Blocking Punches or Avoiding quickening reaction time?

[Corporal Hicks]

During combat sparring, I find that espically against older people they can bliz me with combos and punches and they score countless points. How am I meant to block incoming punches and what am I supposed to watch on my opponents body i.e do I watch the elbow, do I watch the fists or do I create a rough triangle between the opponents head and their shoulders.

How could I also improve my reaction time? because this therefore would also prove the rate in which I respone to the incoming stimulus (punch) and therefore improve my chances of blocking?

Does anybody have a hints they could give me during sparring matches or self defence against this?

Regards
Nick

 

[MJS]

During combat sparring, I find that espically against older people they can bliz me with combos and punches and they score countless points. How am I meant to block incoming punches and what am I supposed to watch on my opponents body i.e do I watch the elbow, do I watch the fists or do I create a rough triangle between the opponents head and their shoulders.

How could I also improve my reaction time? because this therefore would also prove the rate in which I respone to the incoming stimulus (punch) and therefore improve my chances of blocking?

Does anybody have a hints they could give me during sparring matches or self defence against this?

Regards
Nick

Try watching the center of the chest or the shoulder area. As for how to improve your blocking? Working on footwork is going to be a big help. Also, you could do a slow round of punching only, with your focus strictly on blocking. This has to be done slow at first and then you gradually build up speed. Also, making sure that you're working with someone who has your best interest in mind, is another plus.

Its definately going to take time. Keep at it, and before you know it, your blocking skills will greatly improve!

Mike

 

[someguy]

Flank them so they can only use part of there body or none at all.

 

[MichiganTKD]

During combat sparring, I find that espically against older people they can bliz me with combos and punches and they score countless points. How am I meant to block incoming punches and what am I supposed to watch on my opponents body i.e do I watch the elbow, do I watch the fists or do I create a rough triangle between the opponents head and their shoulders.

How could I also improve my reaction time? because this therefore would also prove the rate in which I respone to the incoming stimulus (punch) and therefore improve my chances of blocking?

Does anybody have a hints they could give me during sparring matches or self defence against this?

Regards
Nick

Generally, we try to maintain enough distance so that our opponents' hand techniques will not work well. This is done several ways. 1. Footwork-they advance, you retreat. 2. Defensive kicking-your opponent tries to come into your space, you use defensive kicking to keep him away. 3. Lateral movement-your opponent tries to come in to attack, you move laterally to the side and frustrate him (works well on aggressive and tall guys!).
It is better to watch the eyes. Watching the eyes allows you to take everything in.

 

[Touch Of Death]

Generally, we try to maintain enough distance so that our opponents' hand techniques will not work well. This is done several ways. 1. Footwork-they advance, you retreat. 2. Defensive kicking-your opponent tries to come into your space, you use defensive kicking to keep him away. 3. Lateral movement-your opponent tries to come in to attack, you move laterally to the side and frustrate him (works well on aggressive and tall guys!).
It is better to watch the eyes. Watching the eyes allows you to take everything in.

while I disagree with every thing you said, I feel you are on the right track: 1.control the distance 2. I'm cool with defensive kicking 3.get off the line of attack (think moving up the circle with back foot)
4. watch the chest and shoulders, I would occasionaly glance at his eyes because they generaly will be looking at their target, but be wary because his Marty Feldman eyes might lie or intimidate.
Sean

 

[MJS]

Generally, we try to maintain enough distance so that our opponents' hand techniques will not work well. This is done several ways. 1. Footwork-they advance, you retreat. 2. Defensive kicking-your opponent tries to come into your space, you use defensive kicking to keep him away. 3. Lateral movement-your opponent tries to come in to attack, you move laterally to the side and frustrate him (works well on aggressive and tall guys!).
It is better to watch the eyes. Watching the eyes allows you to take everything in.

Question for you about #1. If the person is advancing, why would you want to move back? By doing this, you are giving your opp. a chance to continue to drive you back. This could lead to some very big problems for the person moving back. I question this, because in #3, you say that when the opp. comes in to attack, step to the side.

Mike

 

[Dan Anderson]

1. During combat sparring, I find that espically against older people they can bliz me with combos and punches and they score countless points. How am I meant to block incoming punches and what am I supposed to watch on my opponents body i.e do I watch the elbow, do I watch the fists or do I create a rough triangle between the opponents head and their shoulders.

2. How could I also improve my reaction time? because this therefore would also prove the rate in which I respone to the incoming stimulus (punch) and therefore improve my chances of blocking?

Does anybody have a hints they could give me during sparring matches or self defence against this?

