Confused about Muay Thai stance

Discussion in 'Thai Boxing' started by MindTricks, Oct 25, 2012.

  1. MindTricks

    MindTricks Valued Member

    There's one where you keep both of your hands up close slightly above your eye brows. Thats the one we use at the gym. It also used in most of the tutorials on internet.

    and there's one where one of your hands close to your chin and the other more forward slightly above eyebrow. I usually see this one in a book that im reading and in some tutorials on internet.


    i am a bit confused...can some one explain to me why there's two different stances ?
     
  2. daggers

    daggers Valued Member

    i dont really understand without seeing pics but the latter stance could be some regional difference or muay boran etc. or ot could be a " long guard" used to keep your range under attack.
     
  3. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    Some fighters like to use the front hand as a range finder and spoiler I think.
    It sort of paws out as a feeler and clears the way for kicks etc.
     
  4. Teflon

    Teflon Valued Member

    In my experience, most fighters will adjust their guard to suit their personal style. At times it is also adjusted because of the opponent, if they are very heavy with particular types of attacks but neglectful of others.
     
  5. nak muay ferang

    nak muay ferang New Member

    Different thai camps and instructors all have a preffered position for the guard...But i agree with the other lads to..use whats best for you..try them out in sparring and see how you get on mate...
     
  6. Kave

    Kave Lunatic

    Dutch influenced Muay Thai tends to keep hands in more of a boxing guard, wheras traditional Muay Thai often uses the higher guard.
     
  7. Hapuka

    Hapuka Te Aho

    I'm pretty sure that the higher guard is for executing elbows, wethers the lower guard is more for defending against punches (shots and body shots).

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    I prefer the later of the two (because of my Boxing experience). But do what feels the most natural to you and work from there.
     
  8. liero

    liero Valued Member

    Elbows can mess with your life. Standup rulesets that allow them are fare more challenging and intertesting. It strikes me strange (pun intended) that we see less of them in top level mma (imo). Does a high guard like that suit muay Thai ruleset but make one vulnerable to a takedown?

    Sorry if this question derails the thread a little.
     
  9. Caleb Demarais

    Caleb Demarais Valued Member

    As long as your hands aren't down you're on the right track.
     
  10. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    In some ways yes.
    In many cases when someone shoots for your legs you want to be sprawling getting "underhooks" (hooking your arms under his) in order to keep them from getting under your level and completing the takedown. A high guard makes it easier for a good wrestler to bypass your arms.
    Just one of those trade offs that happens when you mix grappling and striking.
    Hands high protect the head (from strikes) but not the hips (from grappling).
    Hands low protect the hips (from grappling) but not the head (from strikes).
     
  11. Teflon

    Teflon Valued Member

    I think that over time we may see more standing elbows in MMA. There's no reason they can't be thrown effectively, and they're a devastating tool, fighters just need to get more comfortable with it perhaps.
     
  12. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    I think we already are. Bones Jones throws plenty. And in the last year or so I've seen some wicked elbow KO's (can't remember the fighters now).
     
  13. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    This beauty for a start!

    [​IMG]
     
  14. Kave

    Kave Lunatic

    Elbows are hard to connect with. Close range punches like hooks and uppercuts can be adjusted for range at the elbow, which makes them much easier to land. I think elbows are more useful when your opponent can't escape (either on the floor or on the cage/ropes). Thai boxers (from Thailand) seem to use more aggressive tactics, often they seem to be happy to sit in each others range, rely on their guard, and trade blows. Elbows are less useful when your opponent is using outfighting tactics (moving into range, striking, moving back out of range) which seems to be the standard method in European kickboxing competitions as well as in MMA.
     
  15. Hapuka

    Hapuka Te Aho

    I don't have much experience in grappling so I can't comment on the high guard being vulnerable to takedowns. I do know however that often the high guard is used to get into the clinch. The high guard based on my experience is more used by aggressive fighters (or those that like close range sparring). Defensively speaking, the high guard is often used for protecting against circular attacks eg; high kicks, spinning back fists, hooks and elbows. The high guard can also be used as a setup for catching kicks.

    Elbows are more preferred in Thailand than punches are (or so I've heard).
    Although elbows are more powerful, its important to bear in mind that they have a shorter range than your straight punches (the same as the short hook or uppercut). I'm not sure about why MMA fighters don't use much of the elbow or high guard, its probably more of a preference thing more than anything else.
     
  16. Hapuka

    Hapuka Te Aho

    Although, Sanshou utilizes takedowns in their artform. It doesn't appear by watching the video that it makes much of difference whether someone is in a high guard or not.

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54GMwDyBi5A"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54GMwDyBi5A[/ame]
     
    Last edited: Oct 29, 2012
  17. Teflon

    Teflon Valued Member

    Indeed we are, I especially liked what JJ did against Rashad with the hand fighting + side elbows, very effective. I do think we'll see even better elbows soon though, the circle + side elbows are the two most used so far and have proven effective, other elbow techniques should follow and fighters are also likely to become more comfortable with setting up + executing :)
     
  18. Teflon

    Teflon Valued Member

    Indeed Thai's do like to move around very little, their style of fighting is highly aggressive and relies highly on toughness, conditioning, timing and composure. Also the Thai's will score a fighter down if he is backing off from the opponent.

    I think that they prefer the elbows due to the extra power and the ability to cause cuts and thereby stop fights. We are in fact taught to aim to 'scrape' the skin with elbow shots, giving the skin a higher chance of tearing.

    In MMA I think the fighters are just not used to the elbow techniques enough, and have not had the experience with setting them up. Elbows are harder to land not only due to the range, but because they require more commitment in terms of body weight, so if you miss you're likely to be off balance and vulnerable. Punches don't really leave you in that situation unless you're throwing huge haymakers.

    MMA fighters could use elbows very effectively by backing opponents up to the cage, using them as counters when the opponent steps in, or by tying an opponent up in the clinch. Hand fighting the way Jones does is also a popular technique, many Thais use this tactic to land standing elbows. I tried to find a video of this but failed lol, basically just reaching out to grab your opponents hands/arms. You can force his guard up and land knees/kicks from here, or force them down and come over the top with an elbow. It also works to put them into punch combos, like changing your jab-cross-hook to jab-cross-elbow, requires just a slightly bigger step in.

    I'm also surprised not to see more elbows from bottom in MMA too, seems to me a very useful striking technique from there. .
     
  19. MindTricks

    MindTricks Valued Member

    thanks guys, i got it now :)
     
  20. Considered

    Considered New Member

    Just on contemplation of those images; the high guard looks like a more effective defense, but it doesn't look very dynamic, also, like Hapuka said, it looks like it's setup well for instigating the clinch. You could punch much faster from the standard boxing guard. Clearly there's some advantage to the high guard that makes sacrificing speed and mobility sensible in some situations, even if it isn't simply to raise the arms for blocking high kicks? Again, good strategy for getting into the clinch...

    ...oh, sorry, didn't realize you'd finished (was still on page 1!)
     

Share This Page