How to Use Long Guard

Here's how to use one version of the long guard, because I haven't seen enough tutorials on it floating around.
Editing by Alexander Thill! His page: www.fiverr.com/s2/3c90da8d75
Thanks to Metrolina Martial Arts for letting me film in their gym! Their channel: / @metrolinamartialarts
My Twitter: / armchairviolenc

[@metrolinamartialarts]

My hair was on-point.

[@gw1357]

Ed -- Did you mention to him that all these things he loves about long guard are core tenets of Wing Chun and (some versions) JKD?

[@metrolinamartialarts]

@@gw1357 lol I was gonna let him figure that out on his own

[@gw1357]

​@@metrolinamartialarts "Armchair Grasshopper, when you can lop sao this pebble from my hand, it will be time for you to have your own youtube channel..."

[@ArmchairViolence]

Oh, I know! But having the tenets and actually being able to do them are quite different lol

[@metrolinamartialarts]

@@ArmchairViolence oh very true! Lol

[@hard2hurt]

Lineage is nothing to be ashamed of! You just can't rest on it.

[@Narguhl]

Depends on the lineage.

[@institches2750]

I have no idea what this comment is referring to. Mike? Is this the video you meant to comment on?

[@bwackbeedows3629]

@@institches2750 Who's Mike? I think OP is referring to folks adhering to their taught styles, as given, with no variations.

[@institches2750]

@@bwackbeedows3629 The OP is named Mike. His channel hard2hurt is very large, and he does a lot of collaborations. He also does boxing seminars all over the country. I got the thrust of his comment. It's just that the video doesn't mention lineage at all? So it seemed off topic.

[@flynn8845]

@@institches2750 about how the guy has short arms and mike is also short so f

[@markflynn8577]

I learned this over thirty years ago in Muay Thai. Often used as an entry point for elbows and knees

[@crisgetcrucified6972]

I use it for mostly hand traps and long knees

[@farkasmactavish]

Seems basically the same idea behind long point in longsword. The tip is already all the way out there, and you can't really get power out of it without first pulling back into a different guard, but it's creating distance and you can throw a bunch of little boops, so your opponent has to deal with your blade before they can even think about going for any target areas.

[@jaketheasianguy3307]

That part about eye pokes, Jon Jones did alot of pokes from just extending his arms into long guard, and there's nothing the ref could do about it since he's just extending his hands VERY close to the other guy's face.

[@ArmchairViolence]

They actually made what Jones did illegal now lol And he didn't get in much trouble, but they still stopped the fight because of the pokes. But getting them with the thumb knuckle is still perfectly legal!

[@Pouncer_Fox]

This is my favorite video from you yet. Straight to the point, very well explained, and full of knowledge. The Loreal hair moment is just cherry on top. Haha love the bit in the end too. Please keep this up!

[@Jay_Hendrix]

As a long guy, long guard resonates with me

[@aaronamour6101]

I believe one of the greatest examples of someone using an amazing long guard is Superbon. He always puts his long guard out when moving out of range after bringing some offense and his opponents tend to struggle a lot with getting any countes in as their vision is blocked and their movement is restricted.

[@DamKaKaDaNi]

Wow, this looks like what wing chun is trying to do :D

[@beautifulmusicchanneluk]

This is exactly the kinda stuff i teach in the modified wing chun i teach. Look up sifu martin broogard practical wing chun. He talks loads about this

[@Lionheart_Kickboxing]

This is an excellent explanation of long guard. I will be sending this to students to watch

[@DarkNationExposed]

Just when i was remembering Max Halloway doing this you mentioned him and his pic showed up. You the truth man!!

[@Valchrist1313]

Glad you brought up George Foreman. He was great at leverage blocks and long guard, even though he mainly used a crossguard. His technical skill, even as a younger fighter is vastly underrated. 9 times out of 10 he would have beat Ali. But not that night.

[@hulkwithagun9749]

if foreman used his brain that night like his comeback days then he could have won. Ali just got in his head like Duran did to SRL. Love me some good George Foreman knockouts.

[@Valchrist1313]

@@hulkwithagun9749 Yeah, 9 times out of 10 Foreman wins that fight. But not that night. Pacing himself was the biggest correction he made in his comeback. Timing his shots better was another big improvement that built on the first.

[@hulkwithagun9749]

@@Valchrist1313 Old George Foreman is my favorite boxer of all time. He is beside SRL and Hearns. He alone introduced me to boxing.

