List of shotokan techniques
Encyclopedia
This is a list of techniques practiced in the Shotokan-ryu style of karate
.
Shotokan Karate-do
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,...
.
Shotokan Karate-do
Stances (Dachi Waza)
- fudo dachi: rooted stance
- hachiji dachiHachiji dachiis 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"...
: natural stance - hangetsu dachi: half-moon stance
- heisoku dachi: informal attention stance
- kiba dachi: horse stance / side stance
- kokutsu dachi: back stance
- kosa dachi: cross-legged stance
- neko ashi dachi: cat stance
- renoji dachi: L-stance (e.g. in the kata, Heian godan)
- sanchin dachi: hourglass stance
- katashi dachi: crane-like stance (e.g. in the kata EnpiEnpi, literally meaning "monkey elbow", is a term for an elbow strike by the Japanese martial art of karate. There are several kinds of elbow strikes, classified by the direction they hit from. Upward elbow strikes and forward elbow strikes use the fist-chest interface as a pivot...
) - tsuru ashi dachi: crane stance (e.g. in the kata Gankaku)
- zenkutsu dachi: front stanceFront stanceFront stance, sometimes also called forward leaning stance or forward stance, is a basic stance used in Japanese and Korean martial arts . Although the specifics of the stance vary by style, overall it is visually similar to a lunge, with the forward leg bent at the knee, and the rear leg...
- yoi dachi: basic stance
Preparatory Positions
- koshi gamae: hip preparatory position
- manji gamae: "lambdaLambdaLambda is the 11th letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals lambda has a value of 30. Lambda is related to the Phoenician letter Lamed . Letters in other alphabets that stemmed from lambda include the Roman L and the Cyrillic letter El...
"-shaped preparatory position, one arm raised above and behind the head with the other arm blocking low in front of the body (e.g., in the kata, Heian godan) - manji uke: "lambdaLambdaLambda is the 11th letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals lambda has a value of 30. Lambda is related to the Phoenician letter Lamed . Letters in other alphabets that stemmed from lambda include the Roman L and the Cyrillic letter El...
"-shaped block - ryoken koshi gamae: double hip preparatory position (e.g. in the kata, Heian sandan)
- morote koko gamae: double handed preparatory position (e.g. in the kata, EnpiEnpi, literally meaning "monkey elbow", is a term for an elbow strike by the Japanese martial art of karate. There are several kinds of elbow strikes, classified by the direction they hit from. Upward elbow strikes and forward elbow strikes use the fist-chest interface as a pivot...
)
Using the Arms
- age-uke: rising high-level block
- empi uke: elbow block (e.g. in the kata, Heian sandan)
- chudan juki(originally,"tsuki"): mid-level punch
- gedan baraiGedan baraiA gedan barai is a karate technique mainly used for blocking an attack. The approximate English meaning is 'low level sweep'.-Execution :The following is consistent with the teachings of Shotokan karate...
: sweeping low block - gedan morote barai: double sweeping low block (usually while going into kiba dachi)
- haiwan uke: square side block (e.g. in the kata, Heian nidan)
- juji uke: x block
- kaisho ake uke: open-palm rising block
- kaisho haiwan uke: knife-hand square side block (e.g. in the kata, Heian yondan)
- kaisho juji uke: open-palm x block (e.g. in the kata, Heian godan)
- kakiwake uke: floating x block (e.g. in the kata, Heian yondan)
- morote uke: double forearm block (e.g. in the kata, Heian sandan)
- nagashi uke: rising palm sweep block (e.g. in the kata, Tekki shodan)
- osae uke: palm block
- otoshi uke: dropping forearm block
- shuto age uke: rising knife-hand block
- shuto gedan barai: knife-hand sweeping low block
- shuto uke: knife hand block
- shuto mawashi uke (roundhouse block with knife-hand)
- soto ukeSoto ukeA soto uke is a karate blocking technique used for blocking mid-level incoming attacks. It is translated as "From outside block" like in O Soto Gari , which comes from the block's final resting point centered on the blocker's body.Soto uke is performed by bringing one hand to the ear, keeping the...
: outside forearm block - sukui uke: scooping block
- tate shuto uke: half knife-hand block
- te osae uke: dropping palm block
- uchi ude uke: inside forearm block
- uchi uke: outside mid-level block
- uchi uke gyaku hanmi: inside mid-level block with reverse hand (e.g. in the kata, Heian nidan)
- ude barai: reverse sweeping forearm block
- kami tsukami: hair grab (e.g. in the kata, EnpiEnpi, literally meaning "monkey elbow", is a term for an elbow strike by the Japanese martial art of karate. There are several kinds of elbow strikes, classified by the direction they hit from. Upward elbow strikes and forward elbow strikes use the fist-chest interface as a pivot...
) - ushiro gedan barai: reverse low sweeping block (e.g. in the kata, EnpiEnpi, literally meaning "monkey elbow", is a term for an elbow strike by the Japanese martial art of karate. There are several kinds of elbow strikes, classified by the direction they hit from. Upward elbow strikes and forward elbow strikes use the fist-chest interface as a pivot...
