Ok I really like this one block ala Marlon Starling

[Kickzilla]

However you stand, leftie, or rightie, I'm finding that keeping the lead hand on the side of your head, shifting your weight back on your rear leg, and turning a little towards your rear leg blocks just about god damn everything a traditional high guard does while feeling like you're absorbing shots WAY more protectively.

And it feels hella easy to transition out of, step off/away, jab, parry with the rear hand when shots get past that lead shield.

Thoughts?

Maybe I'm beginning to realize what works for my skillset and bodystructure, style, might not be for everyone. Just wanted to share, lol.

 

[fightingrabbit]

Post example. Do you mean just turning into a shot?

 

[Kickzilla]

 

[sourdiesel209]

Nice vid, I guess hands up doesnt have to mean your a punching bag if your also rolling with the punches

 

[Brando]

It's a solid block, and a great way to load your rear hand. Especially if you need to create a bit of space in tight.

You can also do that onto your lead lead with the right hand/elbows glued in to create openings and blocks with the opposite side.

It works as a feint, too. The front hip is best to feign offense, while the back hip is more about disguising movement.

 

[Kickzilla]

It's a solid block, and a great way to load your rear hand. Especially if you need to create a bit of space in tight.

You can also do that onto your lead lead with the right hand/elbows glued in to create openings and blocks with the opposite side.

It works as a feint, too. The front hip is best to feign offense, while the back hip is more about disguising movement.

You don't feel more vulnerable turning onto the lead hip? As evident, Starling clearly did it and it worked for him. But he could almost shift forward like that just at the tell of the jab it seems.

The lead hand cover to me feels like an almost complete defensive replacement for just having your two hands on the forehead. I mean sure rolling with your rear hand still covers, and it opens up those awkward angles (lead uppercut openings for instance), but beyond the control aspect of it, it doesn't seem like to me that you could use it constantly? (again unless you're Marlon Starling -_-).

Yeah you can roll back and forth but there almost always moments during an exchange that you will get caught like that unless you're just getting away with your feet and picking your shots.

 

[Brando]

More vulnerable to some things, less vulnerable to others - just like every position!

Using it "constantly" is definitely not practical, but I don't want to use anything all the time. It's just another option to mix in and keep you unpredictable. I often like to start from my front hip - especially when we're at long range - because it makes the lead hand more threatening, baits for a pull counter, and gives me the option to fade onto my rear hip to create space without giving ground. It's another position you can use to change what's available to you and the opponent, which becomes very important when you start dueling with feints.

 

[Kickzilla]

More vulnerable to some things, less vulnerable to others - just like every position!

Using it "constantly" is definitely not practical, but I don't want to use anything all the time. It's just another option to mix in and keep you unpredictable. I often like to start from my front hip - especially when we're at long range - because it makes the lead hand more threatening, baits for a pull counter, and gives me the option to fade onto my rear hip to create space without giving ground. It's another position you can use to change what's available to you and the opponent, which becomes very important when you start dueling with feints.

Yeah that's totally true and a sound point. However I still feel like rolling on the rear hip and that lead arm covering, is much safer and all purpose then the different strategies the other hand and lead hip presents.

 

[Brando]

Yeah that's totally true and a sound point. However I still feel like rolling on the rear hip and that lead arm covering, is much safer and all purpose then the different strategies the other hand and lead hip presents.

I agree that the rear hip version is more of an "all purpose" defense. But other than that, the strategic options are pretty similar. They just work for opposite sides. Both positions reduce the threat posed by one of your opponents' hands, and load one of your hands up for a big counter. Each position sets up a different pivot, weave, or feinting opportunity. It's a lot like the difference between an inside and outside slip: lipping to the outside is safer in general, but slipping inside is still perfectly valid.

 

[Kickzilla]

Holy shit guys, think of Starling's high guard and do it with Sinister's tile exercise (mind blown).