[@Valchrist1313]

@@hulkwithagun9749 Arturo Gatti got me in, and De La Hoya was a big favorite, too. I was around for and watched Foreman's comeback, but didn't truly appreciate him until more recently, when I better understood the technicalities of the sport.

[@hulkwithagun9749]

@@Valchrist1313 the technical side of boxing is what makes me love it. It is George took exactly what a power puncher with low stamina needed and ran with it. Cross block with steady slow steps with jabs that hit like trucks.

[@jc-kj8yc]

Very well explained. If you want to see long guard working effectively and getting countered at the same time, watch Jones vs DC 2. Jones used it very effectively to handfight, keep DC at range and to land elbows, while DC used the gaps to land uppercuts or to get the hang of an arm and drag Jon close.

[@-_ellipsis_-5219]

This convinced me to put serious time into long guard

[@baptistefiume2294]

"With a closed fist there is nothing that the ref can do about it" Least sociopathic moment

[@Avariche]

Your descriptions and explanations are wonderful and point out how some people get stuck in not thinking outside the box and applying what they have learned! Great job man!

[@PetrilloCinema]

You’re a beast. Jeff Chan just did a detailed 20 min video which is what brought me to your channel. I LOVE the detail you put into your breakdowns. It’s huge for thorough understanding

[@Kunstdesfechtens]

I started watching and I"m like "hey, that looks like old school boxing stuff", and you're like "that's because well, it is". I love long guard. One of my sparring partners calls it "the chair" when I do it (like the old image of a lion tamer with a chair), and he hates dealing with it. It's also in Fiore dei Liberi (he calls it "Frontale") as one of his wrestling guards. It's good for getting a classic arm clinch, which is shown in the old German manuals. Awesome video.

[@MartialArtsViking]

So interesting, this looks like 80% of what we learn in hunggar kungfu, its so nice for me the more i get into combat sports the more i see the parallels of where stuff is coming from -> trafitional martial arts🤣 (not all but at least the one i am learning)

[@trashcanbees2739]

i have the longest arms on the planet, bout to be fighting my enemies from across the street

[@pangopod2969]

I really love that format

[@erikchristopherson9700]

Excellent video! As someone with experience in Chinese martial arts, Thai, and American karate (basically western kickboxing) long guard is something I use almost exclusively. I feel it’s rarely understood, or explained this well!

[@maxanderson3733]

Thank you so much for this video! You did a really good job of simplifying what I originally thought was a very convoluted guard

[@SleeplessBrazilLimbo]

as a outboxer who did a bit too much judo, i didnt know i was using leverage blocks when dealing with direct punches

[@jestfullgremblim8002]

hahaha it seems like Judokas that get into striking will always fight in one of two ways lol

[@marcusaure2470]

Super happy you posted this! I've been watching a lot of old boxing matches and been playing with both long guard and cross armed guard in my MMA classes. Absolutely love them both and stealing some of these moves.

[@Lionheart_Kickboxing]

One trick I use is that when I kick I use a horizontal arm swing and turn it into a post. It can be done from Tight guard or long guard. I also like to use long guard to trap hands then step into clinch and push their head to the side and throw a vertical round kick from elbow length. It causes crashing force by pushing their head into the kick as I kick up

[@wanabisufi8843]

This was a very good video. I knew a lot of the stuff you're talking about, but your video really highlighted the range and the overall strategy better than what I was doing.

[@senseierictollett4830]

Perfect!! This is one of my favorite methods. Bro you know your stuff

[@Flamewolf14]

Am I the only one who would like to hear this type of break down for other gaurds or hear where I can get that same kind of info its really interesting

[@jomess7879]

I was shadow boxing using long guard, something fairly common in karate (which I hold a black belt in) and my first BJJ instructor (who did some striking 20 years ago with Royce Gracie, someone well known for striking) told me to stop because I'd get knocked out. He didn't like that I ignored him

[@ArmchairViolence]

Instructors hate anything that isn't a classic high guard. They're boring! Lol

[@jomess7879]

@@ArmchairViolence I don't think he liked that I didn't consider his advice. This may sound arrogant, but I don't think someone who did some striking with someone who wasn't a striker is overly qualified to critique someone who studied a dedicated striking art

[@jestfullgremblim8002]

@@jomess7879 yeah hahaha. But people now days look at stances from arts like Karate and call them useless. And like Armchair said, instructors always want either the classic high guard or the classic orthodox/southpaw stance, which is indeed boring.

