Dokugakuji has to give it to her. She's clearly a trained soldier. The way she retaliates, comes after him so soon after the tactical shift... it's the kind of thing he got used to appreciating about the Sanzo Party when he had to go up against them time and again. And if she can sense what he's about to do, well, there's not much he can do about that. He has no shields or other defenses for that sort of thing.

Dokugakuji does try to brace against her shield with his staff, sending one end out against her and leaving the staff to one side in an attempt to keep them a little further apart. It's rough on his hands, but he's been fighting for years; his calluses can take a little of such abuse. However, she'll find it a little too easy to throw his pinprick of force on her shield to the side and catch him open.