About 4.5 years boxing with 2 years kickboxing first - total around sixish years - I changed from kickboxing to because I took a boxing fight to get some more experience, got totally wooped and realized i had a lot to learn about boxing that i'd never learn in a kickboxing gym.

holding a really solid guard was not a big focus of the training in any of the kickboxing gyms or my first two boxing gyms. Now i'm in a gym which places a much higher value on that.

I probably should have the guard down by now but i don't have anything as solid as i'd like. Sometimes the guard is solid enough when standing still but then i'm bracing myself so hard that it interferes with the flow of my movement. I get the impression i should be able to hold a solid guard and move at the same time.

Obviously i have a lot left to learn! Especially as i started in kickboxing and then changed to boxing - if i had my time again I'd either go the other way or just stick to boxing. Sorry to inundate you with Qs - I might have to change my username soon so you can give someone else advice!