[@K4113B4113]

​@@jomess7879 Did he explain why he gave that advice? I hate it when people give advice but refuse to elaborate. It's a terrible way to get someone to do something. Did he have a point though? Do you leave yourself more open to knockout blows? Is there a way to mitigate the risks and keep the benefits? Is it only appropriate in certain situations? I'm open to all advice as long as the person can explain the reasoning and we can pressure test it.

[@jomess7879]

@@K4113B4113 he offered no advice. Just told me I was wrong. And there are risks to long guard. The right strategy at the right time wins fights. I'm not an expert in fighting or striking, but I knew more than he did

[@nicorepetto5781]

Such an awesome video. I'd also like to add that the long guard is great for cutting off space and backing your opponent up to the corner/fence since you physically take up more space due to your outstretched arms

[@GiangoPT]

Love the way you explain your point, it seems like a lesson and reminds me of college ❤

[@lexriel1286]

A favorite of young George Foreman.

[@YoungScato]

George Foreman was the greatest at doing this I was thinking about his style the whole time

[@gabe4131]

I need to start training these techniques. I noticed Barry Robinson teaches similar techniques and was wondering how to implement them. Love how detailed your videos are. I’ve learned so much in martial arts but it seems like there are a lot of important concepts that are often left out.

[@willowelizabethryder4141]

i appreciate this tutorial, thank you!

[@cringeyidiotterry]

Thank you for this!

[@malkomalkavian]

This was an excellent video, thank you :)

[@kenc7947]

love it, would be nice if you can share a few combos that works really well with long guard

[@wfrankli7]

Something you could add to your defense to when you throw an intercept punch is head movement. If you throw your punch and move your head. Its gonna be impossible for them to hit your face

[@fps_spicy]

this guys channel is so good

[@icyBulls]

George Foreman fun fact was also a master of this guard. Keeping his arms out and manipulating his opponents

[@Gcrab71989]

I took a liking to using a long guard as a kid because of Ken Shamrock in the WWF, funny enough I don't think I've ever seen him use it outside of the world of pro wrestling but he looked so badass to me as a kid.

[@dalejohnson1954]

This is a great idea to look indepth of a fighting stance it wood be great if you went through over boxing and fighting styles stances the same way

[@wanabisufi8843]

Great video.

[@paulmonahawk4921]

This is pure gold

[@gkhfbnhfvng]

Freaking love this channel.

[@Enforcer2811]

soooo...wing chun does work after all??

[@raydrexler5868]

I was thinking JKD. A little less strict and structured but yeah. The root is the same. Fencing uses the same concepts

[@brauliochavez2231]

another one is from long guard pull your oponents right hand to your right side or left to left, as you angle to the side you are pulling, fomr there you can punch, or trip etc

[@Zz7722zZ]

I prefer to target the elbow when framing, it feels like I have more leverage over my opponent and it is also an easier spot to stifle an incoming attack as the elbow crook/bend often presents a larger surface area.

[@anon2034]

True! I change from shoulder to elbow back to shoulder depending on range and angle.

[@Ghost2743]

The CROSS BLOCK, with the lead hand extended or down the rear hand easily and quickly closes the lead side defensive gap.

[@gentlemandemon]

I LOVE long guard, but I also have stubby arms, which really limits its utility. I usually end up using the one arm variant with one hand staying active in front and a more sideways stance for dashing in and out

[@101289teutonicguy]

Great video... can you maybe do one like this on the subject of hand fighting? Specifically standing hand fighting since mostbof the videos I've found are on the ground already.

[@WinnipegKnightlyArts]

Using the flared elbow in the leverage block also leads to them slamming their arm against your elbow which is quite draining after a while.

[@rosskeeling4459]

Very good content here. This really worked well for me. Partly because it's simple and because I have longer arms. And partly because I just wasn't that quick. This method seemed to slow things down a little bit.

[@K4113B4113]

Wow! This is reminiscent of Wing Chun, with even some straight up techniques from it (like 360 block, and trapping) but hopefully without the weaknesses. I need to test this.

[@dobo9150]

I

[@kensei2]

Seriously, you need to bring back the theme song at the end of the videos, or at least make the mp3 available so I can make it my ring tone. Great video as always.

