Blocking kicks...

[MightyB]

WD, That nugget is from Miyagi (Karate Kid II).

(In real life, the bad guy would've really kicked Machio's ass!)

[Water Dragon]

Aww $hit, Did I just use a cheesy cliche

[Jaguar Wong]

Earth Dragon,
I'm going to agree with Seven Star here. You're ideas are basically the goal that we are striving for, but I'm not there yet, and the guys that I practice with are at or around my level, so their strikes land just as often as mine do. It's fine and dandy to tell someone not to be there, but to pull that off against a skilled opponent takes a lot of practice. We all don't have 20+ years experience yet, and I prefer to rely on my basics until I can pull off the more advanced stuff. Plus if your higher level stuff doesn't work, fall back on the basics until you regain momentum.

Also, I don't see a jam as wasting energy. My whole strategy is to get the opponent off balance fast, so I can open him up for my offense. If I block a kick, I have no chance to counter, if I move out of the way, the opponent may or may not be ready to defend my counter (I'll admit that I have a much better head start than if I blocked it). But if I meet his strike with a strike (jamming the hip), he's off balance, and I'm already in the "business zone", and I can just continue with a combination, or perhaps a throw, or chin na.

I prefer not to be in the path of the kick, and let the guy wear himself out, or open himself up, but I also like to blast right inside their defense when they go for a circular strike. I've felt this from some Wing Chun, and Hsing I guys. I would go for a strike, and they would plow right through me before I could commit. Two birds with one stone.