Do you block a truck running at you? Can you block a bullet? Do you block a baseball bat swinging at you? Do you know how strong a person is just from their appearance? You don’t and therefore thou shall not stay static and block an attack with your arms.
If asked how to defend from a punch or kick, the most common response will be “I will try to block it with my arms”. Hmmm, a better way way is to “Move the Target”.
There are lots of conditions where “blocking” is not the right response. You may not be as fast or as strong as the other person, if you read wrong and you are fully committed to your block, you may become completely exposed. If your defense have to go through a whole list of filtering like “if this then do that, if not that then do something else…”. That complex decision process will slow you down. Even worse is if you read the direction wrong, you will leave yourself completely open.
“Move the target” is a concept that can be applied universally and therefore simple and direct. “Move the target” can be as simple as duck or step away. It is simply “Move off the line of fire”. Even a small angle change or shift can reduce the size of the hit. Have you ever tried breaking a wood board with a “floating” piece of board? or crack a hanging piece of Kleenx with a punch? It is very difficult because it moves with the attack.
In a different example, if you do not venture flash a stack of cash around in a known crime spot, you have effectively removed yourself off as a potential target.
If you teach kids agility / mobility, and enable them to be confident with all kinds of physical activities, help them feel good about themselves and have lots of friends, learn to be aware of the surroundings, ignore dumb people saying nasty things, you are helping to eliminate them as a common target of bullying, Furthermore, if they know how to defend themselves, they are way ahead in readiness to protect themselves.. .
Yes, I know. “blocking” may be necessary in some special cases but it should only be used when there are absolutely no other alternatives. However, that should only be your safety net and NOT your primary defense.