Cyriacus
Senior Master
I originally said most of this in another Thread, and figured it might make for an interesting Topic.
Bare with me.
To begin with, why would anyone not have their Guard Up?
Its worth remembering why its done in WTF Bouts - To A: Appear unpredictable; B: As a display of strength, similar to how many forms of Karate will not block punches to demonstrate the strength of their body. C: Its a Sporting Bout, and largely due to how it functions, a proper stance is impractical.
There is one benefit to it though; And its why ill even sometimes use it in ITF Bouts - If your hands are up, Punching from the Hip is not easy due to the time it takes to Chamber. With one hand around your Hip, and the other around your Thigh (Which still isnt limp hands, come to think of it. But before learning the Stance, i sure as h*** mistook it for one), your Punching Hand is already Chambered, and able to Punch through, whilst the other hand generates Reverse Power.
You do lose alot of Blocking Capacity, but like i say; Due to the way WTF Bouts function, it is the most Practical Stance for that. And in ITF Bouts, you dont stick around in it any longer than you really need to be able to Aggressively Counter Attack with a Punch.
So:
Obviously, start with your Org. Just to avoid any confusion. For those with Halls that arent part of Orgs, just generalise its Sparring style, since thats all we really need to know, to have context.
So the question is: Do you ever Spar with your Hands Down, are they Relaxed or in a Preset Position, and of course, Why.
And secondly, do you only apply this reasoning to Competitions, or... (For example, i recall a while ago, reading someone say that in a Street Fight, keeping ones hands at ones side makes you appear less dangerous, and decreases the likelyhood of of someone seeing, say, a Front Leg Kick come at them, since all they would see is the lack of Defense. Id kind of agree, but personally i consider that a touch risky, incase you make a mistake)
Lastly, just to add some flavor to the conversation; Do you usually Spar with your hands High, Mid, Low, Limp, or Subjective To The Situation (Of course, everyone should say Subjective; But what i mean is, when you know nothing about your opponent and just want to assume a Stance reflexively).
And some quick clarity - The idea of this thread is to permit the discussion of why one would or would not have their hands at their sides. I find it somewhat interesting, as oppose to the usual offhand comments in Threads.
Bare with me.
To begin with, why would anyone not have their Guard Up?
Its worth remembering why its done in WTF Bouts - To A: Appear unpredictable; B: As a display of strength, similar to how many forms of Karate will not block punches to demonstrate the strength of their body. C: Its a Sporting Bout, and largely due to how it functions, a proper stance is impractical.
There is one benefit to it though; And its why ill even sometimes use it in ITF Bouts - If your hands are up, Punching from the Hip is not easy due to the time it takes to Chamber. With one hand around your Hip, and the other around your Thigh (Which still isnt limp hands, come to think of it. But before learning the Stance, i sure as h*** mistook it for one), your Punching Hand is already Chambered, and able to Punch through, whilst the other hand generates Reverse Power.
You do lose alot of Blocking Capacity, but like i say; Due to the way WTF Bouts function, it is the most Practical Stance for that. And in ITF Bouts, you dont stick around in it any longer than you really need to be able to Aggressively Counter Attack with a Punch.
So:
Obviously, start with your Org. Just to avoid any confusion. For those with Halls that arent part of Orgs, just generalise its Sparring style, since thats all we really need to know, to have context.
So the question is: Do you ever Spar with your Hands Down, are they Relaxed or in a Preset Position, and of course, Why.
And secondly, do you only apply this reasoning to Competitions, or... (For example, i recall a while ago, reading someone say that in a Street Fight, keeping ones hands at ones side makes you appear less dangerous, and decreases the likelyhood of of someone seeing, say, a Front Leg Kick come at them, since all they would see is the lack of Defense. Id kind of agree, but personally i consider that a touch risky, incase you make a mistake)
Lastly, just to add some flavor to the conversation; Do you usually Spar with your hands High, Mid, Low, Limp, or Subjective To The Situation (Of course, everyone should say Subjective; But what i mean is, when you know nothing about your opponent and just want to assume a Stance reflexively).
And some quick clarity - The idea of this thread is to permit the discussion of why one would or would not have their hands at their sides. I find it somewhat interesting, as oppose to the usual offhand comments in Threads.
