All you can really do is block and look for the hole in your opponent's pressure so you can poke out. Since you have this thread in the Shang Tsung sub-forum, I'd say d3 would be your poke of choice.
Trying to armor out is not always a good idea. As exemplified by the Grand Finals of MLG, a smart player will see it coming and shut your escape route down. This is especially painful if you're being cornered by a character who is ruthless with the rushdown.
