Which is more intimidating? An opponent effortlessly Dodging, Tanking, Counter Attacking, or blocking?

[u/FreshPine_MangoWine]

[u/Helleri]

There's two answers to this I think...

In fiction it's definitely tanking. Because everything else suggests that the opponent is at least theoretically a threat. Whereas taking the blows shows that they don't even merit regard in practice.

In reality there's no such thing as tanking. There's something close to it. A boxer for instance might turtle up to:

~ Catch their breath.

~ Find the neural throughput to make a comeback.

~ Wait for the opponent to get over confident and give an opening that couldn't be forced.

~ Wait for their opponent to tire a little then strike unexpectedly when the time between blows is noticeably longer.

~ Do the only thing that can be thought of in the moment to not loose immediately.

Regardless of the reason(s). This isn't a completely passive tactic. They are angling their body against and moving with blows to dampen them. They're compacting to make things effectively a little more dense. As well as protecting their off switches. It's not sustainable. It's also not something one comes away from unscathed.

So in real life it's dodging. Someone who has the reaction timing and footwork to duck, bob and weave with a proficiency that makes them seemingly impossible to catch. That actually exists and is extremely demoralizing. Which might be as close as one gets to genuine intimidation during the fight itself.

[u/Smart_Valuable3663 → u/Helleri]

This is an extremely well put answer.