hard vs soft

[packard]

Hi everyone,

hope you can help in a small dilema i have:-

I was thinking about hard blocking vs soft blocking and seeking opinions out there what you believe to be the best.

For example –

hard punch vs soft block

soft punch vs hard block

soft punch vs soft block

hard punch vs hard block

any views on what you believe may work the best in each situation and why would be a great help in my understanding.


Regards,

P

[NJM]

Well, when someone attacks you you can either trap/guide, grab, hard block, soft block or dodge. If you are in the position to redirect the attacker's energy through yeilding Yin, I suppose soft block falls under that category (although it's more about guiding.)

[EarthDragon]

depends on the level you are at.
I always teach and stress soft blocking. You must remember that you want to achive maximum effectiveness through minimum effort. This is done by blocking softly and redirecting the energy.

Force on force is a basic/elementary way of blocking. a soft tap to redirect the incomming force will always be superior to trying to stop the force.
Of course the best block is not to be there when the punch is thrown i.e dodging, or reading the Yi. This uses less energy than blocking and allows you to have maximum energy to retaliate.

[splinter]

What the heck is a "Soft Punch"? It doesn't sound very effective.

[SPJ]

soft and hard is relative.

block means to stop the force abruptly as if you place a dam in the river and stop the flow.

neutralization is a better term,

if there is some yielding aspect, that is the soft part.

if there is some retardation of the flow of the opponent's power/jin, it is the hard part.

--

[Ray Pina]

There are times when you have to be "soft" or more accurately, absorb what is being given to you and change the nature of the position/situation, etc.

There are times when you have to draw a line and say, "no" or be "hard" and insist that your structure will do its job.

The first case I use for blocking or when the other tries to collapse me when I don't have perfect structure... you can't assume you are stronger or can "take" a hit from someone.

In the latter case, if i'm on my back, etc., and have to keep my elbows down and my frame strong, nothing, not even the devil, is going to break my structure.

Lots of times hard and soft go together so much they mold into "hard/soft."

For example, I nail an armbar but the guy is holding on tight, supporting his captured arm. I use my leg power to keep him pinned down and uncomfortable. At the same time I change my position from playing tug-a-war elbow to elbow and attack his wrist with the crutch of my elbow (more leverage) and lean back and up towards his head .... this breaks all grips.... if it doesn't, jiggle the leg pinning his head down and he'll let go.

Technique replaces all these ideas of hard and soft. Sometimes you need a bazooka, sometimes a sniper rifle, sometimes diplomacy.

Time and place

[Black Jack II]

No one is mentioning it so I will through this down. In certain modern self defense groups and instructors over the last 30 years or more there has been a evolution of thought on this subject based on a couple of factors. These factors include the study of actuall street crime situations, how the body responds both physically and mentally to extreme stress and unknown contact management.

In specific but brief, on how the standardized TMA mindset regarding the difference between attack and defense and on how blocking practice may fall into the category of non-realistic training. Instead of blocking its basically much more important about learning a non-diagnostic default position to the flinch response. Meaning that action is better than reaction and in a attack you often don't have the luxury of time to figure out what the attack will be.

It's a Oh Sh!t default position which can do a number of very important things, number one and most important it protects your head to give some brief cover, while simultanous working as a defense/offensive jam to move in right away to fire back or close to a clinch and fire from there.

There are a number of these positions out there, all with merit, some more than others, the fma inspired wedge spike, the cowcatcher, the spear/shiv, crazy monkey defense, the face wrap to name a few.

For the record I am not stating to throw out blocking entiiely, I practice some soft parry's, checking and limb destruction IMO its WAY over stated when you look at random attacks outside of the mano-mano situation where you are prepared.

[kidswarrior]

depends on the level you are at.
I always teach and stress soft blocking. You must remember that you want to achive maximum effectiveness through minimum effort. This is done by blocking softly and redirecting the energy. Force on force is a basic/elementary way of blocking. a soft tap to redirect the incomming force will always be superior to trying to stop the force.

Yes, well said! This is why, in a nutshell, Kung Fu is generally better than the hard - on - hard practice of karate.

Of course the best block is not to be there when the punch is thrown i.e dodging, or reading the Yi. This uses less energy than blocking and allows you to have maximum energy to retaliate.

Yes, for the more advanced practitioner, this is the highest form of 'blocking'.

Excellent Post!

[EarthDragon]

thank you kids warrior for the compliment. it is nice to hear once in a while....

[YouKnowWho]

- hard punch vs soft block

Build a bridge and then enter (water strategy).

- hard punch vs hard block

Bounce your opponent's arm away to create an opening and then enter (metal strategy).

- soft punch vs hard block
- soft punch vs soft block

No such thing as soft punch.

the best block is not to be there when the punch is thrown i.e dodging,

It may be true if you don't care about "bridge building". If you do then you may not want to miss that opportunate to do so.

You should not think about just "block" a punch. Instead, you should think about:

- Deflect and strike at the same time,
- Switching hands,
- Dodging,

and then enter.

If you always think about any of your opponent's punch or kick is a chance for you to enter then you will have positive attitude instead of negative attitude.

[EarthDragon]

hard punch vs soft block

Build a bridge and then enter (water strategy).-

are you reffering to sticking and listening?


-It may be true if you don't care about "bridge building". If you do then you may not want to miss that opportunate to do so.

agreed, however I did say the best way was reading the Yi. I would say that bridge building as you call it would be second option when the first fails.

You should not think about just "block" a punch. Instead, you should think about:

- Deflect and strike at the same time,
- Switching hands,
- Dodging,
and then enter.

yes totally

If you always think about any of your opponent's punch or kick is a chance for you to enter then you will have positive attitude instead of negative attitude.

Wow... love this statement

[YouKnowWho]

- are you reffering to sticking and listening?

Yes!

- I would say that bridge building as you call it would be second option when the first fails.

It depends on whether you want to strike or throw. The bridge building may not help your striking but may help your throwing. The bridge will be the 1st contact point that you are looking for.

[SevenStar]

Yes, well said! This is why, in a nutshell, Kung Fu is generally better than the hard - on - hard practice of karate.



Yes, for the more advanced practitioner, this is the highest form of 'blocking'.

Excellent Post!

actually,in the wordsof mr miyagi, "best block, no be there." evasion is the highest form. I know several karateka that are great at it, as are western boxers. cma - in general or specifically - is not better than jma.

[Shaolinlueb]

like someone said it depends on the level. hard blocking is easier for beginers then soft blocking and sticking to the punch.

what do I prefer? doesnt matter as long as i get the punch out of the way. if i was trying to do a grab or lock, i prefer soft blocking compared to hard.

[Becca]

hard punch vs soft block

Gonna eat a fist if you don't also dodge it.

soft punch vs hard block

That punching arm is going to be buzzing. Hope that's all you get. I only punch soft by accident.

soft punch vs soft block

Not any point in this. If you are going to punch, punch like you meen it. There are times and uses for a soft block, but never a soft punch. I ignore a soft punch or if I can't, I block it hard so the puncher will think twice about throuwing that kind of crap technique out there again.

hard punch vs hard block

This is, IMO, what one thinks of when one talks of a true blocking application. The harder the punch, the harder to block it. (assuming it was correctly thrown)