The Diamond Guard - Sylvie's Technique Vlog

[@TheModernMartialArtist]

Can't wait to see you use this in a real fight. Anyone curious might want to check out Gene Fullmer for a boxing version of this "reverse cross guard" where your lead arm crosses on top instead. He beat the greatest boxer ever (Sugar Ray Robinson) with it a few times. Outside of boxing I like that it actually makes it easier to parry kicks since your hands are already half way there! lol

[@8limbsUs]

I'm excited too. Real sparring first, then I hope it works itself heavily into fights. Thank you for your breakdowns they helped me think more deeply about this.

[@TheModernMartialArtist]

@@8limbsUs Oh cool thanks so much, glad they helped!

[@mikea7732]

@@8limbsUs hi, any updates on this guard and it's efficacy for you?

[@dougsmuaythai]

@@8limbsUs former light heavyweight champion Archie Moore, perfected this style. The Mongoose has the boxing record for the number of knockouts. He later trained George Foreman, whom employed this.

[@californiacombativesclub202]

I’m using this for boxing it cracked the high guard

[@gianniskritikos9432]

It's beautiful and seems strong . It shows how Muay Thai is an art and how everyone can express themselves in their own way.

[@johnkang1202]

My buddy taught me a similar move. The lead arm is covering the face with your palm near the crown of the head. This not only protects the head but also gives a protruding elbow to step in with. From orthodox you step into your opponent with your guard up, into his left. Just a quick step in while you already close, and as soon as your left foot plants, pivot in with the right hook. Elbow is an option as well. Usually catches the opponent the first time they (don't) see it. Please, post more as you developed this concept. I'm intrigued and excited. I dont think you can stand in it too long or bring it out in a rhythmic pace as it leaves your ribs open. Probably have to move in and out dynamically. And the angles you were getting off of it were great. Can't wait to see what you can tinker out. Heck, maybe you can stand in that stance the whole round :) Thanks for all the post and sharing the knowledge you acquired from masters. You'll be remembered as a master as well. Many thanks.

[@Skazzo]

That intro was amazing. Incredible photos as well

[@jacew1]

Loved the Alan Watts narration!

[@hinhaale2501]

Dito to that, I like the spiritual approach where alot are all about the physical.

[@thamecerulian9394]

I feel like you’re really forming your own style.

[@johnkang1202]

It's always your own style. People teach you steps or the lyrics. You make it your own when it bleeds from your heart.

[@grantoaklands4724]

Hi, I made a similar discovery after losing my eyesight in a riot in 2016, realised the advantages of head protection using my arms to form a helmet proactively instead of trying to evade or block any strike reactively. Love the video and your insight to this position.

[@emaddarawsheh7420]

You are the diamond Sylvie

[@georg2039]

Great video. Foreman also used this, especially in his come-back. In boxing, it is also called cross-armed defense. It is more of a transitional state and can be used quite well with other guards and head movement, like Philly, long guard, parry, and head movement. I love the dedication you put in this and researching, testing, and forming your style.

[@FranFerioli]

Beautiful photography in the intro!

[@Wavemaninawe]

Nice. 😎 I learned this from a kali & silat background. Both as a guard variant, and as a setup for hammer fists & short range elbows. I saw some other commenter drawing comparison to 52. Goes to show that there are a lot of common threads between different systems. After all, there are only 2 legs & 2 arms to work with, no matter what culture.

[@nicky8962]

Yeah I thought it came from 52 , who knows

[@Wavemaninawe]

@@nicky8962 My point was that there are only so many ways to skin a cat. Since all systems are based on using the human body to fight, a lot of them are going to develop similar techniques. Most grappling styles use hip throws and collar holds. Most unarmed striking styles have some manner of push kicks and straight line punches. Most weapon oriented styles consider the over head / palm up strike to be attack angle #1, since both trained and untrained people default to using it. Im pretty sure that kali and 52 developed this cover independent of each other. To my understanding, Sylvie realized it from experimenting with muay thai. Sometimes material is copied, but sometimes its simply a matter of what makes sense, makes sense. Regardless of background. When i first watched the YT channel, Karate Culture... I thought they were demomstrating some type of Silat. Because that is what im used to seeing. But it was karate. The biggest di

[@nicky8962]

Yeah true, that’s a good point you raise there , guess it’s a mistaken tendency to assume that a lot of techniques etc in arts get there due to a ‘connection’

[@joseantoniosanz9045]

Hi Sylvie. I love your videos and the amazing work you´re doing. I trained with Thailand and Burklerk Pinsinchai in Spain and they taught me that guard but the left arm was under the right arm, like the one Kaensak uses. I´m sure it can work both ways. Keep up the good work!!

[@fisioxande]

Fantastic video and very interesting technique! Thanks for sharing this! 🙂👏👍🙏🥊

[@enlightenment3814]

Sylvie I just found your channel and I’ve seen your old videos from before and you have evolved and come a long way as a fighter and you are just awesome!! Wow! Thank you for your videos and looking forward to more!

[@aldo5658]

2 of my favorite! Alan watts with Sylvie ❤ pure perfection !

