Why Avoid Blocking In Martial Arts

"Buddhas don't practice nonsense."
- Bodhidharma

 

 

 






"Day after day train your heart  out, Refining your technique: Use the One to strike the Many! That is the discipline of a warrior."

-Morihei Ueshiba

In almost all of the martial systems I have had experience with, blocking is emphasized in combat. There is one style I have had limited experience with, Xingyiquan, where there are 5 techniques and all, and it is all attack, even when space is given up such as in backing up.

In my opinion, one should not block. It is one thing to utilize a move that blocks and at the same time attacks, but another to block and merely receive the technique. Do not get me wrong; blocking has helped in the past, but nowhere near as much as evading.

My issue with blocking stems from an encounter I had with a Taijiquan master. With internal arts their techniques will do more than hit you externally such as a kick from Karate or Tae Kwon Do, and so on; they will transfer the striking power into your body, potentially affecting your organs with just a touch.

At a martial club I was a part of, we had a student who was very stiff. We always tried to work with him to get out of this habit; to build a fluidity to his movement and tense right before and during impact of any technique, but he insisted on staying stiff as a board in everything he did, stating he felt is gave him more power.

One day he crossed hands with this Taijiquan practitioner, and after about five seconds of exchange, the Taijiquan practitioner stopped, and asked if our stiff member had a back problem. He did, and had never told us, and suddenly his habit made a lot more sense. If through a simple touch an internal martial artist can read another, than they can also affect the member through that touch in ways that can, when destructive, be terrifying- daunting in the least.

For this reason I caution practitioners not to rely on blocking- you never know if by doing so your opponent has the techniques that can affect you internally, or if in the case of styles such as Hapkido, damage your nerves and deactivate or destroy them on contact. If in Kyokushin and Muai Thai, blocking can easily result in the blocker's arm or leg being destroyed; their crushing energy is so strong.

For this reason I emphasize that a practitioner instead of blocking, channel the technique. This allows one to redirect the attack, as well as retaining control over the exchange. In Aikido this is syncing up with your opponent as they strike, and then using their own power and energy against them. There are many ways to do this, but none result in injury from what I have observed.

When one is going to be hit, move out of the way and redirect their attack. It will achieve the same result as having blocked- essentially stopped the technique. If one trains in a system which emphasizes blocks, experiment and discover how those blocks can be turned into attacks, this way at the very least you can continue to be on the attack side while receiving blows. After all- he who only defends can never win the bout, and only when on the attack can we overcome our opponents.



Above are some pictures of Baguazhang stylized in the show the last airbender; whether a cartoon or picture, or not they emphasize the principle of blocking instead of turning. Baguazhang is wonderful at this concept, as is Taijiquan.




 

"You can prevent your opponent from defeating you through defense, but you cannot defeat him without taking the offensive."

-Sun Tzu