Block button isn't easier for new players because the block button is a visual "tell". Block button is a giveaway, which says to the opposing player "they're blocking, so do x.". If that opposing player is experienced then it will be brutal for the novice. With back to block, both players must think harder to decipher why they think their opponent Might block any given attack or why they might not block any particular attack.
Example, in SF4 a crouched player might be blocking or they might be buffering an attack. If you are the opposing player, you have only your experience and breakdown of the player's tendencies to decipher which is more likely. In addition to this, you have the safety of knowing that there are safe zones in which you can stand where you can mount a logical attack based on safe jumping and or throwing projectile or dashing. However, the other player also knows this (usually), and that's the challenge for both players: how do I defend and how do I attack--all while taking the least damage?
There aren't many positions in the game that pretty much spell out what decision you're supposed to make in order to win, which makes the game more fun. Example, in basketball how do you know which way to dribble on offense in order to get around a defender? You don't know, and sometimes you can't get around them. However, that doesn't mean that you cede possession (life) or position. It just means that you have to think smarter than your defender in order to make them change their strategy.
