Would you know how to block a punch or a kick to the middle of your body? A knife-hand block will ward off the attack while setting you up for a strong counterattack. Face forward with one leg ahead of the other. Keep your legs about a shoulder’s width apart. Reach your forward arm back to your rear shoulder with your open hand almost cupping your ear. This is your blocking arm. Hold your fingers together tightly with your thumb tucked into your palm. Raise your opposite arm level with your chest, your hand formed into a fist. Position this arm on the outside of your blocking arm. Move your blocking arm slightly downward and across the front of your body. Keep the elbow bent at a 90-degree angle, and twist your wrist so that the palm faces outward. Meet the attacker’s limb with the knife-hand edge (the fleshy part below your pinky). Pull your opposite arm back against your side as you deliver your block.