Regards
Nick

Nick,
Hello.
1. This data is outlined in greater detail in my second book on karate sparring (shameless plug - you can find it one my website listed below) but what I do is look at the hands withmy head tilted forward. This way I can see the hands AND see his thighs in the lower periphery of my vision.

1A. As to blocking ALL the punches/kicks, that is going to be a tough one because I have found that if you let your patrtner get off up to 3 attacks without returning fire, it is like the car rolling down hill - very hard to stop by then. So, what I do is counter attack on the first or second attack. If I haven't by then, I get the hell out of the way.

2. If you look at the fists and see the thighs in the periphery of your vision, you won't have to react. You will see the incoming attack and will be able to respond. To me, when you are looking off somewhere else and notice that the car is coming at the last moment, THAT is when you react. You jump, whiz your pants, get angry, whatever. If you look both ways before crossing the street, see the car, decide by its distance whether to cross right then or not, THAT is responding.

Go to my website and buy the book. Below is what it looks like.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[FatherHiei]

During combat sparring, I find that espically against older people they can bliz me with combos and punches and they score countless points. How am I meant to block incoming punches and what am I supposed to watch on my opponents body i.e do I watch the elbow, do I watch the fists or do I create a rough triangle between the opponents head and their shoulders.

How could I also improve my reaction time? because this therefore would also prove the rate in which I respone to the incoming stimulus (punch) and therefore improve my chances of blocking?

Does anybody have a hints they could give me during sparring matches or self defence against this?

Regards
Nick

Sorry but the incoming stimulus would not be the punch... it would be the energy given off by the electromagnetic energy within the opponents fist changing.... (aka what you see.) The punch would not become a stimulus until it has reached your body... a bit useless in helping you block wouldn't you say?

 

[elcajon555]

Blocking is bad. It is still getting hit, which should be avoided at all costs. Instead of blocking try to move so you don;t get hit. That will happen with foot work and experience

 

[Touch Of Death]

Blocking is bad. It is still getting hit, which should be avoided at all costs. Instead of blocking try to move so you don;t get hit. That will happen with foot work and experience

I wouldn't call blocking bad. Some angles are less harsh than others. Also. if you can get multiple points of contact as well as getting off the line of attack, his recovery time will get longer and longer as he tires. Lets just call blocking a last resort. :asian:
Sean

 

[Dan Anderson]

Blocking is bad. It is still getting hit, which should be avoided at all costs. Instead of blocking try to move so you don't get hit. That will happen with foot work and experience

Elc,
Sorry boss. Try that when you are manuvered into a corner. Even the best of "footworkers" can get manipulated. Blocking is ONE of many skills a striker should master.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

 

[Touch Of Death]

Elc,
Sorry boss. Try that when you are manuvered into a corner. Even the best of "footworkers" can get manipulated. Blocking is ONE of many skills a striker should master.

Yours,
Dan Anderson

Blocking is a way of thinking. Strikes can negate attacks on there way to target. A third point of veiw may say you blocked when all you were doing was out attacking. Motion is just motion when concepts such as offense and defense are left to football players. If you accept that every move has a counter then its all about being first and giving yourself a margin for error. Blocking is your margin for error, and will allow you to then seek the advantage.
Sean

 

[Marginal]

What works for me:

1) Understand that throwing an attack limits their immediate options to that attack.

Movement, etc are all stopped when a solid technique is thrown. Even if it's retracted quickly, you're only really dealing with one attack at a time. The openings created while they're extended also open them up to counters, so watch carefully and start thinking about what'll fit where in what situations.

2) There are only so many targets that they can be aiming for.

Think about it. Also think about how the vector of an attack (Straight? circular?) will interact with your defensive posture.

3) It you can anticipate their attack, then speed doesn't matter.

I've usually found that when the question of speed arises, it's usually more a question of efficiency. If you're inefficient in your movements or thinking, you'll be working extremely hard to keep up with someone even if they're not especially quick themselves. Along those lines if you start thinking a few moves ahead, you're less likely to panic in the face of a flurry and you'll be able to pick your countershots easier. (IME, after ~3-4 attacks, if the people are still going they tend to get overconfident and get sloppy leaving themselves open.)

Being proactive rather than reactive's your best tool.

 

[MJS]

Blocking is bad. It is still getting hit, which should be avoided at all costs. Instead of blocking try to move so you don;t get hit. That will happen with foot work and experience

Gotta disagree big time with you here! To assume that you'll never have to block and just rely on footwork is a fantasy! When your opp. throws a hook at your head, and you cover, sure you'll still get hit. But, its not going to have the same effect as if you took that shot on the head, rather than on the arm.

