How to Block a Punch in a Street Fight

Street fights are usually much faster, sloppier and more dangerous than what is portrayed in the movies. Although Rocky Balboa can absorb a hundred punches with barely a cut on his eye, a single punch can cripple or kill someone in real life if it lands in the wrong place. You may have to defend yourself at some point in your life, no matter how much you try to avoid violence. Blocking a punch in a street fight can prevent serious injury.

Instructions

    • 1

      Turn your body to the side, with one foot leading and one in the back a comfortable distance to give yourself good balance. Your feet should be approximately shoulder-width apart from each other so you can both move quickly and remain balanced. This prevents you from falling over while blocking a punch. Balance is key to good defense. Position your left foot and hand in front if you are right-handed.

    • 2

      Curl up your hands into fists and tuck your thumbs under the bottom knuckles of the fingers. This helps prevent you from breaking a finger or thumb while deflecting a punch.

    • 3

      Raise your arm up on the same side as the punch. If the puncher is throwing his right hand, use your left arm to deflect. Likewise, your right arm will defend a left-handed punch.

    • 4

      Deflect the punch by using the bone in your outer forearm to strike the inner forearm of your attacker. The outer bone is thicker and less likely to break against impact than the inner bone. If the punch is coming in a straight line, you can also use your outer forearm against the attacker's outer forearm to deflect the punch's trajectory.

    • 5

      Move your head away from the strike as you deflect it to reduce the risk of getting hit. Do not close your eyes if you can prevent it because you are more likely to get hit by a punch you don't see coming.