up close fighting

[aaaaaaa]

Hi my name is aaaaaaa and I have just joined because I have always got a question about martial arts and I often search the internet for diffrent answers.

At the moment I am mostly trying to improve my defences at close range

When sparring I am good at defending against long range/medium but when I get up close I always take a few hits. What kind of guard do you think is good to use at very close range? I don't like the boxing style guard as it leaves the groin very open and isnt as effective without gloves.

Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

[Yaksha]

In close range especially, you don't want to be too still. You want to be always moving as to slip up your opponet. Close range, things happen quickly. No time for holding a this or that guard, just stay guarded and change your guard to fit the situation.

I read in an interview with hawkins cheung (one of bruce's old sparring partners) that bruce lee had a particular emotional weakness in close range but it also made him very fast ,so thats why he always distanced himself so far away - he could move in and out quickly so he didn't have to expose his weakness in close combat.

[aaaaaaa]

Thanks, that makes sense. I will try to get more close range practice in sparring.

I thought Bruce bit everyone who got too close!

[Yaksha]

Maybe he did, but he didn't stay in that range long.

[SevenStar]

use the boxing style guard. more specifically, like tyson's peek-a-boo guard. the torso is protected and the head is protected. You can't rely on the hands for protection when you are in close though, with or without gloves. You need to move. LOTS of head movement and footwork.