Just thought i’d throw this out to see if there are differences in principles.
I’ll throw in my perspective in after a few insights from others.
How do you take a punch to the body?
How do you take a punch to the head?
peace
Mostly I just start blubbering and crying and stuff, until some nice lady notices the bad man and takes me away…
Sorry – Heck, I just take it. My training includes various Iron Body and Gold Bell skills, which due the ‘super secret squirrell’ nature of the training, I can’t really go into without geting into trouble.
But - the training does work - I can absorb blows much more powerful than I could before the training without even noticing it. Often getting hit just ups my energy level rather than breaking me down.
It’s pretty cool. I have classmates who are better at it than I am and can withstand a pretty intense strike.
If you can find a good teacher, who can ‘prove’ his skill, go for it.
Oh yeah, this stuff cleared up my allergies too. Go figure.
With an exhale, same as when you issue one.
Re: How to take a punch.
Originally posted by Kung Lek
[B]
How do you take a punch to the body?
How do you take a punch to the head?
[/B]
Well whats important is to move in the direction that the punch is going. This increase the time it takes for your body to stop the punch. This works for the same reason that it is safer for you to hit a haystack than a brickwall except in reverse! When you yield to the punch decreases the damage on your body!
An explosive exhale is the key.
Or you can just cry and blubber and stuff…filling your drawers with a hot wet loaf of shame. 
lol @ Budokan
Crying and blubbering is good, but don’t forget to beg for mercy
The same way…on the move.
nospam.
Roll with it if possible, otherwise suck it up, recover and then smile wickedly back at the guy. I did this once and got an “oh sh1t” from the guy. I just started laughing since it was a ploy.
In the words of the immortal Mr. Miyagi…“Best defense…no be there!”
In the words of the immortal Hulk Hogan, however…“Say your prayers and eat your vitamins!”
Easy!..(With a brasilian accent!)
Just block with your face or body and go for a takedown. :rolleyes: 
Well the last time I took a punch, it was spiked with Absolut…
crazy high school kids
Good question Kung Lek, but allow me to propose another…
How do you take a kick to the head? oh darn, no time for blubbering, or whimering, or mercy for that matter because you would already be unconscious right? hehehe. not good.
I think I would just red in the face, suck inthe pain and MAKE SURE the next kick to the head isnt YOUR head;)
Tae Li;)
Well, outside of evasion what is it that you would do?
Exhaling is one thing that helps (with body blows), but lets face it, exhaling doesn’t do a whole lot for a shot to the head.
I am asking what do you do when it is imminent that you are hit?
You cannot evade and you must take the shot.
What does your training give you in it’s methods and principles that will give you the ability to withstand such an attack better?
What technique is used in your style to withstand a strike.
Qigong is key in breathing and the ability to make rythm of your breath and motion while fighting. In and of itself it is an edge the CMA practitioner has.
As for Kicks to the head, well, they do happen but they are more used as finishes than starts. Basically if you can kick someone in the head right off the hop then a: you are pretty darn good at high kicks or b: the person you just kicked in the head fresh out of the gate should not be fighting you at all
peace
Body shots–explosive exhale and staying focused.
Head shots–staying focused.
I know it sounds stupid, but I approach this with a very workman-like attitude. I know I’m going to get hit, but I have a job to do and I stay focused on the job. It completely eliminates the element of surprise and keeps you doing what you should be doing.
Body shots - exhale, relax, allow the body to move to dissipate and absorb the force. Tense up, everything stays still and absorbs the total impact. Too much air in the lungs impedes the body’s ability to move and dissipate the force.
Head shots - try to take it on a harder part of the skull. Try to “roll” with it, turn or tilt the body and head to reduce the direct nature of the impact.
Russian MA (ROSS/Systema) have IMO excellent methods to improve one’s ability to absorb blows, and the trauma of falls, takedowns, etc.
To be honest I’d never really thought too much about this. Good post Kung Lek.
I just try to stay relaxed throughout the battle and absorb body shots. Relying on conditioning I suppose, and my forearms!
Also distancing. If I know a big shot is on the way than I’ll move in/ to the side/ whatever to minimise the impact. Every blow has a point where it will cause the most damage, move out of that point.
Head shots, I just keep my head down, try not to get flustered and move on to the attack. The best way of stopping someone hitting your head is to attack theirs, surely.
But there must be a million small adjustments you can make to your stance / head positioning that will minimise the effectiveness of the strike.
in the immortal words of Mr T: “stop the jibberjabba, stay in school”
Head shots: when i did Shorinji Kempo they have a pretty useful technique for this. Moving your head and body slightly back, then forward and round in a hook kinda shape. It gives you a little more time, plus puts you in a good position to counter.
Other than that, from boxing i learned to keep looking forward, chin down and stay focussed. I guess i would try to go with it as much as possible and take it on somewhere that is structurally more sound than say the nose or ear etc.
body shots: again, from SK they do a similar thing with the body. From your stance, twist the hips back so they are horzontal. It shifts your weight back a little bit and moves your body slightly back. That means u don’t get hit with full power.
Lately i’ve been training hard qigong and have found that my body has started to become a little denser so i can take harder shots to places like my stomach, sides and back… Again i think relaxation and breathing is the key.
Generally i would try to go with it and make sure even if i did get hit i would still be in a good position with minimal damage. But it’s not always so easy
david
How to take a punch?
Like a ****ing man. YEEEEEAAAAAA !!!
Oh riiiight, an actual answer. Well… assuming your not lying unconscious on the ground getting boot soles imprinted into your face, its all mind over matter… Psyche yourself up. Remind yourself how many pairs of nikes would rain down on you if you drop to the ground, or how you would so not get layed if a chick saw you crying (chicks- always good motivation) .
OK ok, you can listen to my assinine bad attempt at comedy or you can (i’m being serious now, brace yourself) try finding what they call the “reptilian brain”, “inner animal”, “animal spirit” whatever you wanna call it . I’ve heard this used in many publication (From articles about Tai Chi to Army Combatives to the Psychology of Violent Subcultures) and it seems to work well. Basic theory is that humans are born with 3 brains and this is the most primitive. It’s sole purpose is for survival and as humans you can’t defend properly but as an “animal” you can fight off dozens of enemies(exaggerated) and take fierce amounts of pain, from stab wounds to gunshots etc, and of course a punch to the face could just be shrugged off. The problem is getting to that part of your brain.
I probably got a bit off topic but i thought it was pretty cool and it would sure as hell help your self defense training. It sure caught my interest so i though it was share worthy. Seems legit but I can’t for the life of me figure out how it’s accomplished, 'cept for some advice from an article written by a skinhead which for obvious reasons i’m not gonna try as it involves building a tolerance for gore by trying out eye gouges and the like on unsuspecting people. Fortunately it only shows up during emergencies so you wont flip out and and pull a Hannibal Lechter on your family and house pets, unless you already have an affinity towards that… The brain is stronger than that.
For body shots, keep your elbows covering your small ribs and twist while you exhale.
For shots to the head, if you must get hit, clinch your teeth, tuck your chin and move from your waist, not your head/neck.
What Merryprankster said.
Also, for head shots a strong neck is very beneficial to decrease
KO potential (most of you probably knew that).