Foundations / Balance / Shadow

Guard / step back

The stance itself, then one step back and a return to it.

Find a relaxed, repeatable stance before adding actions. Every strike in this app leaves the guard and comes back to it, so the guard is the shape all the others are measured against. If the stance is too long, the kicks are slow; if the hands are low, every strike costs something on the way back. This study is the base, then one step back and the return, at a pace where you can feel the weight settle.

The actions, phase by phase

Muay Thai guard

1. Base. Keep a stance from which either leg can lift.
2. Hands ready. Bring the hands into your coach-taught guard.
3. Balance. Keep the torso upright enough to manage kicks and checks.
4. Reset. Re-establish the base after every action.

Watch for. This illustration does not show clinch posture or an opponent.

Step back / recover distance

1. Stance. Use the Above camera to inspect the spacing between your feet.
2. Rear foot first. For this backward step, move the rear foot first.
3. Lead foot follows. Bring the lead foot back by a similar distance.
4. Reset width. Finish with the original stagger and width.

Watch for. This is a backward step, not a universal diagram for every direction.

Unhurried base

1. Use your coached stance and a clear floor.
2. Keep the movement small and comfortable.
3. Return to balance before each new beat.

Three faults a pad holder sees

1. Feet on one line. look from above: the heels should sit on two lines, not one tightrope.
2. Rear heel flat. the rear heel is off the mat with the weight on the ball of the foot.
3. Elbows flared. each elbow hangs below and inside its own shoulder, not out to the side.

A starting prescription

3 rounds of 45 seconds with 30 seconds between them. Step back, return, settle. Ten per round, unhurried. Load the study into the session builder with these numbers and change them to suit the round you are preparing for.

What this loop is, and is not

Solo rehearsal of a shape you have already been taught. No partner, no contact, no pad impact, and no coach has reviewed this loop. It shows where the joints go, not whether they should go there for you.

Where it sits

Stage: Foundations. After it: Jab → cross / reset. Sessions that use it: Slow rhythm, A pad session, Balance notes, Footwork and switches. See also the glossary, the warm-up and the method and its limits.