Defending Attacks

Tuesday, 4 November 2008

Defending Attacks

With regards to striking, there is attacking and defending. We all know what attacking is. You attack your opponent with single or a combination of techniques, trying to penetrate his/her guard in order to hit. However, is defending just a simple matter of stopping an oncoming attack with blocks?

When people first start sparring, they rarely do anything in the form of defence apart from blocking with there hands or covering up. This is understandable. Its very daunting to be struck at for the first time and natural instincts are to throw the hands up and try to stop the attacks that way.

The sad truth is though, as martial artists carry on sparring for a length of time, there defence tactics don’t really change. They block and then counter.

Defending can include, blocking, covering up, parrying, moving out of the line of attack, stop hitting, counter striking as your opponent attacks (which requires great speed and timing), taking the blow via a well conditioned body and sometimes even looking at your opponent can be enough to stop them from attacking. How many times have you sparred with someone who has greater experience and sometimes just there look can be enough to stop you from attacking.

Its important to try and practice all these various methods of defending. This is one of the reasons why throughout these articles on this site, I recommend training with many different martial artists. Some fighters parry, some bob, weave and slip, some produce blocks where there aim is to destroy the striking limb, some prefer to defend and counter simultaneously. None are wrong and its always good to experience as many different approaches to defending as possible. Although you may decide that some defence variations are not really suited for you its best to experience what others do.

Marks

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