How to Teach Your Child a Basic Hand Block

Your child wants to learn to defend himself. Where do you begin? Some parents will argue that throwing the first punch is the best solution, since most bullies are just crybabies waiting to happen. Others will recommend being a peacemaker. After all, who wants to beat up a nice kid? Still others will say, recommend a full fighting style that is unbeatable, according to the guy selling the tapes. It all comes down to who is quickest. Upon completing this lesson, you will teach your child the proper way to block a punch and be ready for the next one. When your child can do this right the first time, every time, he or she might just win a fight without having to seriously hurt an attacker.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Explain to your child that the best way to avoid getting hit is to not be where the punches are being thrown. He has two good choices and two bad choices:
   
   Good:
   • Walk away before he gets hit
   • Step aside as the other guy is swinging
   
   Bad:
   • Block the punch, and get bruised
   • Take the punch in the face
   
   Assuming your child has not had or taken the opportunity to walk away, he needs to be able to “duck” a punch.
2. Most of the people you will fight against are right handed, and will show you this by the way the stand, where they wear their watch or how they hold things. Tell your child to take notice of these hints. Right handers wear watches on their left wrists, write with their right hands and usually hold drinks with the right hand.
   
   If she keeps enough distance from her attacker, your child will force her attacker to move toward her before punching. This movement will give her time to react. Assuming that the attacker is right handed, she should step left with her left foot and follow it quickly with a half step of the right foot, keeping both knees bent.
3. Tell your child to keep his eyes on his attacker. The next punch can always come really quickly. As he turns to look at his attacker, have him practice spinning rightward on the balls of his feet. This movement will reposition the body to face the attacker head on.
4. Assuming that the attacker is left handed, she should step right with her right foot and follow it quickly with a half step of the left foot, keeping both knees bent.
5. Tell your child to keep his eyes on his attacker, just as in “Step left”. Have him practice pivoting leftward to reposition the body to face the attacker again.
6. Once your child gets used to stepping left and right, have her make a fist with her near hand. ("Step left" uses right fist and "Step right" uses left fist.)
   
   The fist should touch the opposite shoulder with the palm toward her body. Then she will hammer that fist at the wrist of the attacker.
   Touching the shoulder will "Chamber" the fist by putting it in the best position for the best power. Striking the wrist area will cause the attacker quite a bit of pain, and can be used later to break a hold.
7. Recover. It is important to teach your child that the technique is never finished until he is safely away from danger and guarded. Once he does the block, have him take one BIG step back with his rear leg, pull his front leg a half step back and put up his hands to ready for or prevent another punch.

Tips & Warnings

• always wear safety gear to practice Martial Art techniques!