I choked him out with some Givenchy gloves,the last thing he ever saw was the pricetag on them,slowly fading in the darkness and I let the archangel take him. -Dracula
Been watching for a while but overall new to channel and sport. only recently looked up one of ur fights. I was very curious because you seem like such a nice guy it was hard to picture you actually in a fight but holy crap you are a complete and fully certified savage lol. Thanks for the videos
More or less a long guard that gives better protection against elbows. Preferred by taller fighters, and fighters that are strong in the clinch and with their knees. Some kickers also use it. I would say that Buakaw used it with good result in K1. His gym mates from Por Pramuk Namsaknoi and Chokdee both used it a lot as well. I think
It's nothing more than a mix between the long guard and the cross guard. Both being very efficient. Smokin Joe Frazier and George Foreman in his "Second Coming' both used the cross guard masterfully. You still have the diamond guard in between. It isn't for everybody because your whole style, including your strikes, must be based on it when you use it. Most of the critiques presented in the vide stem for a lack of knowledge of that fact. Gabriel is thinking ONLY of the guard but thinking he would defend and strike as he usually does using it. which obviously wouldn't work. It isn't a STATIC guard. It can't be.
This is very like the half way point on the karate shuto. When done in karate this is essentially a cover, you then crash in, extend your arm out and wrap the opponents arm and put the other arm against the neck (its not a chop!) to create a frame (clinch)
It's nothing more than a mix between the long guard and the cross guard. Both being very efficient. Smokin Joe Frazier and George Foreman in his "Second Coming' both used the cross guard masterfully. You still have the diamond guard in between. It isn't for everybody because your wh0le style, including your strikes, must be based on it when you use it. Most of the critiques presented in the vide stem for a lack of knowledge of that fact. Gabriel is thinking ONLY of the guard but thinking he would defend and strike as he usually does using it. which obviously wouldn't work.
Diesel Noi used a lot against his smaller opponents as he entered the clinch .It is mainly a taller guy setting up for knees or closing distance to block the uppercuts ..Then he switched to the plum and ragdolled them around the ring ..For a fighter facing similiar height fighters it might not be as useful ..Southpaws often use the long guard with left front hand jamming the right shoulder from orthodox fighters blocking their power shots like Superbon did a lot to Marat Gregorian recently ..Teep to the hip with left teep to right hip also works for Southpaw to orthodox fighters in a similiar way jamming the power at the root so to speak before it gets really going .teep to hip is good using the flat or heel too as it is less likely to miss -snap it to stun the movement in both cases .keep your head well down and it works well peeping through your eyebrows ..
i think the dracula guard is pretty niche, from what i have seen from some old thai legends is that it is used instead of the long guard to protect from the uppercuts if you do the tucked version. from what i know it's done momentarily just to safely be able to grab your opponent in some clinch or to avoid some flurry and you aren't supposed to pop it all the time and always rely on it. i personally still like it cuz it looks cool and has a funny name xD but it's true that it doesn't allow for much offense off of it
It’s a shell up defense almost, and you frame out with that lead hand, like u said might be useful to deter a flurry of shots but yeah shouldn’t be your primary go to defense
Gene Fullmer (an OLDSCHOOL boxing middleweight champ, he beat sugar ray robinson) used this guard! I had no idea it was used in other combat sports, even in boxing it’s a VERY strange unorthodox guard.
it died because back then boxing was basically brawling. Gene beat up an old washed Robinson. He stood no chance if it was prime Robinson. The strategy is too weak to uppercuts, bodyshots, jabs, and footwork. Gene was a tough dude tho because he took shots and kept coming.
In the dog brothers they have a move called Dracula brings the steak hammer and cross. 1. For the Dracula guard. 2. The non- guarding hand is in position to throw an uppercut to the solar plexus or throat if possible. 3. The arm in the Dracula position opens up into a hammer fist to the jaw/neck. 4. Next a right cross with the opposite arm to the solar plexus or throat. 5. Repeat until they’re off their feet. Note: this technique was done aggressively with the intention of taking ground. It’s most effectively used when the opponent is off balanced or is looking to run. I have also recently discovered how effective the long guard can be for shorter fighters. Previously, I thought it was only good for taller fighters.
