I generally find the blocks commonly used in karate to be rather inefficient, though karate experts seem to be very hard to get through to. Any thoughts on the karate blocks? (I was always sort of bad on them. My school stressed conditioning and power over blocking)
Being a TaeKwondo practitioner, I was taught that a block (or most of them) are actually designed to damage your opponent, so the block does the damage and the strike follows in for the kill (so to speak).
Less important than the blocks you know is how you use them! Don't get confused with the basic learning methods, large overexagerated movements help build technique and muscle memory, in use movements will be shortened/adjusted to fit the situation. Or find a new style!
Absolutely The overexagerated move is to help develop coordination with the body. The arms are used as levers to help the body adjust to the correct position during movement. When we have become skilled the same coordination is still there but the range maybe reduced to good effect. You will notice that in sparring a karateka will not use a full range movement but more of a parrying type movement. That is what I was told and I believe to be true when I asked the very same question Other views will be taken on board with a great deal of interest.
CKD uses a deflection rather than a block. I would imagine that meeting a strike with a block could damage the blocker as much as the striker(depending on size & strength perhaps) or that it would be pretty hard to use a direct block unless your arms(contact point)were conditioned which means that only a high'ish rank would/could perform a block without so much risk. Is this fair to say???
Hehehehehehe :yeleyes: Oh c'mon guys it ain't that boring is it *glances around nervously at the fiery eyes locking on him* |Cain|
This explains CKD a bit. Unfortunately CKD has a bad name on MAP because of previous threads. All i can say "I - ME" think it is a good art - it prob' has flaws like any other art, but it suits ME! http://www.martialartsplanet.com/magazine/styles/choikwangdo.htm
hmmm, interesting... For instance, if you actually try to use a gedan barain to block, say, a body shot, you are making a tactical error. The guy could give you a whopping great hit to the face. In actual fights, I find I just keep my guard arm up and pick off the hits as they come. If you have expectations, and your opponent is on top of his game, he'll make sure you're dissapointed.
What is gedan barain? Sounds like something that you do in the toilet... Should be Mae gedan barai which is Front lower sweeping block, you could also put Yoko instead of the Mae. Test my chest and see how strong it is! This attitude still lives under the fighters; many of them neglect their blocking, because they think they can take the puch or kick without any damage. Nevertheless, blocking is very important. One of the main faults in the training of inexperienced fighters (but also of advanced karateka) is too much emphasis on attack. Especially for debutants, blocking is the most important aspect of fighting. Great emphasis on blocking is required in training. A block involves complex movements that have to be triggered by an opponent's attack all within fractions of a second. Blocking movements have to be grinded into the subconsciousness by rigorous training; countless repetitions of the same movement or combination of movements because a process of learning, that makes it possible to react to an attack without thinking - on reflex. The block is an attack and the attack is the block, most blocks are made within a very short distance of the body. Thus it is more important to practice your basics. Basics is the key to all things in life as well as in karate or any other martial art. Osu. Paul Paterson.
i've always been told that the block is primarily used to stop you getting your block in quick and making sure that it deflects it away making the body open so you can go on the offensive
A tactical error in making a mae gedan barai to the body!!.... Sounds like you lack the knowledge of what you are saying or even that of fighting. Having to block will help save you but can also open up your attacker. When you block you are strong by blocking but you are also weak by the blocking. Thats why you learn how to do it in the first place. Osu. Paul Paterson.
Now we are getting slightly into the world of competition karate, and thats in a world of its own. Osu. Paul Paterson.
I seem to recall learning a lot about quickly following up the block with an attack to the opponent while he's off guard. Is this what you mean Paul?
YIP.... As soon you block the attacker as well as yourself are weak therefore you get in with the counter-attack, making sure it works and will do the job. Most people have played chess at stage in their life, fighting, blockeing etc is like a game of chess. You attack, then you block, then you attack again.... Osu. Paul Paterson.
When an opponent's attack is blocked, all of a sudden the advantage is on the side of the defender. It gives him an opportunity for a retaliation, a counterattack. Most of the time when a vicious attack is neatly blocked or evaded, the opponent is both physically and mentaly out of balance. This moment should not pass unused. Osu. Paul Paterson.
Also note that a mid inner forearm block can be used in close encounter self-defense and before the attack is completed. The purpose being to strike a pressure/nerve point in the incoming hand/arm as you do the block. Yep, there are points on the arm where the whole arm will go numb. True, it does all boil down to basics, basics, basics. You need to understand the basics and make them a "part of you". Otherwise you end up with paralysis by analysis.
The so called 'blocks' that you see in karate kata are inefficient, if you use the movements in their entirety, as a block. I believe the reason for this is that they are compound or generic movements that can be used in many different ways, not just as simple blocks. Trying to use them as they are presented in kata, with all the chambering/preparation and hikite (withdrawing one hand to the hip) and you will just get smacked. Which is why you never ever see people using them in sparring, everyone realises that they don't actually work. Try this as an exercise. Look at the chamber/preparation for the 'block'. Now imagine that this part of the movement is the actual block itself, the rest of the technique can then become a strike. Take shuto-uke (knife hand block) for example. Rather than block with the outwards movement try using the initial sweep across the face as a block. There is a clue in the name. 'Uke' doesn't really mean 'block'. I understand a more accurate translation would be 'response'. So shuto-uke becomes 'knife hand response'. Mike
Yeah, a tactical error. The best block to a bodyshot is an elbow block. The karate lower block, in my opinion, is only of any use against kicks. A 'gedan barain' is what you get when you are typing on a blue plastic keyboard with ****ty switch reliability. An elbow block DOES open up your opponent. But if he doesn't have a lazy hand, he will get it back in again. I have actually had my clock cleaned by my elder brother when I used a lower block against his body shot. Hook, uppercut, kick.
