Evasions, Blocks, Covers and Frames

Blocking is hard.  First off, when you block, you’re reacting to something – one step behind the game.  Second, you’ve got to be accurate – throw the appropriate block against the incoming strike.  Tough stuff.  Not impossible stuff, but difficult.

Here’s where frames and covers come into play.  Set up your hands in the right way to protect yourself before the strike happens and often the incoming strike will be at least partially absorbed by your cover.  If you’ve got a good cover and you notice the incoming strike then you can frame – put your arms in a better position to cushion the blow, absorbing it with your arms rather than your head or ribs.

Good covers plus good awareness can lead to blocks and even evasions.  What a wonderful thing to have a strike miss entirely!  When that line of defense fails, a frame is a martial artists best friend.  So keep your cover up, keep your eyes open, move your feet to evade, block if you need to and cover when things get nasty.