If you practice striking arts, you realize the importance (and frequent difficulty) of blocking kicks to your flanks / legs. Although the “padded stick” version with a friend can be effective training to learn to block strikes, a friend is obviously not always available. When you are by yourself, a heavy bag can work wonders. Stand facing perpendicular to your heavy bag. Black ones in a dark room work best as they are the hardest to notice in your peripheral. After you have lined up next to the heavy bag, give it a shove / kick away from you as hard as you can. As it swings back toward you, wait until the last second before performing your block (ie; low arm block Tang Soo do, pulling up the leg in Muay Thai, etc). Perform your block at full force as soon as the boxing bag is adjacent to you.

Four benefits are derived from this heavy bag / boxing bag exercise:

1) the actual reflex of the block is improved
2) the peripheral vision is utilized / expanded
3) the blocking limb is conditioned to be struck
4) the body is conditioned to maintain balance when being impacted by a great force (such as a shin or heel).