About blocking vs parrying once more :) … I agree with the sentiment in the choice of the word dissolve. I need to look at everywhere we parry again. There’s a couple of places where I haven’t figured out how the move can be anything other than a hard block (I’m thinking of the low blocks against kicks that we have just after Golden Pheasant).

But, to everyone … please chip in with your comments. Whether you agree with me or not, or whether I agree with you or not, this sort of debate helps me learn, and is exactly why I decided to blog about Tai Chi since becoming a teacher of the art. Your comments, insights and experiences are most welcome!

@Mark and Stuart, I understand both of you clearly as I was taught never to block, but to parry. And Stuart I fully understand how words can contain different meanings or have different places of use in different cultures. How would either of you feel about the use of the word “dissolve” rather than parry or block? Understanding, that I concur with Stuart’s rendering of the word parry from wardoff.

@Mark - many thanks too! Over here in the UK, the term ‘parry’ tends to be restricted more to armed combat such as fencing in my (limited) experience. In our form, there isn’t a single cross hands move that is static, which surely automatically makes every cross hands a form of warding off (which is the origin of the word parry).

If you come over to the UK at any time, I’d love the opportunity to meet up and learn more from you about this.

Where I disagree is in the explanation about cross hands. There really are no (or perhaps should not be) blocks, rather counters and/or opportunities to counter. Every action is an opportunity to strike, particularly when you know what to strike with the appropriate angle and direction. Every point of contact has a strategic counter-part to it. The term block is used a lot in martial arts and perhaps the interpretation means different things to different people at this point. However, unless you’re involved in sport, a block is a wasted move.

A lot of schools that teach blocking fail to consider the dangers and weaknesses that come from it. Students learn to expose areas of their bodies to may be open to a weapon or result in bone on bone contact that can result in breaks and further damage. Most students don’t possess the skills to do it effectively in the first place and even many senior level instructors who were taught the same thing never learned to protect themselves effectively.

A parry on the other hand might be construed as a form of blocking, but again the definition of parry and block are not the same and so I would argue that schools that teach blocking have a responsibility to really understand what they are teaching their students. In doing so they give them the benefit of understanding the strengths and weaknesses of those teachings so they can make educated choices before they find themselves in a difficult situation or injure themselves or someone else for that matter.

Anyway, it’s a great journey!
-Loretta Donnelly
http://www.TaiChiFest.com