Mike

 

[Cruentus]

#1. I will also shamelessly plug Dan's (Prof. Dan; American Freestyle Karate) book. :ultracool I got Dan's 1st Freestyle Karate book in 93' or 94' before Dan knew I was alive. ; I actually didn't know he had a second book on it until a few weeks ago, so I'll be getting that one soon. Heck, I have been meaning to read his first one again soon. It really is that good.

Anyways, the book is more directed towards the point fighter, however, I found that it helped my full contact fighting as well. So don't be biased because it is "point fighting," as the concepts are indeed universal. It's worth the few bucks.

Now for Some quick advise...

#2 As I see it, many martial artists, particularly beginners and intermediate level artists, think about defending in a linear fashion. They think, "block, counter, block, counter..." The problem is, fights don't happened in a linear fashion. THere is this issue of "Time" involved, hence why "timing" is often what seperates an expert from the average. If you are moving to block, and your opponent aborts his strike, then you need to abort the block as well, fluidly moving to your next movement. In other words, treat the fight as a fluid exchange; don't wait for your block, or one "move" to be completed before you move to the next, or you'll find yourself overextending missed blocks and strikes, giving your opponent time to counter you. As you get more and more skilled, your timing will improve, and you will see a difference in your performance.

#3 Different types of defenses...

A. Attack: Your attack meets your opponent before his meets you, thus disrupting the attack.

B Evasion: Evading involves any movement that allows you to avoid the attack, or prevent the attack from landing, without actually having to touch the attacking limb. This could be bobs, weaves, slips, stepping off the attackers line, etc. These techniques are the reason that boxers often confuse the hell out of traditional martial artists. These are very underrated by many martial artists, but I believe that evasion is one of the best ways to defend and line up a counter. Your attacker is expecting to either connect with his attack, or feel a block on his attack; when none of this occurs, he WILL overextend his attack (even the most experienced fighters will do it, even if only to a small degree). This gives you a great opportunity to connect your attack.

C. Destruction: This may not be allowed in your sparring, but use it anyways, as it is helpful in real fighting. :uhyeah: Basically, your now deciding to block, except you are striking, or destroying his limb in the process> Filipino Gunting is one example of this. I believe that most Traditonal MA hard blocks act as destructions.

D. parries: Using the hand to redirect the attack; not a "block" but a redirection of energy. Probably most common block.

E. Absorbtion: basically taking the shoot in a way where you absorb the strike. I can take a full blown stomach shot w/o damage, so I often just roll those off, of example. Absorbing a strike by the arms instead of the body could be another example.

So basically, explore all these options...don't get stuck on one thing!

Have fun...I am leaving for out of town, otherwise I'd type more!

PAUL

 

[elcajon555]

Gotta disagree big time with you here! To assume that you'll never have to block and just rely on footwork is a fantasy! When your opp. throws a hook at your head, and you cover, sure you'll still get hit. But, its not going to have the same effect as if you took that shot on the head, rather than on the arm.

Mike

I never said that you will never have to block or whatnot, I just said that is was bad and should be avoided at all costs. Instead of thinking how to block something, you should think how to get out of the way of something. Blocking takes away a lot more enegry then not getting hit and you shouldn;t train to block you should train to move and not get hit.

 

[Touch Of Death]

I never said that you will never have to block or whatnot, I just said that is was bad and should be avoided at all costs. Instead of thinking how to block something, you should think how to get out of the way of something. Blocking takes away a lot more enegry then not getting hit and you shouldn;t train to block you should train to move and not get hit.

Would "you" use positional checks like they do in Muay Thai?
Sean (www.iemat.com)

 

[MJS]

I never said that you will never have to block or whatnot, I just said that is was bad and should be avoided at all costs. Instead of thinking how to block something, you should think how to get out of the way of something. Blocking takes away a lot more enegry then not getting hit and you shouldn;t train to block you should train to move and not get hit.

Learning the basics of boxing..IE: bob, weave, parry, etc. is VERY important in fighting, and its a shame that you dont seem to realize this. Of course, in the 'ideal' situation, we dont want to get hit, but in order for us to hit them, we need to be within reach, which in turn, puts them in range to hit us as well! Keep in mind, that a block can also be an attack. Blocking is not bad, and still needs to be addressed.

Mike

 

[MJS]

I never said that you will never have to block or whatnot, I just said that is was bad and should be avoided at all costs.

Maybe providing some reasons why you seem to think that blocking is bad would be a good start.

Mike

 

[DragonFooter]

Personally I think Parrying is a better idea