Blocks, are they a waste of time?

[Sambo]

boxing, thai boxing you don't see any blocks & if you have been in any street fights or seen any you rarely have time to block.

maybe gwa or pek eg. smashing/attacking their strikes/arms, or maybe for some kicks if their slow enough.

what do you guys think? what has worked for you in fighting/sparring?

[Snipsky]

if your hands skills are good enough you can make anything work. its all up to you

[jdhowland]

I think "blocking" is a misnomer. It refers only to stopping a blow. You can do that with shoulders, forearms, legs...but it tends to keep you on the defensive for a time. Parries joined with counterstrikes are another matter--no blocking but minimizing damage from a blow while allowing for continuity of movement. What some people refer to as blocks are really cutting strikes meant to inflict damage as reaction to your opponent's move.

I think the idea of blocking got passed on from early western exposure to karatedo. The term ukeru was mistranslated as "blocking" when it really means something more like "response."

[hskwarrior]

blocking is a natural defensive human mechanism. instinctual.

just blocking can be detrimental. but, turning your blocks into strikes is beneficial. perfecting something that is instinctual is even more beneficial.

i block. but we cannot always block everything. so there are things you need to be doing while you block. don't just stand there and BLOCK.

below are two of my students. the one using one arm is obviously senior to the one in white t shirt. but the white t-shirt guy keeps raising his hands to block but it doesn't work for him. watch my senior student who uses blocks, evasions, and strikes in a defensive manner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQQn-m0pnmM

[once ronin]

I think "blocking" is a misnomer. It refers only to stopping a blow. You can do that with shoulders, forearms, legs...but it tends to keep you on the defensive for a time. Parries joined with counterstrikes are another matter--no blocking but minimizing damage from a blow while allowing for continuity of movement. What some people refer to as blocks are really cutting strikes meant to inflict damage as reaction to your opponent's move.

I think the idea of blocking got passed on from early western exposure to karatedo. The term ukeru was mistranslated as "blocking" when it really means something more like "response."

Very true.

When you use choy li fut's sau chui to block, its one thing.

When you use that same sau chui across the neck its another thing.

Hung ga's chin g chui to block or a chin g chui across the neck?

All comes back to how heavy a gung you put into your training.

Moves dont mean alot if there is not gung in your training.

I blocked alot of jabs and there is a percentage of breaking someone's arms.

You change the nature of kung fu training everything else changes with it.

[YouKnowWho]

boxing, thai boxing you don't see any blocks & if you have been in any street fights or seen any you rarely have time to block.

maybe gwa or pek eg. smashing/attacking their strikes/arms, or maybe for some kicks if their slow enough.

what do you guys think? what has worked for you in fighting/sparring?

Don't think about block but arm wrap. Your arm should act like a snake that wrap around the incoming punching arm like a tree branch. With 2 arm wraps, you get yourself a double overhook. You have just forced your boxing opponent to play your grappling game.

http://imageshack.us/a/img444/5471/octopus.jpg

[jdhowland]

You change the nature of kung fu training everything else changes with it.

This is good. It's my new motto.

[Sambo]

good stuff guys.

I agree about training the gungs, you must have strong arms for these blocks/strikes. But fighting someone that is good/fast you are going to have a hard time blocking/intercepting his strikes. I guess it takes a lot of practice under presssure/hard sparring.

cool vid Frank, good to see kf trained under some pressure.

I think it's harder to apply clf with one arm compared to other arts like hung gar. You can see you're student at times wanting to naturally use his other arm as the clf style uses that momentum & long power from the waist.

from the little hung i learnt(& friend was a advanced student) there is more one arm continuos strikes. The basic 10 punches & 10 blocks i learnt 9 of the punches were done with the same arm & the blocks all with same arm.

[David Jamieson]

boxing, thai boxing you don't see any blocks & if you have been in any street fights or seen any you rarely have time to block.

:confused:

patting/cutting/seam feeding/covering

these are all blocks and deflections and they are all used in boxing, thai boxing whatever.

[YouKnowWho]

You can look at "blocking" from the following angle, "How can I hurt my opponent's arms and legs so he can't punch or kick me any more?"

Many years ago, a TKD black belt came to Austin and challanged me infront of a YMCA Karate class. He was very good in his kicking (not much punching). For every kicks that he delievered at me, I always blocked it along with my elbow dropping on his insteap (if front kick) or ankle (if side kick). When he no longer be able to kick me, I jumped in with a simple punch to his face and ended that challenge fight.

I had even tried this on my MT sparring partner. When he used roundhouse kick at me, I managed to let my sharp elbow to meet his "insteap". It also worked very well in my experience.

Your body can act like a knife and chop down any incoming tree branches, that's "metal against wood" principle.

[SteveLau]

Blocks are definitely not a waste of time. And we see them in every all-round fighting styles. My view in training and in real fight is that go for the top level of fighting - attack without block. If it is not feasible, then go for the second or the third level. The reason is that if we usually fight at the third level - block first and then attack, it will become a habit that is difficult to break.



