Blocking Punches
Obviously we’re trying to give the illusion here of deflecting a punch by using the forearm, and if our partner is considerate enough to aim slightly away from us, we should have no difficulty in simply meeting his punching arm at a prearranged point in space with our forearm. We don’t really want to block a real punch because that can leave bruises on both actors, but even our simulation can hurt if done improperly.
In a real fight, blocks are performed by striking the incoming punch using the sharp outside edge of the forearm. That means that the forearm is turned so that either the little finger or the thumb is leading. In stage fighting, we modify that by using the fleshy part of the forearm, either top or bottom. So that means that we have to turn the arm so that we lead with either the palm side or the back of the hand. The hand need not open. It will actually look a little better if the defender keeps the fist closed. Helpful hint: for all blocks, the attacker is wise to turn his punching arm a bit also, so that contact with his punch is made to the fleshy part of the forearm rather than the boney edge. Real bruises only lead to tentative fights.
There are four common blocks seen in Western style fighting:
Outside – For this block the arm [with fist pointing up] moves horizontally across the body from the same side to the opposite side. The body should twist slightly in the same direction as the block, very slightly evading the punch. The feeling is more of turning the torso like the agitator on a washing machine; the blocking arm is just along for the ride. For safety, let the palm-side of the arm lead the movement. In martial arts this is actually called an outside-inside block, and in fencing the same action is called an inside block.
Inside – Here the arm is vertical, just like in the outside block, but it moves very slightly to the center of the body and then back to the same side that it started from, the look of it being that it caught the punch and pulled it to that same side. It is a tiny movement, so don’t overdo it. There is no way that the arm can turn enough so that the inside of the forearm, the palm side, can make the contact of the block, so this block will have to lead with the back side of the arm. There is a little muscle cushion there but not much, so go gently.
This kind of block is difficult to perform in its fullest form, so usually is only performed if the arm is already held at the center of the body in a defensive posture so that the block is just a quick flick rather than a complicated scoop and pull. Unlike with the outside block, the body in this case will twist slightly away from the block. In martial arts this is actually called an inside-outside block, and in fencing is called an outside block.
You might reasonably ask why in the world the same action is called by polar opposite terms in different fighting disciplines. The answer is simple and a little frustrating: tradition. The fencing terminology describes where the arm is going to end up at the end of the block. Martial arts describe where the arm needs to be before beginning the block.
Down – The down block is pretty rare in Western fighting, but it does have its uses when defending against kicks or low punches. From the normal defensive stance, the arm swings down, pivoting at the elbow. Again, try to make contact with the inside of the forearm rather than the boney edge.
Unlike the other blocks, the body doesn’t turn on this one. Why? A down block assumes that the blow was coming in pretty low, low enough so that you would clench your stomach to absorb any hit as it glances off the block.
Rising – This is used only for deflecting a punch to the head. The arm first drops horizontally in front of the chest and rises up as a unit, because you’re trying to lift up his punch, right? Try to keep the palm side of the fist pointing down so as to reduce bruises to your partner’s arm. If you twist the fist forward, you’ll be striking with the bony ridge of your forearm, and that hurts.
On any block, don’t just “reach” for the incoming arm. That disrupts the illusion and confuses the audience – they can’t tell who is throwing the punch. We have to believe that if the punch hadn’t been blocked it would have actually hit the victim. So every block must cross the plane of the intended target first, as though the incoming punch was pushed away at the last moment. Again, the aggressor doesn’t really aim for the victim, so the victim is never in danger of getting struck, but both characters must focus on where the “real” punch would land if not blocked.
The aggressor may need to modify the look of the punch. Normally, a closed fist is thrown with the palm facing down, but when such a punch is blocked, it exposes the bones on the side of the arm, and this can be painful if the contact is strong. A slight turning of the wrist so that the thumb is pointing up means that the contact is made on less sensitive muscle tissue. The audience won’t notice the difference and it can save some bruising. And of course there is no need to aim any of these punches or kicks directly at the defender. If the blocked punch is going to be “deflected” to a spot to the left of the victim’s shoulder, simply aim the punch there to begin with.
Be flexible enough to adjust the overall timing of the actions. For example, a successfully blocked jab may happen too quickly for the audience to appreciate what has just happened, so the aggressor might have to hold the punch out there for a nanosecond before snapping the hand back to a ready position.