Become Fighter
The long guard: Muay Thai guide
A guard with an extended lead arm that holds the range and stops the clinch.
The long guard is a Thai idea: reach the lead hand out toward the opponent's face or shoulder. It makes the fight longer for them. They cannot easily step into punches or the clinch while you are holding the distance.
It is not a weapon. It is a way of measuring distance with your hand while the rest of you stays tall and ready to teep, kick or step away.
Key points
- Extend the lead hand toward the opponent's chin or shoulder, elbow slightly bent.
- Keep the rear hand tight to your chin.
- Stay tall with your weight back.
- Use the lead hand to feel the distance, not to push.
- Tuck your chin and keep the lead elbow protected.
- Be ready to follow with a teep or step back.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Locking the elbow hard. Keep a soft bend. A locked arm is easy to knock aside and hard on the joint.
- Leaving the hand out too long. Use it, then bring it home. A hand left in the air gets grabbed or hit.
- Leaning forward to reach. Stay tall. If the target is out of reach, it is out of range. Your feet make the distance.
- Pushing the opponent with force. The long guard feels distance. Shoving makes you lean and open up.
Combinations that use it
- mt-long-teep: Long guard, Teep
- mt-long-back: Long guard, Step back
- mt-long-back-long: Long guard, Step back, Long guard
Related techniques
The rest is in the app
The step-by-step breakdown, the timed drill with the coach calling the shots and the quiz are part of Become Fighter Pro, where this lesson sits in the Checks and knees module of Muay Thai foundations.
Coming soon to the App Store and Google Play.
More from Checks and knees
Combat sports training is hard on the body. Warm up, stay within your limits and check with a doctor first if you have a health condition. Practise in a clear space and stop if you feel pain or dizziness. Learn partner work only under a qualified coach.