Muay Thai - Day 881 - PT with Lek - Guard Position, Stance, Dracula Guard Sweeps

Day 881
Lamai Muaythai, 29th July 2024
Seven was all booked out for the rest of the week pretty much, and Piaow is on a much-deserved week off so I decided to have a couple of sessions with the new coach, Lek, who used to be a head trainer over at Phuket Fight Club. End of the fight camp so I look terrible, moving slow and messy. But it is what it is, soon I'll have a rest and hopefully all the fatigue and pains will subside before the fight.
Immediately a big difference in style. He has me with my hands much further forward in a more traditional Muay Thai guard. My back and shoulder muscles weren't used to it - tiring! The position means paying a lot more attention to twisting the fist properly as you strike. Also since the hand position is higher, pulling the hand back to the proper high position without dropping it is a bit of new muscle memory to relearn. Actually Similarly, the hooks come out more naturally with knuckles up rather than knuckles forward, so had to adjust that. But interesting and worthwhile to practice I think. Also gotta be minded to pull my punches back more quickly than I do. I let it linger in space and there's room to get smacked.
On kicks, some corrections - where Piaow had me doing a skip before my kicks, Lek seems adamant that one should only step with no hop. And step properly, especially for low kicks. Also he made a firm point of correcting my arm swing (on both left and right kicks), so that it comes down in an arc and pronates as it swings with the kick. On low kicks and teeps as well. And make sure to keep the other hand properly guarding next to the face.
Maybe the most important and useful point of correction was my stance. I often sit in that stereotypical defensive Muay Thai posture, heavy on the back foot, with the front foot tapping. But he wanted me much more centred, weight shifting between the two feet in a balanced way. Apparently it's like running - you can't really run fast if you're leaning back all the time! And similarly, if you're too heavy on your back foot, your kicks and checks don't come out with any solidity or power. And even when I'm not on the back foot, when I check, I lean back into the check - but this is not stable and I'll be imbalanced by kicks. I think maybe it's a consequence of being too heavy on my front foot when not heavy on my back foot. So - keep my weight more balanced!
My knees are an issue, particularly the left one. They don't turn in as much as Lek would like. Which I am aware of, and try to keep in mind, but my legs just don't seem to flex in the required ways. I'm not sure if it's fundamentally a flexibility issue, or strength, or mind-muscle connection, but I have the hardest time getting the thighs rotating out of neutral position. Something to work on in my stretching and bag work. Also, again, the hands need to swing properly as a counterbalance, which they do not do enough.
Lek's seemingly a big fan of the dracula guard. Make sure the left hand extends high, and the right hand is tight under the chin, with a high shoulder to protect against left hooks, which are also prevented by bracing the extended arm against their left shoulder/neck. Keep your chin tucked and your eyes looking at the opponent.
And an interesting twist on this guard that I like: when the opponent attacks with punches, you extend the long guard in this way, placing the left hand on their left shoulder, and then sweep them, pushing the head to your left, and kicking their left leg out to your right with your left foot. It has worked in sparring a few times. Knees and elbows are also good followups from this guard.
A useful thing against my opponent, who apparently likes kicking and doesn't like getting punched - check, land it forward and step into the cross. Even if you just take the kick on the arm as long as you're stepping in with a strong cross to the jaw and moving forward enough to land it hard, this is the key. Forward movement and a long extension on the punch.
Some nice footage in the background of John Haggerty working with Christian Knowles to prepare for his fight with Superlek. Always inspiring.
Chapters
0:00 Shadow boxing
1:35 Guard position and basic strikes
7:20 Dracula guard
9:30 Thai pads
19:15 Round 2
26:35 Round 3
35:35 Focus Pads (Round 4)
39:50 Round 5
46:50 Sit-ups