Jump to content

Question for Punches - What To Do When Facing Them


Recommended Posts

Hello sylvie and everyone,i got another question:P

Lets say someone is coming at me with punches(in sparring for example) how should i react?

-just raise my guard up and wait till hes done punching and attack back?

-move my head back and kinda keep distance with long guard?

-keep moving around the ring so when he punches me ill avoid him?

-directly punch back?(but doesn't that leave me expose?)

I usually do a combination of all these but i haven't really got it how to react exactly..

Thanks

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It depends on the overall situation... putting up a tight strong guard and waiting for an opportunity to hit back is good; so is stepping out and away (quarter out and you can immediately kick them); so is backing up (to give yourself room to react); maybe a nice pushkick (or even a knee if there's a gap); or you can attack back. In my admittedly  limited experience I don't think there is an 'exact' way to react in this situation. I've used all of these reactions when my opponent is pummeling me vigorously. And same if it's me in the attack, and he has gone into a nice tight guard - how I continue depends on that particular moment in that particular session.

Just keep on sparring, and practicing, and watching fights and training sessions (whether professional stuff or other people at your club or whatever), and gradually you'll feel more confident and your body will start to do the reacting for you (maybe you're over-thinking it a bit!) It's also very helpful to film your sparring sessions and to watch them, and see how it's all playing out.

Main thing is to relax, smile, and have fun.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...

I think a combination of the things you've listed is already the right response. Change it up based on situation and make yourself unpredictable would be the main idea.

 

I would suggest to tack on a counter/offensive move after the responses you've listed above.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...
On 4/15/2018 at 7:40 PM, muaythai said:

Hello sylvie and everyone,i got another question:P

Lets say someone is coming at me with punches(in sparring for example) how should i react?

-just raise my guard up and wait till hes done punching and attack back?

-move my head back and kinda keep distance with long guard?

-keep moving around the ring so when he punches me ill avoid him?

-directly punch back?(but doesn't that leave me expose?)

I usually do a combination of all these but i haven't really got it how to react exactly..

Thanks

All of the above seems right. There's no single response that's  "correct," it's about adapting. Everyone has patterns. Everyone. So if you put your guard up and wait out the first punch or two, you'll have an opening. If you lean back, make sure you then counter. Play with it.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/15/2018 at 7:40 PM, muaythai said:

Hello sylvie and everyone,i got another question:P

Lets say someone is coming at me with punches(in sparring for example) how should i react?

-just raise my guard up and wait till hes done punching and attack back?

-move my head back and kinda keep distance with long guard?

-keep moving around the ring so when he punches me ill avoid him?

-directly punch back?(but doesn't that leave me expose?)

I usually do a combination of all these but i haven't really got it how to react exactly..

Thanks

A good thing to work on, stylistically, is that when punches start coming: throw a spear knee, or throw a mid-kick under them. Eventually building awareness of where the "open side" is (where the belly button is pointing toward. It's common to think about trying to counter and defend up top when attacked up top, but knees (or if you like longer distances, kicks) are very high scoring in Muay Thai, and are natural counters to punching combinations. Punches extend and open the body. 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

For me it really depends on the my goal for the night. Wjat do I want out of this session? If its to minimize damage (say the person is a little outve control), id use a guard and footwork to clear space to keep the pressure off and look for openings to counter and shut the agression down. If my goal is to feel pressure and learn to deal with it, then I might shell up and accept their attack to feel it. I believe its important to counter asap regardless to keep from being run over. Most of the time my goal is to preemptively keep them from over whelming me with outside footwork at range. I usually keep moving so as to not make a tempting target and not let them get a bead on me. Their swings wiff air so I can counter.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’m a beginner/intermediate level with no fight experience, but for me in sparring I use a tight “samson issan” guard with forearm infront. After a couple of punches, i get a rough feel of the punching power/rhythm and try to break the opponents rhythm by pulsing forward and push to create space. As the opponent tries to reset, teep/kick/knee or jab/knee combo. I also integrate long guard/ dracula guard to keep a constant range check and get myself composed again. 

Whether or not it is as applicable in a proper fight, not sure. I love watching and re-watching the muay thai library, it definitely helps me in trying out all sorts of answers to such questions! 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm also a beginner with no fight experience but your question is important for me as well as a lot of the people I did sparring with so far were quite punch-focused (and I am not).

2 Things that seem to put a break on a punchers advance (at least on those that are not leaps and bounds ahead of my skill anyways of course) for me are:

 

1. Long guard and keeping a hand towards their face to interfere, disrupt, annoy. The better one's tend to get around it sooner or later but I guess with more experience it can at least help. I am quite tall though so if you are a smaller build this might not work as well for you.

 

2. Quick inside leg kicks as they step forward to punch. This proved quite effective as far as my skills will allow. It unbalances them and makes them more vary to step in again. Also the pain starts racking up over time if you can sneak it in more often. Good footwork can of course only make it better. I've also seen this approach used to sweep people clean off their feet as they try to advance with punches (look at Karuhat for a technically godlike example)

 

Teeps seem to work, too but I'm not yet good enough with them to stay out of trouble while using them. Need to improve my timing and power I guess.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/8/2019 at 9:39 PM, Eric Y said:

I’m a beginner/intermediate level with no fight experience, but for me in sparring I use a tight “samson issan” guard with forearm infront. After a couple of punches, i get a rough feel of the punching power/rhythm and try to break the opponents rhythm by pulsing forward and push to create space. As the opponent tries to reset, teep/kick/knee or jab/knee combo. I also integrate long guard/ dracula guard to keep a constant range check and get myself composed again. 

