The Classic Guards (also known as the Basic Guards), consist of the modern Traditional Guard, Conventional Guard and the High Guard. These guards are based on, but are different than, the traditional Bare-knuckle boxing guard.
Guards
The modern classic guards consist of the modern traditional guard, conventional guard and the high guard. These guards are a modern variation of the traditional bareknuckle boxing guard and were widely used after the Marquess of Queensberry Rules which forbid grappling techniques and made use of boxing gloves mandatory. The primary difference between the traditional bare-knuckle boxing guard and the modern traditional guard is that the traditional bare-knuckle boxing guard held the arms at an angle greater than 90 degrees compared to the modern traditional guard where the arms are held at 90 degree angles or less. Though these guards have vastly different uses.
The modern classic guards are often the first guards taught to boxers as the initial guard position is easy to learn and they are effective against haymakers, which is the type of punch many untrained fighters and beginners use often.
Traditional guard
The traditional guard in boxing consists of the lead arm bent at a 90 degree, or less, angle with the arm held away from the head and the hand in a closed fist. The rear arm is also held at a 90 degree, or less, angle but the closed fist is held next to the face usually near the chin and jaw but can also be held higher.
The advantages of the modern traditional guard are that the initial guard position is easy to learn, as it is just a matter of raising the arms. The slightly extended lead arm and rear arm placed on the chin, below eye level, gives the boxer better visibility than the other classic guards and creates distance. The bent position of the arms also allows boxers to punch with more power compared to the extended arms of the long guards.
The traditional guard also provides some limited relatively passive defense. The slightly extended lead arm creates distance making it more difficult for opponents to land short punches and the raised lead arm and shoulder acts as a barrier against punches to the lead side of the face, such as hooks, using the back of the gloves and forearms to absorb punches to head. The elbows are used to block straight punches, hooks and uppercuts to the sides of the body.
The disadvantages of this guard are that it makes upper body lateral movement difficult. The hands held high also makes punches easy to see by the opponent. The traditional guard also leaves a space between the hands exposing the centerline, leaving the face down to the midsection open for attacks, and lacks passive defense against straight punches and uppercuts to the face and midsection. This requires active defense against these punches. Since straight punches are generally quicker than hooks this requires the boxer to have quick reflexes.
The traditional guard active defenses generally require a high level of specificity. For example, when boxers are in a closed stance the traditional guard fighter would generally use his lead hand to parry a cross and his rear hand to parry a jab. Parrying a jab with the lead hand would expose the traditional guard boxer to a cross or rear hook from their opponent. This specificity makes this guard difficult to master. When a traditional guard boxer is in an open stance the lead hand would generally parry a jab and the rear hand would parry a cross. The traditional guard generally only provides one line of defense. For example, if a boxer from the closed stance is not quick enough to parry the jab with the rear hand they will be punched as there is not a second line of passive defense.
Another traditional guard active defense is the punch catch which can be used against straight punches and uppercuts. Punch catches also generally require a high level of specificity. For example, when boxers are in a closed stance the traditional guard fighter would generally use his lead hand to punch catch a cross and his rear hand to punch catch a jab. Punch catching a jab with the lead hand would expose the traditional guard boxer to a cross or rear hook from their opponent. This specificity makes this guard difficult to master. The traditional guard generally only provides one line of defense. For example, if a boxer from the closed stance is not quick enough to punch catch the jab with the rear hand they will be punched as there is not a second line of passive defense.
The traditional guard also relies heavily on blocking with the hands. As the hands are also needed to punch this often puts the traditional guard boxer in the position of blocking first and then counterpunching before an opponent can reset to punch again.
The gap between the lead hand and the face also limits the ability to use this guard at close range. To ameliorate this, traditional guard boxers will often switch to a conventional guard or a high guard when their opponent closes the distance. This increases the level of difficulty for mastering the traditional guard as it is generally not a standalone guard, and other guards must be learned to compensate for its disadvantages.
Conventional Guard
The conventional guard in boxing consists of the lead arm bent at a 90 degree, or less, angle with the arm held on the side of the head and the hand in a closed fist. The rear arm is also held at a 90 degree, or less, angle and the closed fist is also held next to the face usually at ear level or higher, but can also be held near the chin instead.
