When you respond to your partner's hits, you over-respond more often than not. You "act as if" the punch had scored.
The acting constitutes an over-response.
As long as you are acting, why don't you do your best to make your response seem as realistic as possible.
In other words, try to over-respond, but don't over-over-respond. Don't overact.
Maybe you want him to step in a little closer. Or maybe you can cause a slight pause with your crumpling-forward-in-pain act. Maybe the overconfidence at so easily besting you could be used to your advantage.
Can you see the benefits of making your acting more realistic?
If nothing else, if you learn to fake the response to a punch, you could land a job in a movie as a stunt actor :-)
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