I feel like this guard is most effective under a Muay Thai specific context. Like Thai stadium level/style of fighting or for a self defense situation in a tight area. I feel like it’s too specific and not broad enough to be a viable thing to teach to plenty of people. Like Gabriel said, you’re better off teaching a general kickboxers or Muay Thai fighter an effective long guard. I feel like if you want to learn the Dracula guard it’s one of those niche guards/styles that you’d have to travel to Thailand and train with a specific kru(mainly taller fighters) who were successful using it in stadiums.
No one calls it the Dracula Guard except Gabe Varga. It's called the cross guard... which is great if you are rushing forward into a clinch scenario. Can't compare it to the long guard.
It's nothing more than a mix between the long guard and the cross guard. Both being very efficient. Smokin Joe Frazier and George Foreman in his "Second Coming' both used the cross guard masterfully. You still have the diamond guard in between. It isn't for everybody because your wh0le style, including your strikes, must be based on it when you use it. Most of the critiques presented in the vide stem for a lack of knowledge of that fact. Gabriel is thinking ONLY of the guard but thinking he would defend and strike as he usually does using it. which obviously wouldn't work.
I was thinking it might be able to be used to disguise a Muay Thai style round kick where you throw your arm across but that was just my first impression
This is my favorite guard! I'm really into variations of this. Also, the difference between your horizontal long guard and the dracula guard is minimal and just up to interpretation and context while you're moving. When you have the gloves taking up space, they are pretty much the same position.
Variation I'm most familiar with has the elbow pointing slightly down and arm kept fairly tight to the face. It was specifically supposed to guard against uppercuts whilst fencing with long lead hand guard. I don't use it myself as it's fractionally slower to deploy in and out of, which can make all the difference. There are more time/energy efficient guards to flow in and out of. It also leaves temples exposed too much as you said, which is better to avoid. Glad you mentioned it limits your options to counterattack with elbows also, important. I don't think it does defend against elbows that well, not against anyone with longer arms anyway. Your brows are exposed and that's a classic elbow target in MT for opening cuts and getting the stoppage. It protects from upward angled, somewhat from horizontal but not that much from the downward angled elbows. The variation that is less tucked to chin would be better against elbows as you could adjust to the angle of the coming elbow, but classically, it was about defending you from uppercuts and you lose a lot of that once you loosen the chin tuck.
I'm gonna agree 100% here. Another good alternative to the dracula guard is the cross guard or in my case I prefer the Gene Fullmer style reverse cross guard. It loses the arm sticking out but allows you to keep one arm low to defend the body or uppercuts. I think it works better because unlike the dracula guard it allows you to have more counter shots loaded up, either an overhand or hook or a sneaky hammerfist like Gene Fullmer used to use instead of a jab. Then if you wanna have an arm out yeah just transition to a long guard imo.
The way I like to use it (and especially the full cross guard) is something to shift into from a long guard while moving. If I feel like I'm in a bad position and somebody is about to throw a combo and I dont have a good read, I throw up the cross guard while trying to step out, crash in or take an angle. I dont like to stay in it with one place because its hard to defend body shots and hard to see with it.
Interesting video, it reminds me of a defense technique I wanted to ask about before. Jorge Maromero Páez used it but both arms in front of his face and upper chest, with forearms held horizontally. It seems to me it worked very well for him. Have you seen him? What do you think of him as a boxer? He was such a clown but had some good fights.
You make some good points. Now this just raises the question of why the dracual guard was created, what’s its purpose? Because right now it just seems like a slightly less advantageous high guard with the only pro being that it looks cooler. Great video as always love your videos man
how about the kiatmookao guard? one arm extended, with shoulder covering a temple, the other arm bended with shoulder covering the other temple and elbow at the height of the eye.
How do you feel about using this as the first motion of a round kick? Right arm in dracula guard in front of your face and you swing it forward as you kick with your right. The left arm does something different but that was the only time I had ever heard of this guard. Never knew that people would use it in other contexts but I think you explain really well why the long guard is much superior.
Going off the cover image looks like a stonewall guard mixed with a Thai long guard. Personally it looks like it leaves more holes than a traditional long gaurd
hey gab , can you make more videos about 5 things that make _________(fighter's name) so good I'm not saying that you necessarily have to, but i believe that everyone will love it. For example , Jon Jones' or GSP's striking Amazing video and thank you for providing us with what you know about the Dracula Guard :)
