Please note that Self defense against grappling will not be covered in this article.
This article will only be focusing on explaining Self-defense key principles of Karate blocks against single strikes, as well as inspire you to develop your own personalised blocking/evading Self-defense strategy.
From a Self-defense standpoint, it's very likely that the first thing you would have to do when defending yourself is to block a strike of some sort. This is why it's very important to have a full blocking Self-defense strategy in place for some of the most common type of strikes out there. This starts with sorting out the various “blocks” and body shifting options available in Karate, then regularly practicing them to boost self-defense muscle memory.
Let’s first take a look at the double hand block principle, that has been taught and emphasised by quite a few big Karate names.
Watch O Sensei Inoue Yoshimi explain how double hand blocks could be used against straight strikes in a practical and dynamic way
This “2 hands” blocking principle, I believe, can be applied to defend against strikes to all body level, and be used with most Karate blocks. With this principle in mind, I am going to try to provide an overall picture of blocking/evading techniques, as it is often taught for each individual block, but rarely given as a whole blocking method.
I am suggesting to breakdown attacker’s strikes under 2 categories: circular, or straight.
Examples of circular strikes would be:
- Mawashi Geri (round house kick), Mawashi Tsuki (Hook punch), etc
Examples of straight attacks would be:
- Mae Geri (Front kick), Typical Karate Tsuki (Straight punch), etc
With this idea in mind, the following is an example of a blocking strategy I developed for myself:
- Defense against a single circular strike: Respond by blocking from the inside.
- Defense against a single straight strike: Respond by blocking in one of the following directions (preferably on the outside of your opponent, as inside always carry more risk of an immediate 2nd strike)
You can develop your own detailed strategy going through each block you know, and figure out how to deal with the most common type of street attacks including kicks, hook punches, uppercuts, inverted low punches, chest shove..etc. Don’t forget to validate/practice with a partner to confirm the practicality of your strategy.
Beyond this single strike blocking strategy example, remember that attacks don’t always come in single motions, but sometimes in groups of 2, or even 3 attacks.
A blocking overall strategy can also be developed for the most common series of multiple strikes ..
Time to practice!
Toronto, Alpha - KarateBoost blog
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