# Deadly Blocks



## Josh (Jun 7, 2004)

hi. i can't remember if i have posted or asked about this before, but in the FIGHTING aspect of Karate, i know that Karateka do alot of Blocking, alot of the Japanese arts are focused on it, i think. 

But Karateka have very strong arms and ya'll do SOMETHING i know to condition your arms so when you're punched at, you're throwing up walls against that weeny little punch. So what conditioning, bone conditioning, whatever do ya'll do. I'd like to do some. If i'm even correct about all this.


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## Jion (Jun 8, 2004)

Try blocking with a partner - the two of you throw the same block with opposite arms, striking each other's arms with the "blocking" surface.  Don't do this full power - just a nice, steady blocking motion, and repeat.  Using a makiwara in much the same way may help, too.


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## Han-Mi (Jun 8, 2004)

I started noticing some pain in my arms and legs when i would block a hard kick or punch. Mostly from kicks since I train in TKD.
What I did was to look for strong techniques to block and I would throw a hard block out. It made my partner not want to hit me so much though, so it didn't work very fast due to lack of opportunites. However it did work, Just keep blocking hard when your sparring. For some quicker advances you might tray blocking against wood poles or even tree branches, but not too much. Allow your body to repair itself before continuing training in this area. The reapiring of the body is what makes it stronger.

Basically, hit stuff


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## goju.glenn (Jun 11, 2004)

I realise this thread was asking about strenghting and toughening the body, but allow me to put another perspective on it.

Going back a while now, one of the Renshi who was takig the class said ....... "A block is a punch and punch is a block".

If you execute a Jodan Uke (upper block) for example, you can intercept the punch with *your* fist, and in executing your block, you could acutally strike your opponent's limb. If you have knowledge of pressure points etc, then even better.

So ........... by executing a block (and without being bulky), you can actaully "damage" your opponent.

Make sense???? Maybe someone could explain better?


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## Han-Mi (Jun 11, 2004)

goju.glenn said:
			
		

> I realise this thread was asking about strenghting and toughening the body, but allow me to put another perspective on it.
> 
> Going back a while now, one of the Renshi who was takig the class said ....... "A block is a punch and punch is a block".
> 
> ...


I get it, in other words, you could end up hurting someone if you tried to train like this with a partner... And good point

I think that's what you meant anyway.:idunno:


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## Josephk (Jun 11, 2004)

goju.glenn said:
			
		

> I realise this thread was asking about strenghting and toughening the body, but allow me to put another perspective on it.
> 
> Going back a while now, one of the Renshi who was takig the class said ....... "A block is a punch and punch is a block".
> 
> ...


do you mean that a block is not just used to deflect an attack, but can also be used as an attack in itself? if so, then i agree.


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## goju.glenn (Jun 13, 2004)

Josephk said:
			
		

> do you mean that a block is not just used to deflect an attack, but can also be used as an attack in itself? if so, then i agree.



Exactly.  :asian:


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## Josh (Jun 13, 2004)

oh i definately know where ya'll are coming from. yeah, blocks are walls: standing or moving(attack). and yea, hitting under the elbow, wrists destroys their attack, and then from there, simply smile and fire away.


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## hippy (Jul 23, 2004)

also it will help if u keep your block moving towards the strike, and not stop until after contact was made, and the attack has failed. i see too many people do a standard block as if no-one was attacking, then stop their arm when they think it has moved enough. they then wait for the strike to hit them, and are actually supprised that it hurts.


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## theletch1 (Jul 23, 2004)

goju.glenn said:
			
		

> I realise this thread was asking about strenghting and toughening the body, but allow me to put another perspective on it.
> 
> Going back a while now, one of the Renshi who was takig the class said ....... "A block is a punch and punch is a block".
> 
> ...


Every block is a strike is a phrase I first heard when I began my kenpo training.  We used to do the punch/block drills until our forearms where black and blue.  After a while the nerves in the fore arms are deadened enough or you've just gotten so used to the pain that you don't really notice you've done a hard block at all.  Once I swapped over to aikido this theory of every block a punch stuck with me.  Most of what we do in aikido are parrys instead of blocks but we do have the opportunity to do the occasional block.  We did one arm blocking drills the other night and I went through two or three partners before the drill was over with simply because their arms go sore too quickly. (none of them asked that I tone it down as it was a new experience for them...I wasn't being unprofessional by wearing them out).  My forearms are very thin and bony and a good fore arm strike from me is almost better than a shuto edge chop.


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## OC Kid (Jul 24, 2004)

I teach my students the only difference between a block and a strike is the intent. No difference. The way I was taught was that a hard style block is used to break or disable the enemies weapons. If in the case of a punch his arm would be unable to punch again after getting hit with a hard block.
To illustrate this I will show a block in a begining class and use the same block as a strike while demo-ing the self defense technique of the night.
The train we used wasnt banging forearms it was repetition of the blocks over and over developing the focus at the end of the technique. Combine that with speed, power and kiai and it becomes a very powerful technique.


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## tshadowchaser (Jul 24, 2004)

Simple things can be used to help condition your arms:
 a small tree, that you block repeadly
 the side of a building
 a sign post
 a piece of wood or steel that you bang your arm with
With all of these you may pad them but always start softly then build up the impact as your body allows after a time


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## thepanjr (Mar 18, 2005)

Block with a heavy gi or pads that have weights that u can put as a brqacelet


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