What works for you in Sparring/Fighting?

[Chris Nagel]

in close, cross your arms the way the great archie moore and ken norton did.

Why?

[Andre]

You only see it occasionally and its more a natural reaction that works really well;
The quick elbow up like an extended bridge to deflect one that comming over the top of the same arm you see it occasionally and instinctivley during a war.
And that other one too we talked about Chris where you have missed ,your arm is straight ,your arms extended and they come over the top of it ,so you leave it out there and just turn your center line to face their arm and it stops it dead.
Both those could have combinations and set footwork put onto them so that they are made to work for you even better: like walking through their blocked arm and covering the other free arm with a hook or rip up the inside as you head out the other way.(nice way out of a corner)

[Chris Nagel]

I can see how a rising block can work out of a cross armed defense, but I don't see any redeeming points for using that stance.

In Archie Moore's case, I think he was able to do some nifty moves not so much because he made a wall with his arms, but because his shoulders were square to his opponent which allowed him to use both arms to good effect when he would slip to the inside of his opponent's jab. He'd stop his opponent's right hand while coming in and then bang away with the other hand.

And that other one too we talked about Chris where you have missed ,your arm is straight ,your arms extended and they come over the top of it ,so you leave it out there and just turn your center line to face their arm and it stops it dead.

Hmmm, it sounds like a sort of leverage block, like how one fighter's jab can deflect anothers. I like the one you mentioned because of the economy of movement and how it allows you to follow up with a hard right hand.

Good Stuff.

[Andre]

in close, cross your arms the way the great archie moore and ken norton did.

Why?

Not sure cross your arms maybe the wrong word.

I'd love someone to cross their arms when i can reach them ,you just pin the front one to the rear one as you move in and go to work with your free arm so its no arms verses one nasty one for a second.

Maybe he ment the elbow up at temple level with the same fist down angled across to other side of your chin and the other arm elbow down fist up so its a loose type of peek a boo but can give you protection from below and the space to see, but you have to control them with one arm dropping and the other launching around their attack in a hook as you move (ok to counter those who go low bodily and throw double armed upper cuts when you start to cover up one arm comes down like a bar ,you lean slightly block, step out sideways turn back in and and hook. Unlike the peek a boo where you can just take it on the arms and gloves and wait the opening or go lower and search for one.

Nose to nose You can even go from peek a boo gloves up elbows down (the opening is in between your elbows,) he goes and leans forwrds even lower and throws rising stright shots or uppercuts, you transit to elbow up elbow down as you start to turn for protection so your lower arm contacts and blocks them as you step out you can exchange arms, top arm comes down and makes contact over the top of his arm on the same side your heading out to , the original lower arm follows your leg out and around and is then head hunting him (temple shot) from the unseen side your stepping to, it lands as you turn back to him releasing the side of you thats closer to him by pulling that foot around behind you. Looks unco but your in control and not walking into anything your moving away from the threat and disguising your final intention.