Need advice......

[GeoGiant]

DWx

When i fight i don't block well. I attack and when my opponent retaliates I cover up and look for an opening to stage another attack. This strategy works well with lower belts [yes my back and legs are usually bruised:D] but not so much with higher belts.

I've been trying to block and then instantly retaliate. When it works, it works really well. Something like a low block to the opponents leg then snap the blocking arm up into a backfist to the opponents head.

I intend to take as many shots as it takes to learn to efficiently block kicks and punches.

[mr_obvious]

It's interesting you bring this up (sorry for the hijack everyone!) Me being a 6'1" light-heavyweight, and all the females in class being, not only female, but of smaller stature..... When paired up with them, I tend to take more of a "living heavy bag" posture. After all, us guys really aren't and shouldn't be training to beat the snot out of girls. Maybe it's just the way I was raised, I dunno.

So why not work on defence and counter attack.

If that is per instructions for the drill, I do. Sometimes it's not. Countering, admittedly I have a problem going more than, say 10% throttle in return.

[Toptomcat]

You're stuck in a fairly common trap. Rather than being dead-set on learning to block hits, experiment with different methods of mitigating hits- pre-empting them with constant offensive pressure, evading them via whole-body in-and-out evasion, evading them via boxing-style bobbing and weaving, static blocks, active parries, rolling with body shots, checking low and mid kicks a la Muay Thai, shoulder rolls, playing with distance to rob your opponent of their best tools, circling away from your opponent's power hand/leg, being willing to take a hit to hit them back twice as hard so they're afraid to hit you again. There's a universe of functional defensive paradigms out there, and experimenting with which of them suits you best will get you much better much faster than getting hung up on any one of them.

[sensei8]

You're stuck in a fairly common trap. Rather than being dead-set on learning to block hits, experiment with different methods of mitigating hits- pre-empting them with constant offensive pressure, evading them via whole-body in-and-out evasion, evading them via boxing-style bobbing and weaving, static blocks, active parries, rolling with body shots, checking low and mid kicks a la Muay Thai, shoulder rolls, playing with distance to rob your opponent of their best tools, circling away from your opponent's power hand/leg, being willing to take a hit to hit them back twice as hard so they're afraid to hit you again. There's a universe of functional defensive paradigms out there, and experimenting with which of them suits you best will get you much better much faster than getting hung up on any one of them.

Very good post!

My blocking skills are excellent, but, I prefer to NOT block if the moment warrants it. I'd rather slip the attack and the like, then deliver my counter-attack. Or, to just do my own thing while my opponent is attacking. I don't have to block, so I don't whenever possible. My thought is that I can be doing something much more constructive than blocking; like hitting...and that's what I do at every possible moment. But sometimes I have to block and sometimes I want to block because blocking does have it's good points, like initiating Tuite.

[DWx]

Least you now know what to work on Geo.

Good post Toptomcat. Pretty much said all I was going to say (and more). I personally don't like static blocking. Always block and move...