Avoiding an attack is the best defense, but when avoidance is not possible, blocks are necessary. Sometimes the block is used in conjunction with avoidance as an added safety measure. Blocks are designed to protect certain sections of the body, with some overlapping of other sections as a safety measure.

• Low Outer Forearm Block. Typically, the low outer forearm block is the first block taught to new students. It is simple to perform, teaches basic blocking principles, and is used in the first pattern students are taught. A low block protects the front of the body from the solar plexus to almost the knee.

  • Stand in a front stance with arms held in the basic guard. Trailing arm is used to perform the block.
  • Cross arms tightly, one over the other, so one elbow is over the other. Trailing arm crosses on top with palm side of fist touching the opposite ear, leading arm crosses on bottom with palm side of the fist facing upward. As the trailing arm crosses over to the leading side, the shoulders and hips twist toward the leading side to chamber them.
  • Step forward into a front stance. Just as the foot touches the floor, the upper arm sweeps downward in front of the body and then outward as it fully extends. 

  • Just as stepping foot touches the floor, the arm snap-twists its fist inward so palm is downward at the point of focus; the shoulders and hips snap back toward the front adding power to the block. Use hip-snap just as with the fore fist punch learned in lesson 2. ll this occurs using hand-foot timing.
  • Point of impact of an outer forearm block is the outer edge of the forearm. The final position of the blocking arm is with elbow straight, wrist locked straight, and hand in a tight fist.
  • Fist of the blocking arm stops moving as fist is just past the outside edge of the leading leg. Stopping the fist before this point could let an attack still hit the leg. Going too far past this point exposes the leg and body to a follow-up attack.
  • As the blocking arm is sweeping downward and outward, the other arm chambers to its hip with the palm side upward. The uncrossing action of the arms creates a push-pull action to increase the power of the block.

• Middle Inner Forearm Block. The middle inner forearm block protects the front of the body from the face to the waist.

  • Stand in a back stance with arms held in the basic guard. Trailing arm will perform the block.
  • Cross arms tightly, one over the other, so one elbow is over the other. Trailing arm crosses on bottom with palm side of fist facing forward, leading arm crosses on top with palm side of the fist facing forward. As the trailing arm crosses to the leading side, the shoulders and hips twist toward the leading side to chamber them.
  • Step forward into a back stance. Just as foot touches the floor, the lower arm sweeps across in front of the body and then outward. The elbow is bent at a 90 degree angle so the forearm angles forward at a 45 degree angle. If forearm is held vertical at a 90 angle, the block has more vertical coverage, but since the arm is so close to the body, an attack may get through even if initially blocked. If forearm is angled too far forward, it may catch an attack early before it may get through to the body, but the vertical coverage is much less. Thus the 45 degree angle is the optimum angle to optimize both reach and coverage. MORE

  • Just as stepping foot touches the floor, the blocking arm snap-twists its fist outward so palm is upward at the point of focus, and the shoulders and hips snap back to the front adding power to the block. All this occurs using hand-foot timing.
  • Point of impact of an inner forearm block is the inner edge of the forearm.
  • Arm stops its outward motion with the fist just past the outer edge of the body. Stopping the fist before this point could let an attack still hit the body. Going too far past this point exposes the body to a follow-up attack.
  • As the blocking arm is sweeping across and outward, the other arm chambers to its hip with the palm side upward. The uncrossing action of the arms creates a push-pull action to increase the power of the block.

• High Outer Forearm Block. The high outer forearm block protects the front of the body from the shoulders upward.

  • Stand in a front stance with arms held in the basic guard. Trailing arm will perform the block.
  • Chamber non-blocking arm by extending leading arm straight forward as if you were performing a punch, but without the speed or power. Drop trailing fist to its hip with the palm facing upward.
  • Step forward into a front stance. Just as foot touches the floor, the fist on the hip moves diagonally toward the opposite shoulder with the palm facing the body. The shoulders and hips twist with the arm movement. As the fist reaches shoulder height, it moves vertically until it stops with the forearm angled downward at 45 degrees.

    • Just as stepping foot touches the floor, the arm snap-twists its fist inward so palm is forward at the point of focus and the shoulders and hips snap back to the front adding power to the block. All this occurs using hand-foot timing.
    • Arm stops its upward motion with the fist higher than the head and over and forward of the shoulder. Forearm will be about a fist distance from the top of the forehead.
    • Point of impact of an outer forearm block is the outer edge of the forearm.
    • As the blocking arm is moving upward, the other arm chambers to its hip with the palm side upward. The uncrossing action of the arms creates a push-pull action to increase the power of the block.
    • As blocking arm moves to opposite shoulder and upward, it catches any incoming attack and carries it upward over the head. If the attack is coming downward, the downward sloping position of the forearm will permit the strike to slide down the forearm and away from the body. If the forearm were level, it would take the full impact of the attack. For example, if the attacking weapon was a baseball bat, the arm may be broken, however, with the arm angled downward, the bat will hit with a glancing blow and slide away from the head and body. It will hurt, but you will not be incapacitated.