Guard position in kick-boxing

The guard position is not just a defending position, but it also is ready for offense. It means the hands held this way not only protect your face and your body, but also can hit out. This means the hands return to the space in front of the face as soon as you hit out, the shoulders slightly caved as shown above, the upper arm muscles ready. Both hands must be aligned right. Constantly reverting to the guard position while punching (or kicking) can mean a big difference -- between victory or defeat.