Wushu Basic Block Techniques

Chinese wushu, more commonly known as kung fu in the West, relies on flowing, circular motions. Techniques flow continuously, one emerging from another. Blocks in wushu often flow from or turn into attacks.

  1. Wushu Fighting Stance

    • To assume a basic stance, bring your feet together to form a letter "L." Then step forward with your right foot so that your feet are slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Bend your knees and allow your weight to sink slightly down into your stance.
      Your right foot should be pointing straight at your partner. Ball your hands into fists and and raise them into fighting position. You lead hand should be out to protect your face and ribs while your rear hand guards your jaw, chest and stomach area.
      The target you present to your opponent should be narrow from this position and your fists should stand as a barrier between you and your opponent. Rise up lightly onto the balls of your feet to increase your mobility and the ease with which you can spring into action.

    Wushu Blocking Techniques

    • To block a punch using wushu technique face your partner in a basic fighting stance.

      As your partner punches with his lead or rear hand swing your lead hand across your body to knock his strike out of line. Your arm should swing with a circular motion impacting your partners strike with the inside of your forearm. It's important to keep your arms close to your body and not to overextend as you block.

      While sometimes considered a showy exhibitionist style, blocks in wushu are nonetheless meant to be delivered with the intensity of strikes.

      Once you have taken your partners strike out of line you should immediately counter attack with a strike of your own.

      To block a front kick using wushu assume a basic fighting stance opposite your partner.

      As your partner snaps a kick off his rear leg swing your lead arm down across your body in a circular motion impacting your partners leg with the outside of your forearm. Remember to focus your intensity and think of your block as being a strike.

      As you knock your opponents kick out of line, flow into a rapid counterattack. Your opponents failed kick will have resulted in him over committing himself in the attack and he will be especially vulnerable at that moment.
      To block against a hook punch, swing your lead arm out to intercept the punch twisting it so your inner forearm blocks the strike. As your arm cushions the strike, allow it to continue in its circular flow. This will take your opponents lead arm well out of line and leave him wide open to any variety of counterattacks you wish to launch.

    The Block as Strike

    • Many traditional wushu practitioners whack their inner forearms with wire brushes in order to toughen them up. Reportedly Bruce Lee used to strike his inner forearms against his chair while sitting at the family dinner table in Hong Kong.
      All blocks in wushu should be delivered with a flowing, circular motion that makes it easy to transition into a counterattack. Remember that despite their graceful, fluid motion, wushu blocks be executed with the same intensity as punches.