How to dodge a punch: all you need to know

Master Kongling All, 6DKF techniques defense, dodging, punch, striking 1

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Is dodging a punch easy or difficult?

There are many types of actions we can take to address a punch but in this case, we talk specifically about dodging. It could be “easy” or very hard: it all depends on the level of preparation of our opponent and on the context.

Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes here Learn Kung Fu online: a beginner-to-expert course).

Before entering the technical details we will analyze the 2 types of adversaries / contexts:

The not-practitioner / beginner (the category to which most people belong)
The martial arts practitioner (from the intermediate level on)

1. Why (in most cases) it is relatively “easy” to dodge a punch from a not-practitioner

A note by Master Kongling – We say “in most cases” because each combat situation is different and even if what we are going to say happens frequently, it is absolutely not a fixed rule (a person could have natural talent, sports capabilities near to the combat ones, having absorbed some good movement from martial arts movies, etc.). As my Wing Chun master used to say: “always imagine your opponent to be stronger than you.”. Let’s expect the unexpected.

The reason why the (not unexpected) punch of an inexperienced aggressor is not so hard to avoid (even by an intermediate-level practitioner) is that he / she will most likely try to strike with all the possible force he / she can imagine. This means that (probably) instinctively he / she:

Will not use close-range fast punches (eg. jabs)
Will not implement any tactical move (eg. a feint)
Will use a “straight punch” (uppercuts and hooks will appear less effective / sure to him / her and less than less all the other upper limbs striking techniques)
Will try to load the attack as much as he / she can (giving us more time to react)
While loading will clearly show us his / her intentions
Will use his / her strongest arm to target the most obvious of the targets, the head (with the most trivial trajectory, timing, etc.)
…

Substantially, in the particular case we are describing, we do not need to be martial arts monsters to read and prevent such gross movements: it is enough to have a minimum of forethought and a cool head.

2. Why it is complex to dodge a punch even “only” from an intermediate-level practitioner

Things totally change if the adversary we are facing:

Has even only basic notions of combat
Has even only a small sparring experience

The reason is that all the advantages we have listed in the other case disappear and the higher his / her preparation is, the more we risk to:

Be victims of tactical feints
Be attacked explosively from close range
Receive exploring blows that are just approaches for the successive and more devastating ones (an expert always attacks with sequences)
…

In many cases, to avoid this type of punch from a close distance (if and when it is possible) we must be deeply trained and already at an advanced level: in all the other cases the best thing that we can do is cover ourselves and resist the strikes as best as we can (maybe exploiting the opening of the adversary’s guard to strike).

A note by Master Kongling – Learning to take hits is a fundamental skill in a fighter. Thinking about fighting someone without ever getting touched is like thinking about going in the rain and staying dry (those kinds of dreams realize only in movies, read Martial arts: movies VS reality, 7 differences). The true expert receives the blows and does not suffer the damage in full because he / she protects his vulnerable points, is conditioned to endure even very violent attacks without even being distracted and knows how to arrange his / her body in order to cushion the impacts (read also How to breathe when I get punched).

Why it is important to train to avoid the punches (even if it is not always simple)

The opponents we risk facing:

In self-defense – In normal social contexts, are in most cases included in the first group (but it is not absurd to find more prepared people from the second one); let’s also remember that those who grew up in criminal contexts, even without regular technical preparation, may have gained experience in practical struggle)
In sports competitions – Almost all are in the second group we mentioned

In both cases, the risk remains but we must persist in this type of conditioning because:

We work on our speed, explosiveness, reflexes (etc.), all skills that are fundamental
The more we train, the higher the level of opponents we will be able to face
The more we train in this direction, the better we become at fighting in general

How to slip a punch

The direction

The first consideration is: in what direction should we move?

Imagining to look from above the fighting scenario (and that the opponent is throwing a straight punch), these are the options we have (with the consequent tactical implications):

Move backward – This (especially if done only with the upper part of the body) is the typical instinctive reaction of a beginner and in most cases, it is wrong; to execute a similar movement only with the torso could mean avoiding the first punch but to surely get caught by the second one; even backing up with the whole body is not an ideal move because it means moving forcibly in a direction completely out of our field of vision (when we are not in a ring, behind us there may be an obstacle, another opponent, etc.); the contraindications not end here, we also lose uselessly terrain and a potential opportunity to counter
Move sideways externally (in relation to the punch) – If done with the full body, it is a good reaction for a beginner, it allows us to safely exit from the trajectory of the attack but at the same time see where we are going
Move sideways internally (in relation to the punch) – It is a good reaction for an intermediate-level practitioner, it allows us to exit from the trajectory of the attack, to see where we are going and even to counterattack; it is a slightly risky option because we do not leave the area of interaction of the adversary (we remain within the range of his / her other arm)
Move downward – It is a good reaction for an advanced-level practitioner (read Prepare the body to dodge punches (“U” motion)), it allows us to exit from the trajectory of the attack, to see where we are going and even to counterattack in a smarter way; it is a not-so-risky option but we need high-level skills to execute such motion in real-time
Move forward – For advanced / experts only, it is at the same time the best possible reaction and the less instinctive; it allows us to attack the opponent at the moment when he / she is more vulnerable in the most aggressive way; to exit from the trajectory of the attack we must be extremely precise because the risk to get hit even more violently is very hight

Naturally, there are all the intermediate directions but they are simply shades between these 4.

A note by Master Kongling – Said this, it must be stressed that for an expert there is nothing always wrong or always correct, it all depends on the rational evaluations done in the present context (this means that he / she could even decide to remain still and simply move the head but to do it safely we are talking about years of training 4 hours per day including regular sparring sessions).

CONTINUE…

In-depth video courses

Basic 6 Dragons Kung Fu Exercises – The core exercises to build the necessary base for combat
Advanced speed and reflexes training – A video course about how to develop real speed for combat
Basic free hand fighting techniques – The fundamental combat system of 6 Dragons Kung Fu
Advanced combat tactics – The most advanced combat methods of 6 Dragons Kung Fu
Worst combat errors to avoid – A selection of the most common and dangerous combat mistakes
Self-defense basics: how to – A serious self-defense preparation path

In-depth articles

Self-defense: 10 correct attitudes during a quarrel – What to do and what not to avoid being punched
How to learn to fight: all the steps – The right path to acquire real martial skills applicable in combat

Questions

Reply in the comments and share your experience:

Have you ever been punched?

Author: Master Kongling

Founder of 6 Dragons Kung Fu.

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