)
Using the Legs
- ashikubi kake uke: hooking ankle block
- mika zuki geri uke: crescent kick block (e.g. in the kata, Heian godan)
- nami ashi, a.k.a. nami gaeshi: leg snapping wave block (e.g. in the kata, Tekki shodan)
- sokutei osae uke: pressing sole block
- sokuto osae uke: pressing footedge block
Striking Techniques (Uchi-waza)
- Age empi: Rising elbow strike
- Age Tzuki: Rising Punch
- Choku zuki: Straight jab punch
- Empi uchi: Elbow strike
- Gyaku zukiGyaku zukiA gyaku zuki or gyaku tsuki is a karate technique. It involves a punch executed by the back arm. A gyaku zuki is sometimes called a "reverse punch". It is also executed better if you use the hips to push it forward....
: Reverse punch - Haishu uchi: Back hand strike
- Haito uchi: Ridge hand strike
- Hisami zuki: Scissor strike
- Jun Zuki: front hand 'jab' punch, differing from Kizami Zuki in that shoulders are square
- Kagi zuki: Hook punch
- Kizami zuki: Straight, front hand lunging punch (like a 'jab')
- Mae mawashi empi uchi: Augmented side elbow strike (e.g. in the kata, Heian yondan)
- Mawashi empi: Hook elbow strike
- Morote zuki: Double punch (e.g. in the kata, Tekki shodan)
- Nakadaka Ippon Ken : one knuckle fist
- Nukite: Spear-hand strike
- Oi zuki: Lunge punch (shoulders square)
- Sanbon zuki: Triple punch (age zuki, gyaku zuki, choku zuki)
- Shuto uchi: Knifehand strike
- Shuto yoko ganmen uchi (knife-hand strike to head)
- Shuto sakotsu uchikomi (driving knife-hand to sternum)
- Shuto sakotsu uchi (knife-hand strike to clavicle)
- Shuto hizo uchi (knife-hand strike to spleen)
- Shuto jodan uchi uchi (inside knife-hand to neck)
- Sokumen empi uchi: Augmented elbow strike (e.g. in the kata, Tekki shodan)
- Tate zuki: Half reverse punch, with a vertical fist
- Teisho furi uchi: Sideways palm-heel strike
- Teisho uchi: Palm-heel strike
- Tettsui: Hammer-fist strike
- Tettsui hasami uchi: Hammer-fist scissor strike
- Tettsui yoko uchi (bottom fist strike to side)
- Uraken uchi: Backfist strike
- Uraken mawashi uchi (backfist circular strike to the head)
- Uraken sayu ganmen uchi (backfist strike to side)
- Uraken hizo uchi (backfist strike to spleen)
- Ushiro empi ate (backwards elbow strike)
- Ura zuki: Close short punch, with inverted fist, similar in nature to an 'uppercut'
- Ushiro empi: Back elbow strike
- Yama zuki ("mountain punch"): Wide double fisted strike (e.g. in the kata, Bassai dai and WankanWankanWankan is a kata practiced in many styles of Karate. Not much is known about the history of this kata. It originates from the Tomari-te school and in modern karate is practiced in Shorin-ryu, Shotokan, Genseiryu and Matsubayashi-ryu.It is often considered an advanced kata, despite its brevity...
) - Awase zuke: Narrow double fisted strike
- Yoko empi: Side elbow strike
- Yoko tettsui: Sideways hammer-fist strike (e.g. in the kata, Heian Nidan)
- Gyaku age zuki: Rising reverse punch (e.g. in the kata, EnpiEnpi, literally meaning "monkey elbow", is a term for an elbow strike by the Japanese martial art of karate. There are several kinds of elbow strikes, classified by the direction they hit from. Upward elbow strikes and forward elbow strikes use the fist-chest interface as a pivot...
)
Kicking Techniques (Keri-waza)
- Ashi barai: Foot sweep
- Fumikomi: Stomp kick
- Hiza geri: Knee strike
- Kin geri: Kick in the groin, performed like front kick but with the feet
- Mae-ashi mae geri, a.k.a choku geri: Front kick with front leg
- Mae-ashi mawashi geri: Front roundhouse kick with front leg
- Mae geri: Front kick
- Mae Hiza geri: Front knee kick
- Mae-ren geri: Double front kick (= double mae geri)
- Mae tobi geri: Front flying kick
- Mawashi geri: Roundhouse kick
- Mawashi hiza geri: Circular knee kick
- Mikazuki geri: Crescent kick
- Nidan tobi geri: Double jump front kick
- Tobi geri: Jump kick
- Tobi hiza geri: Jumping knee kick
- Tobi ushiro mawashi geri: Jumping reverse roundhouse kick
- Ura mawashi geri: Upper inside roundhouse kick, a.k.a. hook kick
- Ushiro geri: Back kick
- Ushiro mawashi geri : Reverse roundhouse kick
- Ushiro kekomi: Back side thrust kick
- Otoshi Mawashi Geri: Circular falling kick
- Yoko geri keage: Side snap kick
- Yoko geri kekomi: Side thrust kick
- Yoko tobi geri: Jumping side kick