That double block wotsit thingy!

Hi Nick!

On your DVD you show that double block, you know the one I mean.

What's it called? How do you train it? Is it really that reliable?

In karate it's called joge-uke, one hand in the classical outer mid level blocking position and the other in the low blocking position. Usually you see some twit blocking a simultaneous punch and kick with it which makes no sense because they're two different fighting ranges and nobody is ever going to throw the two of them at the same time.

A better explanation is that someone tries to grab your elbows and either headbutt you or knee you in the bollocks. As he grabs you step back the left hand sweeps up into the mid level block which clears the left hand grab while the right goes anti-clockwise all the way up and over the right hand grab. The right hand will then deflect any headbutt on it's way and/or stop the knee if that's the attack he's launching. At that point you punch with the top hand and break free.

Another application I like is the one I do on the ground in one of my dvds which I've used twice in the real world. If you're lying on your back and someone runs in to put the boot in from the side you roll towards them and jam the attack before their kicking legs builds up momentum. You block with both hands up in front of you (like two mid level blocks). Before he can retract the kick and try again you wrap the top one round the back of his knees which locks him in, then you roll away from him which will bring him to the ground on both his knee caps at which point you can roll up, or, if you're into grappling, you can apply a toe hold.

Bottom line is yep it works when it's applied correctly...just that most instructors think it's actually blocking two different attacks at once which isn't the case.

Nick