Regards,

KC
Hong Kong

[yeshe]

The problem is with practicing blocks in solo training.
You can anticipate your own attack,but you cant anticipate how you will be attacked by someone else.

[hskwarrior]

The problem is with practicing blocks in solo training.
You can anticipate your own attack,but you cant anticipate how you will be attacked by someone else.

you should be training to be ready for anything. solo or not. it all falls on how you train.

[bawang]

my face is my shield

[hskwarrior]

my face is my shield

you must have strong shield then, kc said you are very handsome. So that means your defense/blocking using your face is doing a great job.

Ahhhhsum!

[Kellen Bassette]

In my experience simple parries work best for defending against punches. I prefer to just deflect the punches with open palms instead of covering up. (This is easy with MMA gloves, not so much with boxing gloves.)

As to actual "hard" blocking, a block is a strike, a strike is a block. Knee checks for low kicks and elbows to block higher...may as well bust that hand or foot up and make them pay for throwing it.

[hskwarrior]

"hard" blocking, a block is a strike, a strike is a block

choy lee fut breathes this

[Red machine]

Blocks are essential in fighting unless you're absolutely confident your footwork can get you out of compromising circumstances. But complete reliance on footwork is a separate subject in itself where there is limited area to move and strike-block becomes necessary.

Training footwork is monotonous and can be boring. But you're able to train it, rely on it, and apply it, the blocks are optional as Lon as you can seize the inner gates of your opponent.


Training blocks are easier, because it is part of the forms it should be in conjunction with your techniques and combinations. And the footwork becomes optional only to seize the angular directions for more combinations.

[Faruq]

Yes they are a waste; unless you have 52 of them (surreptitious reference to 52 Blocks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTQbiELBfRw&playnext=1&list=PLAC00523CAD2D505A&feature=results_video). lol Just kidding.

[hskwarrior]

Yes they are a waste; unless you have 52 of them. lol Just kidding.

what good is someones attack if it gets blocked? :rolleyes::D

[Faruq]

Get's you into trapping range? So its only still good when it gets blocked if the person planned on his attack getting blocked.

[hskwarrior]

Get's you into trapping range? So its only still good when it gets blocked if the person planned on his attack getting blocked.

now you're thinking! :D

[Pakua4581]

If you can touch the arm in all likelihood you can touch the face/body,why waste time in fighting the peripherals?

[YouKnowWho]

If you can touch the arm in all likelihood you can touch the face/body,why waste time in fighting the peripherals?

When your girl lets you to hold her hand, it doesn't mean that she will let you to touch her body.

Not everybody will use "crazy monkey" and keep both hands next to his face. When your opponent's arms are "extended", your hand has to pass his wrist, elbow, and shoulder before you can reach to his body.

[nospam]

Practising defense and offense is fundamental.
Application of fundamentals allows understanding.
Understanding fundamental application defines style.
Style begets skill.
Skill takes us back to fundamentals.
Fundamental defines structure of action.
Action is needed for harmony.
Harmony is motion.
Motion is the way.
Way is Tao.
Tao is in the answer and question.
The answer is indefinite.

nospam
:cool:

[SteveLau]

Blocks are essential in fighting unless you're absolutely confident your footwork can get you out of compromising circumstances.


Yep. If one's footwork is good, there is less need for blocking. And it will also makes block is easier to do. It makes block and attack easier to do overall.



Regards,

KC
Hong Kong

[Kellen Bassette]

My own theory is there are 6 major ways to neutralize an attack. The first few are the best and what I try to employ when I spar. The others are for when I'm "caught" or my position is compromised. They aren't the preferred method but must be trained, because fighting often doesn't go as planned.

1. Intercepting. Strike when your opponent strikes. i.e. He throws a hook, you throw a straight, he throws a straight you throw a side kick...negate his attack with a more direct attack that has a reach advantage. I believe this is the best method of stopping an attack.

2. Evasion. Side stepping, head movement, no contact to arm or leg, (unless that is your attack), as Mr. Miyagi said, "Best block is not to be there."

3. Soft blocks. Palm deflections, knockdowns, easy to use and require very little commitment.

4. Hard blocking. A bit slower and more committed than soft blocking. You may damage your opponent with them, but run the risk of injuries yourself.

5. Covering up, like a boxer or Thai fighter often utilizes.

6. Iron body. Simply having enough conditioning and sparring experience to withstand body blows. The least preferable method, when all else has failed.

That's my approach to "blocking." I think too often people jump straight to covering up and don't work enough at the other methods, (which I feel are better.)

Covering up and withstanding strikes needs to be trained, because if you fight you will need these skills, as you will find yourself in undesirable positions. But I feel the game plan should be to not end up in this position.

I'd rather start with intercepting and evasion than jumping straight to covering and trading blows.