So when I was 13, I was walking along with this girl I liked on the last day of school before I had to move away. We were walking in a safe town with little to no crime and just happened to be passing city hall. The girl I was with and I had just won a talent show where I was the moving target and she tried to attack me with a kendo sword. The act was a hit but we were still in out costumes for the event, she carrying her bamboo sword. As we passed the grass in front of the building, a man who was clearly a bum came up to us and asked for extra change. We said we didn't have any and kept going only to be stopped again by him, asking for the sword this time as he held out a sliding razor. Shocked, my friend didn't answer. When she didn't, the guy lunged at her to stab her. Faster than I had ever moved before, I moved in front of the attacker and was late to do a what was supposed to be a downward block with my left. I then slammed the guy in the face with a right cross and heard a crack, which I assumed to be his nose. He fell over backward screaming as my friend I ran for her house. When we got there, she pointed out the red blot on the side of my shirt. My block had prevented the blade from going deep into my side but didn't manage to prevent the nice cut in return.


And that is the importance of blocking and muscle memory