[@NobleVagabond2552]

For every yin there is a yang, I love this guard style and I can see it’s benefits, but I can also see the opening it creates for body kicks. Like everything it has its positives and negatives

[@8limbsUs]

Body kicks will just have to be checked. It's something I'm working into the rhythm, but it is definitely the next level of development.

[@hinakhodiyara7883]

Genius. Thanks for sharing. Peace & love.

[@ngsoul9902]

Amazing, love the pation you put on every video, I hope someday I became a great fighter too

[@factionzer0]

My coach trained under Kaensak as well out of AMA in NJ.

[@austingarmer2523]

Yes! This is epic! I've been playing with Dracula guard for some heavy boxers in my gym, and just get a nasty uppercut when I'm blocking high and stiff jab when I block low. So this is awesome! Can't wait to see some more on this guard!

[@8limbsUs]

Cool! It's probably pretty good to switch occasionally between this and the Dracula guard.

[@levanmaglaferidze9148]

did you use Diamond guard? and if so what was the advantages of it in protective aspect.

[@systeem]

Thank You🙏🥊

[@2160Studio]

Alan watts and muay thai, i love you

[@kcmacdonald]

I learned something almost exactly like this watching Rodney King's Crazy Monkey Boxing instructional and used it back when I was bouncing,along with bicep ties and some basic MT and then started using elbow cover variations training MT, sambo, MMA and boxing. I love playing around with the styles of Archie Moore, George foreman, Mike McCallum, jack Johnson, guys that can bully to open up their range, or impose their range by controlling the inside fight I love playing with this guard, And Dracula guard which I definitely learned from you😉and shoving people around while sneaking in hooks, knees and kicks. I use this to push people to the wall/fence to control position and feed people shots but that's in MMA/MT spar lightly crashing with this guard. I'm a hobbyist not a top tier fighter with top tier competition, I'd love to see how you put it to work

[@everettwilliams7252]

Good for overhands and hook set ups as well

[@seanthom7949]

so, when someone gets you in a clinch, would you wrap the diamond around wherever they have their arms? Or would you make a little diamond fortress that they can only grab around?

[@seanmcnabb7895]

rob the bank is what its called in 52 blocks jailhouse rock and boxing archie moore and foreman used it a lot, like to see how you implement it in your MUAY

[@icj5568]

this is absolutely beautiful!!!

[@TheLittleGreenMan102]

Looks similar to the cross-over guard from boxing. Big George called it that (he was taught by Archie Moore). But like you said it is influenced by it. I think that this would be a good guard for dealing with forward, aggressive punchers. Interested to see how you evolved it. Thought of the cross-over guard when Superbon as something that would have helped alot with aggressive guys like Allazov (big hooks and overhands).

[@marionanthony9924]

Thank you for this lesson.

[@hr4f774]

i used to instinctively do this when i was picking up boxing until 1 day a guy faked an overhand and hit me so hard to my ribcage i never took my hand off my sides ever since

[@thejoojoo9999]

Very interesting. Have you thought about throwing hammerfists from this guard ? Hammerfists are almost never used in Muay Thai (I don't know why) but it seems like they would flow pretty well from your diamond guard. For example lead hammerfist - rear cross. That way the hammerfist would act as another form of jab but more natural for this position.

[@8limbsUs]

Kevin has thought of this and had me try it.

[@thejoojoo9999]

@@8limbsUs Cool. I would definitely love to see the updates and development of your technique.

[@rociogandarahernandez6424]

Me hace pensar en la guardia "Pensador" del Keysi que usa Batman en la trilogia The Dark Knight.

[@04alvas]

Been curious about this for awhile being used in muay thai these days hope you slip it in one of your fights for a moment to throw off opponent momenteum 😉💪🏼🦵🏼👊🏼

[@hinhaale2501]

Ohww nice, Err awesome even ! Heh I was also thinking it looks like the "horizontal turtleguard" as I was told by Yomhod Kitadisiak when he was at the MT place in Stockholm I then trained at getting ready for a comeback fight. (You've probably heard of him, Thai origin obviously but Finnish(sometimes I've seen him fight under Swedish flag too though weirdly.) ...Over 450 fights before retirement then had this brief comeback when we had Buakaw P over to headline a k1-max event, and we (Swedish organizers) needed someone seasoned and good in Pramuk's weight range. (Fun opponent to get for a comeback bout:P.) 'Twas around a decade ago or so. -And yeah didn't condition enough, was a good fight but Yomhod went down after his stomach caved in 2nd/3rd from repeated knees & punches). Anyway! I thought the 'hor turtle' 🐢 had a baby with the vampire🧛‍♂️ guard first seeing this :D Oh right I was gonna ask the 5$ patron thingie, how long does it give me access to the archive for?

[@8limbsUs]

Thanks for the story and the free associations. At the $5 tier, that is a pledge. It gives you access to the last 15 Muay Thai Library sessions that have been published, for a month. Plus all the technique vlogs, all the podcasts. It's a monthly pledge, so the next month the same (but there will be two new sessions). A $10 pledge gives you access to the full Library, nearly 100 hours of video!

