This is the default hand position when you're new. It's your best bet. In general, it's there to protect from head kicks, elbows to the head, defend against the clinch, etc. High guard automatically makes it harder for someone to clinch you. MT fighters will usually start going for the clinch after 3 strikes. Clinch fighting is a science of its own in MT. Your guard should be high as once you defend the clinch, you'll be swimming against him for your own clinch. And the hands being high will also help protect you from elbows to the face as you're in range for such. And you're also in range to throw your own elbows, which again, you want your hands high to throw them. This is more of a Boxing guard. It can work if you're good at Boxing and hands is more your game. In general, to use this guard in MT, you need to spam a lot of jabs while staying in jabbing range, setting up for hand combos. If you get to far, he's going to kick you in the head. If you get too close, he's going to clinch to knee and elbow the hell out of you. Your hands at your chin allows clinch you much easier, especially a Crash Clinch where he's going to come in a Kamakazi fashion. You really have to be active and maintain this range. This one is for guys who likes to paw around a lot to distract and lots of light jabbing to gauge range....mostly to set up for kicks more as their hands are extended out, which takes away a lot of power from their punches. It can work, just that you're now more open to long range upcuts or someone wiping your hand down and rolling the same hand cross over it. I mean, nothing is perfect and there's always a give and take. As a beginner, you should train with the 1st guard and as you develop and find out what kind of a fighter you are, you will adjust to that variation within the style of MT. Which still needs to be adjusted based on who you spar or fight with also, whether a little or a lot....depending on your strategies, etc. Personally, I like to do what the other guy is weak at, especially if I know how he fights. Like against a TKD, I'd stay in punching range only and keep throwing jabs like crazy to set up for hand combos and then clinch and knees. Against Boxers, I stay in long range and spam push kicks and leg kicks. Mostly single strikes until that lead leg is jacked up, then maybe I'll do something else. Against a pure MT, it's usually good Boxing and slipping & countering that beats them, with the understanding of how to address his kicks, clinch and other MT weapons.
Because as a Thai boxer I'm sure you would have something to bring to the debate or does it not interest you?
