Circular blocking is the more difficult blocks to first learn, because they require larger, more coordinated movements. This come from the nature of our society. We do not tend to do large circular motions for anything in modern time. While this is a recognised point of dissonance in early training, with a little patience, the student will see that circular blocks are more natural, because of how the body moves naturally.
These blocks can be employed to gently deflect and redirect the actions of an opponent, of they can be used to batter the offending movements, to dissuade the opponent from further aggression. Both can be achieved from the same general technique, depending on the application. First, we must start with the basic circular blocking techniques, then we will move into the various applications.
Circular Deflection
Jedi are guardians of peace and justice. As such, we must always strive to stand on the side of non-violence. However, the world is not a perfectly controlled place, and while the occurrences of physical violence are extremely low, non-violence is not always an option. For this reason, when faced with an opponent, our first response should always be defensive, keeping the safety of self (and those protected) in mind first, but also acknowledging the humanity of the opponent. Because of this, we deflect first when possible.
Using the Circular blocking techniques taught previously, keep the shoulders and elbows loose. Keeping the hand open helps with this, especially in the beginning stages of training. Even so, be careful not to allow your fingers to get damaged. When deflecting an incoming strike, the meaty part of the forearm, and heel of the palm are preferred, as it minimizes damage to both parties. Keep your stance loose and stable, and allow your trunk to rotate with the deflection as needed, further taking yourself out of the path of impact. Keep these principles in mind, as the following video explains the difference.
Circular Impact
There may be situations where deflections do not dissuade an opponent, or the opponent is already too lost in their impassioned state to rely on gentle actions to protect you from attacks. There are many times that opening attacks will already be beyond the line where deflection is the wisest course of action. In the rare case of multiple opponents, impact techniques, when applied with sufficient force, can quickly incapacitate one or more. There is also a psychological effect to take into account with pain and potential injury.
In such cases, the Circular blocking techniques can be applied with greatly increased impact. While these still require a looseness in the shoulders, the hands are closed, with a building tension in the fist and forearm, as these will be the primary impact surfaces. Stance is still left loose and stable, however when using the Circular blocks as impact techniques, you will either want to stay relatively squared up with the opponent, or roll the shoulder slightly in with the technique to better utilize body rotation, and pushing from the legs to make the arms hit like hammers. Keep these principles in mind, as the following video explains this alternate application.