I received this question recently and here is the reply I gave:
------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for the great question about blocking.
When I went through the martial arts as I grew up, each style had some type of blocking that they used.
I didn't question it at the time, but as time and experience passed I started to realize that blocking a punch wasn't realistic.
When someone punches, you have no idea when it's coming, how fast or where they will hit you. It could be in your stomach or your face or your head and if they were faster than you it would be impossible to block it. For most people, action is faster than reaction.
Also, the whole concept of blocking implies that you must wait for the other guy to punch, instead of proactively moving to get out of there or punching your way out. Stopping to block is a waste of time. Why not punch your way out? Just explosively punch every attacker near you as you keep moving to get out of the situation.
If you hesitate even a fraction of a second on the street, a second and third attacker could tackle you from behind. Then both would try to beat you into the ground.
Forget blocking. Just focus on how fast you can punch them in the face and then get to safety. (Try to avoid their eyes and mouth if you can. You don't want their blood on you. Diseases, etc.)
I hope this helps.
Best regards,
Al Abidin