[@adamding3873]

It is often used in Muay Thai. The far reaching arms can block the opponents attack. pull down the opponent's arm and attack, throw in an elbow. push or force the opponent to lean back and expose the body for you to kick, so on and so forth.

[@niscent_]

damn... the first martial art i trained was taekwondo, got too used to kicking distance and that little bit of hand play we do to setup kicks from closer range. i'm basically fighting with a long guard most of the time. the rest of the time i use a philly shell because it works well with the bad habit we have in tkd of not really raising our hand in a guard. i learned the shoulder roll later when training systema, we literally did drills that where slug fests at close range shoulder rolling each others punches one after the other. and it's only a couple years ago that i started to do a bit of the manipulations you describe, placing your hands on your opponent's guard and such, because i learned judo and it feels natural.

[@brianquint6126]

Long guard is old school karate and it makes all the middle blocks make sense because they are baiting middle and low attacks with the long guard.

[@ChapCanai]

Now I know how zombies get those sneaky shots in

[@dinninfreeman2014]

huh my success with making wing Chun functionally just reinvented the long guard (with some other stuff)

[@A-bomb94]

My favourite part is where the Zebra heavy bags were of more concern to the camera focus

[@ArmchairViolence]

I hate my autofocus. I wish it were a physical thing so I could punch it lol

[@unifedgongfu]

there is a lot to say and add, but 2 points: 1. long guard and its variations are very common in Chinese martial arts. 2. it goes fast and easy from long range to short range using elbows for offense and defense alike. btw the range switching is where kasey style can be very useful.

[@youngmf6052]

Good video, less mocking tones, more straight good info. Keep it up.

[@ArmchairViolence]

I've gotten several comments telling me to cut back on the mocking tones, but my videos making fun of people perform far better than my purely informative ones. My MOST viewed kind/purely informative video has 19 other videos ahead of it. It's ranked 20th lol

[@leodrew]

If you can lure them into making space and meeting your long guard with their own while out of punch range, you can pull their glove/wrist towards you with your lead hand as you step to the outside and land a cross.

[@DBPdebateBpill]

Please post more

[@paulzenchuk7807]

Good points Erik Paulson calls it the Frankenstein!!!!!!

[@raindropsonroses4655]

Yo, that leverage block looks familiar to me... Ah, yes, Kungfu blocks!

[@bryantaylor1572]

We call them "deflections!" He did some mantis and snake hand movements too. See, if you learn to fight, kung fu can work.

[@zenmorte2793]

This looks a lot like what I learnt in Wing Chung, fortunately I went to a WC school that mixed other types of techniques from other martial arts and did some sparring, plus I cross trained some boxing and applied wing chung in there too to mix it up

[@charliedavis3931]

I started using this mixed with philly She'll and it really screws with people who only do conventional guard. I work on my conventional guard, but I really sucks at it, so this is my go to guard when sparing.

[@de0509]

Not sure whats it called but I learned this from a friend and used it successfully in a slightly heated sparring session one time. From the long guard you grab the head and pull it to one side left or right and let them to get back up while following their head then instantly pull it the opposite direction to use their momentum against them. And that time I just did an improvised throw because the dude was totally off balance

[@mrnicholaswong]

This channel will take off if you maintain your release schedule. Quality content.

[@notusingmyname4791]

for someone who doesn't like wing chun, you use a lot of wing chun.

[@kamilri]

Thanks for explanation of leverage blocks - they intrigue me from the moment I see them in old boxing manual some time ago (named there leverage guard, but whatever). Additional question - how in your experience traditional frame defense with posting on the shoulders work with your kind of long guard?

[@ArmchairViolence]

Posting on shoulders works fine, as long as you're prepared for an attempted overhand over the top. It's what people often throw in response

[@kamilri]

@@ArmchairViolence Hmm, problem with overhand applied to stuffing/stifling shots (more or less what you described earlier as disrupting rotation, apart that more reactive and maybe more direct) or only more static aspect of that defense? To be fair, i don't think i ever tried stuff overhand, i need to correct that. But either way I see why biceps will be safer post target against them, thanks.