Whether or not it is as applicable in a proper fight, not sure. I love watching and re-watching the muay thai library, it definitely helps me in trying out all sorts of answers to such questions! 

This sounds very much like what Rambaa worked with me on at the end of our Patreon session (up now). It's basically a long guard (the arm doesn't cross over, so not Dracula) and the Spike Guard (as I call it, where you block with your elbow). Two ranges, but you block EVERYTHING with just that. Your selections and practice sounds really good, especially with counters and lower body attacks within it.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
On 4/15/2018 at 8:40 AM, muaythai said:

Hello sylvie and everyone,i got another question:P

Lets say someone is coming at me with punches(in sparring for example) how should i react?

-just raise my guard up and wait till hes done punching and attack back?

-move my head back and kinda keep distance with long guard?

-keep moving around the ring so when he punches me ill avoid him?

-directly punch back?(but doesn't that leave me expose?)

I usually do a combination of all these but i haven't really got it how to react exactly..

Thanks

I agree with what others have said. Your options are very context dependent. So there isn't, necessarily, a "right" or "wrong answer". I think there can be "appropriate" or "more appropriate" answers to someone who is so punch heavy.

 

Disclaimer: I have only been training for 2 years. So I may know nothing haha

 

For me, when I get slammed with a lot of punches I begin to smirk and try to go for counters with punches or teeps (am obsessed with teeps). I also want to protect my head, so I'll also focus on slips and angling off so I can keep my brains safe and have new targets. 

 

I think really depends on your own style and needs. 

  • Cool 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Most Recent Topics

  • Latest Comments

    • Hi Warren  It was very quiet when I was there. A few local guys and 2-4 foreigners but that can change and I'm sure this gym has got more popular. You can schedule privates for whenever you want. The attention to detail here is unbelievable and I highly recommend you train at this gym. In my experience, everyone was really good training partners and I learnt loads everyday.  
    • To all the MuayThai enthusiasts who have travelled to Thailand and trained in Muay thai- I would urge you to pls fill this form to share your interests and journey insights. This will help us explore possible ways to improve muay thai gym/training program search experience for the community https://forms.gle/39pBz4wHQ2CXPWNS8 Feel free to DM me if there is any feedback or query.
    • You can look through my various articles which sometimes focuses on this: https://8limbsus.com/muay-thai-forum/forum/23-kevins-corner-muay-thai-philosophy-ethics/ especially the article on Muay Thai as a Rite. The general thought is that Thailand's traditional Muay Thai offers the world an important understanding of self-control in an era which is increasingly oriented towards abject violence for entertainment. There are also arguments which connect Muay Thai to environmental concerns.
  • The Latest From Open Topics Forum

    • Hi, this might be out of the normal topic, but I thought you all might be interested in a book-- Children of the Neon Bamboo-- that has a really cool Martial Arts instructor character who set up an early Muy Thai gym south of Miami in the 1980s. He's a really cool character who drives the plot, and there historically accurate allusions to 1980s martial arts culture. However, the main thrust is more about nostalgia and friendships.    Can we do links? Childrenoftheneonbamboo.com Children of the Neon Bamboo: B. Glynn Kimmey: 9798988054115: Amazon.com: Movies & TV      
    • Davince Resolve is a great place to start. 
    • I see that this thread is from three years ago, and I hope your journey with Muay Thai and mental health has evolved positively during this time. It's fascinating to revisit these discussions and reflect on how our understanding of such topics can grow. The connection between training and mental health is intricate, as you've pointed out. Finding the right balance between pushing yourself and self-care is a continuous learning process. If you've been exploring various avenues for managing mood-related issues over these years, you might want to revisit the topic of mental health resources. One such resource is The UK Medical Cannabis Card, which can provide insights into alternative treatments.
    • Phetjeeja fought Anissa Meksen for a ONE FC interim atomweight kickboxing title 12/22/2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu92S6-V5y0&ab_channel=ONEChampionship Fight starts at 45:08 Phetjeeja won on points. Not being able to clinch really handicapped her. I was afraid the ref was going to start deducting points for clinch fouls.   
    • Earlier this year I wrote a couple of sociology essays that dealt directly with Muay Thai, drawing on Sylvie's journalism and discussions on the podcast to do so. I thought I'd put them up here in case they were of any interest, rather than locking them away with the intention to perfectly rewrite them 'some day'. There's not really many novel insights of my own, rather it's more just pulling together existing literature with some of the von Duuglus-Ittu's work, which I think is criminally underutilised in academic discussions of MT. The first, 'Some meanings of muay' was written for an ideology/sosciology of knowledge paper, and is an overly long, somewhat grindy attempt to give a combined historical, institutional, and situated study of major cultural meanings of Muay Thai as a form of strength. The second paper, 'the fighter's heart' was written for a qualitative analysis course, and makes extensive use of interviews and podcast discussions to talk about some ways in which the gendered/sexed body is described/deployed within Muay Thai. There's plenty of issues with both, and they're not what I'd write today, and I'm learning to realise that's fine! some meanings of muay.docx The fighter's heart.docx
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      1.3k
    • Total Posts
      11k
×
×
  • Create New...