The Way of Least Resistance

Introduction I have made my views very clear on this blog that I believe "blocks" (better termed "deflections") work . However, now comes the hard question: How should "blocks" be performed? Many karateka and other martial artists (in fact, some of my most esteemed friends and colleagues) believe that the "hard" block is the "mainstay" of their art. I find this view particularly common in the various shorin ryu karate schools. However I disagree. I adhere to the view that the majority of blocks - whether from karate or the Chinese arts or whatever - should be "soft". In fact, I believe that "hard" blocks are rarely useful - so rarely useful that this is part of what accounts for the fact that blocks are very seldom even contemplated in combat sports. Yet I see no reason why they should not be used in that arena. It seems to me that relatively few martial artists today practice "soft" blocks; ...

Recently a colleague of mine on the Traditional Fighting Arts Forums posed this question: "Ok, so I've thought about something else that I don't completely understand about chudan uke. I've been taught that as the hand goes under the opposite elbow, the fist should face palm up. Why? Wouldn't it be more of a spiraling motion if the fist started with the palm down and then turned up as it intercepted the attack?" The question is a very interesting one and not many pick up this point. Let's start with the goju chudan uke. As my colleague mentions, the block is done with a fist that stays "palm up" through the entire movement. This type of movement relies on the circular action of the entire arm (moving at a 45 degree plane to your chest) to deflect the attack. Another way of deflecting an attack would be to use a spiralling movement in your forearm. This can be done from palm down to palm up or vice versa (both are found in the martial arts). L...