[@hinhaale2501]

@@8limbsUs: 😋. You're the one deserving credit, but thanks. 🙏 Ohhh that's really nice! What's 10$ anyway (to most) - and that's alot of value for your dollar! I'll get back within the next two days, currently 'quarantining' at a friend's place I was at. Gotta get CC details etc :) Thanks again, also Chok Dee to the vampiric turtle lovechild! :)

[@user-tj8ys4ic8w]

Amazing. I was developing something similar

[@andrewmthomson0191]

Interesting there are similarities to the half way point in shuto in karate. Not the way most people use a shuto as a strike (which I think is incorrect) but rather as a clinch entry. The lower arm extends out straight (shoulder pushed up to protect jaw) towards the opponent (other arm in same position as here covering the face). The straight arm intercepts the incoming swinging punch and then wraps the arm. The other arm then comes off the face and grabs the side of the opponents neck. So you end up holding their arm. You pull on the arm and push on the neck to take their other arm out of the equation (with the angle so it out of range) and knee the hell out of them.

[@andrewmthomson0191]

Should have said you need to move forward at your opponent well doing this.

[@8limbsUs]

Don't know much about Karate, but exactly! There is lots of clinch entry in this, something I want to develop.

[@EdsEnemy]

I wonder if this guard would be a good thing to go to if someone is striking down from a full-mount position. I've seen a "helmet" guard used for this where it's like two spike guards, with the elbows crossed one above the other, but maybe this would be better. I think I'll try it.

[@8limbsUs]

Cool, I like the innovative application!

[@Dream-ps2qp]

amazing

[@fernandodavila5064]

It leaves you open to kicks to the rib no?

[@barryg528]

Any particular reason the lead arm is above the rear as opposed to the the way they do it in boxing? Something to do with the elbow I assume?

[@8limbsUs]

Just what feels good to me.

[@barazimg]

I love Alan Watts!

[@EricDavisMusic]

very cool!

[@JonahsWail]

Nice, that’s badass!

[@Merrick]

you can get a surprisingly powerful backhand out that stance, can also be used to peel opponent's guard

[@sydvicious2378]

Very interesting :)

[@howtopaintahouse4520]

wow awsome

[@marciotanuz9494]

Boxe inglês tem esse tipo de guarda

[@jayw8306]

I've been playing with this in sparing

[@darknessinmysoul7048]

lady i have no clue how i got on your channel, i just happened to be here. You are absolutely legit as a couch, it would be an honor to train with you for a while 👍

[@chaichanastriking9673]

Yoel romero did this against paulo costa It really worked for him. Will try it 2

[@ramseymodiri2752]

How do you guard the top of your fore head with this and Dracula? Do you just let it get hit?

[@8limbsUs]

You just duck your head down into it, for extra protection.

[@boyjuice3414]

Great movement but the ribs have to be covered its too open. In kuntao we have this to but the ribs we cover too

[@nono559]

Ramon Dekkers would use that guard a lot too.

[@bodyboardingchronicles602]

Don't forget Hammer Fist & Karate Chop. 👊😎

[@joshhernandez5069]

Foreman adopted this guard during his comeback run in his 40's. Also Frazier would use it to get inside close enough to launch his left hook.

[@CSSuccessGamer]

so its a guard only used in close range?

[@kumaSOevl]

Awesome watts

[@dmwtd3144]

Have you ever met Changpuek Kiatsongrit ?

[@cletusgadsden2969]

Dope!

[@Merrick]

huh. love alan watts

[@homelessman3483]

Dustin porier uses this guard

[@marioss2167]

No he doesn't. He uses a version of the philly self

[@homelessman3483]

@@marioss2167 the Philly self??? You mean shell? Yeah he goes in-between this guard and a modified Philly shell. Here I'll link a video of it for you

[@homelessman3483]

@@marioss2167 kzbin.info/www/bejne/eojcl5eora6MrKM

[@marcusmarriott]

She’s here..😂😂🙏🇹🇭☪️☯️ George foreman had similar

[@mingkikoy4919]

Great guard to get close. From what i know this leaves you open on the sides which is why boxers shift out of it.. Found this vid mentioning the weakness of it though (might help perfecting it) kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpavloGent1lps0

[@8limbsUs]

Thanks for the video! I've been working with it a lot and I don't really feel these openings, which may be because the guard is kept much higher in Muay Thai. The head is closed off to the sides. Yes, the ribs are open, but that is the same with any high guard. But elbow counters discourage lots of close body attacks to the side, something not a part of boxing. I appreciate the reference though!

[@mingkikoy4919]

Thats nice to hear.. I realy like that guard when i see it, i read somewhere that samart blended boxing footwork in his style i would love to see you create something like that with this guard. Me and my girlfriend are big fans and hope to see you live someday.

[@kani11able]

🙏🎧

[@powdermuaythai]

love your elbow tatts

[@everettwilliams7252]

Cross guard plus the reverse cross guard boxer already master this defense it's and lost art in boxing many old school boxers use this check out gene fullmer

[@brionpriest6735]

You are beautiful