[@TheSinsOfAvarice97]

I literally opened my phone to see you dropping this sweet! Time to jam some armchair violence :)

[@MG-bi6mq]

Long guard is definitely becoming more popular. I recently fought a guy in a parking lot who had a foot of reach on me and only used long guard. I ended up eating 16 of his punches to land just one of mine. Took forever to get in too because he kept backing up and I had challenged myself not to use kicks to enter. Lesson learned: attack and damage the outstretched arms & don’t chase the coward - just let him run.

[@saucysultanandhisangryraco1227]

why the f did you fight a guy in a parking lot?

[@MG-bi6mq]

@@saucysultanandhisangryraco1227 Practice.

[@saucysultanandhisangryraco1227]

@@MG-bi6mq in a parking lot?

[@MG-bi6mq]

@@saucysultanandhisangryraco1227 Where do you fight people?

[@smallone2351]

​@@MG-bi6mq gym

[@RuizCombatGrappling]

Every grappler should learn how to use Long Guard Striking techniques. Great for clinching etc.

[@RaderizDorret]

Here's the funny thing: many styles do this. In Karate for example, I'm constantly applying pressure and if I need to defend, it's a small matter to make a tiny angle change to get a clean parry or deflection which not only saves time but robs the attack of incoming momentum.

[@davidecappelli9961]

I think a hand should always be ready to protect the airway/the neck and the face/the head. One thing not to do is use the tae-kwon-do guard: their arms are down, so kicking high is easier. Kicking high might give an immediate KO, but most of times it just unbalances you and exposes you to all sorts of throwing and grappling. If one likes to kick, the old leg sweeps and front kicks are an asset, there’s always a way to use them.

[@TheQue5tion]

I'm not one for using long guard. Having very long arms, I tend to default to middle guard, so instead of being a mummy I'm more like a T-rex scanning groceries at a checkout. Anyway, I find mid-guard to work better for me as it gives me more dexterity and movement for hand fighting, extend the arms out quickly to defend against hooks and still be able to generate some (but not much) power. Of course like all guards it's not without its drawbacks.

[@nealaikin5973]

You can really and power to those punches with the falling step or the trigger step, I like to bring my body to my hand to chamber it while moving, rather than pulling all the way back to my body .

[@barrysmith1202]

somebody used it against me once in sparring-- i was fairly helpless, given the rules of the day. also, long guard is a super defense against roundhouse kicks, amazing!

[@sparkyy2890]

Could you do a video on your thoughts on the 10th planet system in mma

[@driver3899]

grab their wrist and push the hand down to their waist, opens up the body knee strike also, push their shoulder hard as they are throwing a punch, takes most of the power out of it and your slightly raised elbow can block the rest of it

[@malkomalkavian]

I believe that Jack London described bicep frames in his 1905 book 'The Game.' (Jack London the writer, not the boxer.)

[@eddard9442]

Ive been thinking i need to use long guard in Muay Thai sparring, i am worried about Kicks to my body, i will just have to get my checks on point. I love the idea of guard manipulation and binding my opponent.

[@ender8170]

In the beginning of the video you talk about potentially doing a video on the rear hand being back and lead forward. Will you do that one?

[@TTT3lack0iamond]

what he said about long arms actually makes sense/ because even long arms have disadvantages with range

[@Xzontyr]

Lol Loreal. Loved that

[@magicman9552]

Here's another long guard tip: When you're parrying with that leverage block and flaring your elbow up, it's quite easy to get more coverage to your face by turning your hips more. When you do that, you can use that hip rotation to punch with your other hand simultaneously.

[@Valchrist1313]

or angle out. Probably get a single leg, sweep or judo throw, too.

[@seedem7861]

Some people who use this are very frustrating/annoying to land on because your arms are always tangled up. Some people who don't train do this naturally. Feinting and bodyshots really do well on them.

[@yordantodorov7105]

Can youbplease show defence against kicks and takedowns and throws in long guard? Tnx in advance

[@Sunyayana]

Superbon seems like this double-arm long guard.

[@nosidenoside2458]

I like your words funny violence man

[@adukill]

Yes. great.

[@McFlubberpants]

Some people prefer a thicker card, even if it isn’t as long. I guess what I’m saying is that it isn’t the size of the guard, but the movement of the head.

[@jomess7879]

My favorite trick with long guard, since I have long arms and get away with this, is pull their rear have done and jab them in the face and then immediately pull the hand back down and jab them in the face and repeat as many times as they will like me

[@A.I8I.M]

Very useful video but is this for boxing, kickboxing or for muay Thai?