forward, drops his left leading arm to protect his body, uses his right back hand to protect his face. If he moves in inch by inch, he is in very strong defense. You should watch for his left ridge hand striking to the right side of your head.

My suggestion is to use your

- right back leg to sweep his left leading leg. It doesn't matter whether you can sweep him down or not. You just want to put him in defense mode. Both of his legs can't kick you at that moment.
- right back arm to push his left leading arm to jam his own back right arm, Both of his hands can't punch you at that moment.

You then left punch toward his face after your "safe entering".

 

[Earl Weiss]

One thing Bill Wallace did (He kicked me in the head a few times before i figured it out) was that he kept the foot at 90 degrees to the leg (as opposed to having it pointed) This allowed the toes to go round the guard at the side of the head and still make contact if the hand was 5'" or so from the head. His hook kick had a great bend at the knee also allowing it to go around the guard.

 

[marques]

Does anyone have any tips for finding the openings in their guard to hit?

Often there is no opening, you need to create them. Fakes, feints and timing.

For example, you kick twice, quite heavy, with front kicks. Then, when more are expected you just switch to roundkick, question mark kick... Starting all kicks exactly the same why helps. Or you punch the head, rising their guard and reducing their vision, and follow with body kicks... Can you trap, push their hands away? Observe what others do and try yourself. At some point, something will start showing results.

It’s is always the same principle in any war art. Deception. (If you cannot just be faster.)

 

[dvcochran]

What I mean his his guard is constantly moving. For example, my guard is generally fixed in front of me. My lead hand switches sides as I switch feet, but other than that it's fairly static unless I'm choosing to block a kick. He has a tendency to shift both his arms to his left to protect his body and face if he's kicking with his right leg, and vice versa. (and that doesn't really leave him open to a kick from me on the kicking side because of a combination of the way he leans and the fact he's taller than me).

I don't know the name for the block he uses, but if he's covering his left side, his left hand protects his body and his right hand protects his face.

Do you usually spar in an open or closed stance? His blocking arm(s) position is very common and does a good job of covering the mid-section with the back arm because you can use all of the arm.
I am guessing his stance is very closed and he is offering very little of his body. Do you have a fast front leg kick? If so, a good setup is to throw a couple of front leg side kicks (skipping or sliding) to the mid section when in a closed stance. Enough that he expects the middle kick when he sees a kick coming from the same posture and starts dropping his hands. Then surprise him with a hook kick to the head. It has to come from a closed stance with the foot coming from the back side over the shoulder.
I believe you said his closed posture is giving you trouble. Is this because you are thinking your first strike always has to work? Not so. Always be thinking about what the 2nd-3rd move will be. Are you fighting totally linear? If you are fighting closed, slowly circle to see if he tries to spin side kick to the body. If so step INSIDE the kick. This should have your back leg set up for an inside cresent kick again over the back shoulder. You can also step the other way and he will have to change stance or at least shuffle. Time your attack when he is in transition.

 

[pdg]

With the circling thing - people tend to be able to turn and keep engaged better one way than the other.

It's not always dependent on which foot is leading either...

 

[Buka]

I don't know the name for the block he uses.

I think that's your difficulty right there, brother.