Passing the guard

[Pacificshore]

Sorry, I wasn't exactly sure of what it was called.

Ok, so you're standing up, 45 degrees of your opponent, they know you're there. You need to keep them from attacking you with either hand, at the same time setting you up for your own attack.

Does that make it any clearer?

Sounds like the most appropriate term would be "deflecting the attack". If you are 45* to their attack, depending on which way they attack means which line of deflection you will make. You either go inside of the attack or outside of the attack, and counter. Like P.A.L. mentioned its about timing and movement all at the sametime. As Pineapple also put it, if you take away one half of their body, you could effectively also eliminate the other half, so long as you have some part of their body between you and them. Hopefully this makes some sense