[Jaxx]

Originally Posted by ssullivan80

That was clever, I think the problem with doing that is your not teaching yourself to keep your elbows down to protect your ribs. You see alot of MMA fighters lift there hands and elbows straight up into earmuff position. Maybe it is usefull in MMA, I don't know. However, if you are sparring with a good boxer/kickboxer, your ribs are going to get hammered for bringing your elbows up that high!

Rather take it in the ribs rather than the jaw. Search Rodney King and his 'Crazy Monkey Boxing'.

If your using a high guard your not keeping the hands up there all the time, its an emergency, 'oh shit', defence against head shots. If you want to look after your mid section, squat slightly.

Great post on this thread.

Crazy Monkey Boxing + Muay Thai?

[gumby raptor]

Originally Posted by ssullivan80

Get hit real hard sparring! Your hands will learn to go up! Honestly, I used to do the same thing until I started sparring harder with better guys and got rocked a few times.

I had a really good boxing coach who made me take the thumbs on my boxing gloves and tap myself in the temples every time I finished throwing punches and during shadowboxing and footwork drills. It really did help alot learning to keep my hands up.

exactly. When i started training in Kickboxing and mma I was taught proper hand position on kicks. But yet, a quarter of the time i would drop them when i kicked (bad habit from TKD when i was younger) My first MMA bout, I lost via KO in the 2nd round because I dropped my hands throwing a leg kick and he came right over the the top with a haymaker and clocked me.

You know what? (you say "what?") After that I learned to keep my damn hands up. Every time I sparred right after that fight, my sparring partners or just anyone watching me spar would pay extra attention to my hand position on my kicks and if they dropped just a tad out of position wether or not if he was throwing a punch or not, they would let me know about it.

[Soul Rebel]

It will come in due time. I've been doing muay thai for the last few months and also had a problem mantaining my guard. As long as you keep it in mind not to expose yourself for too long while sparring you'll soon find yourself keeping your hands up. Sparring is good for this because if you drop your guard for too long then your gonna eat leather.

[NasDestiny]

Thanks for the help guys. On the plus side of the sparring I realized that I work pretty well behind my jab, and that slowing down the tempo and then bum-rushing in an organized way works fairly well

[Rinksterk]

Originally Posted by Jaxx

Rather take it in the ribs rather than the jaw.

You wouldn't be saying if you sparred some of the guys at my gym. Shots to the liver are no joke.

I've learned to keep my hands by eating numerous left hooks in sparring. And TS, it doesn't seem like you're going to an actualy gym. Go find a trainer.

[Jaxx]

Originally Posted by Rinksterk

You wouldn't be saying if you sparred some of the guys at my gym. Shots to the liver are no joke.

Well of course, i'd rather not get hit at all......

[WintersMMA]

Originally Posted by Rinksterk

You wouldn't be saying if you sparred some of the guys at my gym. Shots to the liver are no joke.

I've learned to keep my hands by eating numerous left hooks in sparring. And TS, it doesn't seem like you're going to an actualy gym. Go find a trainer.

this guy speaks the truth

if you spar against some quality boxers you will learn very quickly to keep your hands up.

[AntFeeks]

when i first started boxing i was told to take my t-shirt and pull it up so i was holding a part of it in my mouth .. you can do this with your hands by sort of wrapping your thumbs around the collar/brim of the t-shirt if youre just practicing movemnet.. the thumb thing doesnt work if youre throwin punches though soo tyson used to constanly tap himself on his cheeks

[Penkis]

Hold up your lead arm so that you can hold a basketball against your head.
Practise moving around like that and hit the bag like that (of course with your right arm)

[One Time]

Originally Posted by andrewbc

make a habit of tapping yourself on the forehead while sparring. it will be like a mental note to yourself to keep your hands up

This is what I do...works for me. I don't even think about it anymore...It just happens.

The downside to this, however, is that I constantly get sweat in my eyes so I leave a hard session with blood shot, stinging eyes.