Hachiji dachi
Encyclopedia
is a stance used in karate
. In English
, hachiji roughly translates to "the character for eight," but in context means something more like "shaped like number eight." Note that this refers to the shape of the kanji
for the number eight: 八, not the arabic numeral "8". , the pronunciation of when the word is second in a compound, translates to "stance," referring specifically to the body's position from the waist down. The term "hachiji dachi" is frequently used interchangeably with , or "shizentai dachi", which translates to "natural stance" (literally, 'natural body,' or 'natural body stance'). In most styles, shizentai is identical to hachiji dachi.
karate. Different styles may vary slightly.
In hachiji dachi, the feet are shoulder width apart, toes pointing forward. The karateka stands upright, facing straight forward. While in hachiji dachi, the karateka is usually in a yoi (ready) position.
The yoi position is a preparitory position that gives a clear starting point for execution of other techniques. The main version of yoi means the arms are slightly moved forward, with fists closed. The fists point slightly to the centre line and are roughly half a shoulder width apart. The elbows should be bent very slightly.
There are many variations to the movements leading to the yoi position. Note that some kata have very different yoi positions. The basic Shotokan kata all start at the stance and with the yoi position described above. Examples of basic kata are Heian shodan, Heian nidan and Heian sandan.
Other yoi positions are found mostly in intermediate and advanced kata.
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
. In English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, hachiji roughly translates to "the character for eight," but in context means something more like "shaped like number eight." Note that this refers to the shape of the kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
for the number eight: 八, not the arabic numeral "8". , the pronunciation of when the word is second in a compound, translates to "stance," referring specifically to the body's position from the waist down. The term "hachiji dachi" is frequently used interchangeably with , or "shizentai dachi", which translates to "natural stance" (literally, 'natural body,' or 'natural body stance'). In most styles, shizentai is identical to hachiji dachi.
Description
The following is consistent with the teachings of shotokanShotokan
is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi and his son Gigo Funakoshi . Gichin was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing karate through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs, including...
karate. Different styles may vary slightly.
In hachiji dachi, the feet are shoulder width apart, toes pointing forward. The karateka stands upright, facing straight forward. While in hachiji dachi, the karateka is usually in a yoi (ready) position.
The yoi position is a preparitory position that gives a clear starting point for execution of other techniques. The main version of yoi means the arms are slightly moved forward, with fists closed. The fists point slightly to the centre line and are roughly half a shoulder width apart. The elbows should be bent very slightly.
There are many variations to the movements leading to the yoi position. Note that some kata have very different yoi positions. The basic Shotokan kata all start at the stance and with the yoi position described above. Examples of basic kata are Heian shodan, Heian nidan and Heian sandan.
Other yoi positions are found mostly in intermediate and advanced kata.