Long Guards and Extending the Knee (diary entry)

18.02.20 Tuesday night’s teacher training covered footwork, chaining kicks at close range and principles behind both the long-guard and the spear knee strike. We began tonight’s training with a review of the new footwork pattern we are using for punches, kicks and clinching. This simple exercise works forward, backward, lateral, v-stepping and switch-hitting stances. Attack and defence can be layered onto it and the movements should complement each other. The specific pattern is not important other than as a means for getting a fighter to move in a productive fashion. They should be able to use the positioning to either prompt behaviours in opponents or evade and counter them if fighting at stand-up range or, if they are fighting at clinch range, they should be able to break an opponent’s posture. We then moved onto the basic jab/rear kick, jab/cross/switch kick, jab/cross/hook/rear kick, jab/cross/hook/cross/switch kick combinations. These were then used as a means for setting up other combination work. We used the spear knee strike in this instance and it gave me an opportunity to introduce the long-guard. This technique is often used a means for framing an opponent and protecting the face whilst bringing in a leg technique. It shares similarities with Western Boxing’s pawing jab, the cover from self-defence/MMA and posting in Wrestling. We looked at using the hips and the ball of the foot to get maximum acceleration and extension on the spear knee. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVGj96ARiYo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--yBCBPGPJo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kamLBGLchh8