The advantages of the conventional guard are that the initial guard position is easy to learn, as it is just a matter of raising the arms. The bent position of the arms also allows boxers to punch with more power compared to the extended arms of the long guards.
The conventional guard puts both hands in the hook cover position to passively defend against hooks. It provides passive defense against hooks using the back of the gloves to absorb hook punches to head and semi-passive defense by slightly lowering the elbows to block hook punches to the body.
The lead hand being closer to the boxer's face gives them more time to parry straight punches and uppercuts. With the lead arm closer to the head this provides a fighter with slower reflexes better ability to block than from a traditional guard.
The disadvantages of the conventional guard are that the hands are generally held at eye level, or higher, which limits the boxer's visibility compared to the traditional guard. Keeping the hands at eye level also raises the elbows which exposes the boxer to punches to the body such as the liver shot. With the lead arm closer to the body it does not create the distance that the traditional guard does allowing opponents to close the distance more easily.
Like the traditional guard, the conventional guard leaves a space between the hands exposing the centerline, leaving the face down to the midsection open for attacks, and lacks passive defense against straight punches and uppercuts to the face and midsection. The conventional guard requires active defense against these punches such as using parries. The active defense also requires the same high level of specificity as the traditional guard making this guard difficult to master.
The conventional guard also generally only provides one line of defense, compared to Crab Style guards which often use both the lead and rear hand to block the same punch for redundant safety. The conventional guard also relies heavily on blocking with the hands. As the hands are also needed to punch this often puts the conventional guard boxer in the position of blocking first and then counterpunching before an opponent can reset to punch again. The hand positioning also leaves boxers susceptible to hand traps and framing. It also makes punches easy to see by the opponent.
The helmet cover, also known as a hammer cover, is a variation of the hook cover. It is a defensive technique where a fighter raises their forearm and hand to protect their head, it resembles a person using a hammer. This technique is often used when facing opponents who throw high-impact punches to defend against hooks and overhands. The helmet guard is a variation of the conventional guard except one or both elbows are in a helmet cover position where the elbows flare outwards towards the opponent. This provides additional head protection, but leaves the sides of the body open to attacks.
High Guard
The high guard consists of both arms bent at a 90 degree, or less, angle with the gloves in front of the face pressed against the forehead usually about eyebrow level and the hands positioned as if looking through a pair of binoculars or making a heart shape. The shoulders are raised to defend the jaw, while the elbows are pressed together to defend against uppercuts to the head. The advantages of the high guard are that the initial guard position is easy to learn, as it is just a matter of raising the arms. The bent position of the arms also allows boxers to punch with more power compared to the extended arms of the long guards.
Unlike the traditional guard and the conventional guard, the high guard provides passive defense against straight punches and uppercuts to the head and upper body as well as limited defense against hooks using the back of the gloves to absorb hook punches to the temple, the raised shoulders to block the chin, and the elbows to block hook punches to the body. Unlike the traditional and conventional guard, the high guard does not leave the centerline for the head and upper body exposed.
With both hands and forearms positioned in front of the face this provides a fighter with slower reflexes the ability to passively cover rather than use parries and other active defensive tactics. As the guard still puts the hands partially in the hook cover position, it can passively defend against hooks to the temple and chin. The high guard's passive defense does not requires a high level of specificity like the traditional and conventional guard making this guard easier to master.
The disadvantages are the High Guard requires the fighter to keep their arms and shoulders raised which tires their shoulders causing them to occasionally drop their guard to rest their shoulders which leaves them vulnerable to strikes. The high guard also relies heavily on covering, rather than blocking or evading, and because of this the boxer still takes some damage to the head even while guarding. While the high guard partially protects against hooks, the ears and jaw are still exposed and hooks to the ears or behind the ears may still land. The hands are also generally held at eye level, or higher, which limits the boxer's visibility compared to the traditional guard.
In the high guard, the centerline of the lower body does not have passive defense making punches to the midsection easier to land. With the lead arm closer to the body it does not create the distance that the traditional guard does, which can be used for defensive traffic, allowing opponents to close the distance easier.
The high guard also generally only provides one line of defense. Although both the lead and rear hand cover against the same punch together, they are both positioned next to each other at the same distance, as opposed to the lead hand being used as a primary defense and the rear hand used as a secondary defense in case the primary defense fails.