Kihon, Kata & Kumite

Uke — Blocks

Receiving techniques. In Shotokan a block is a redirection with structure behind it, not a static barrier.

Age-uke

Rising block

Ashikubi kake uke

Hooking ankle block

Empi uke

Elbow block (Heian sandan)

Gedan barai

Sweeping low block

Gedan morote barai

Double sweeping low block

Haiwan uke

Square side block (Heian nidan)

Juji uke

X block

Kaisho age uke

Open-palm rising block

Kaisho haiwan uke

Knife-hand square side block (Heian yondan)

Kaisho juji uke

Open-palm X block (Heian godan)

Kakiwake uke

Floating X block (Heian yondan)

Mika zuki geri uke

Crescent kick block (Heian godan)

Morote uke

Double forearm block (Heian sandan)

Nami ashi

Leg snapping wave block (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

Sokutei osae uke

Pressing sole block

Sokuto osae uke

Pressing foot-edge block

Soto uke

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

Gyaku uchi uke

Reverse outside mid-level block (Heian nidan)

Ude barai

Reverse sweeping forearm block

Kami tsukami

Hair grab (Empi)

Ushiro gedan barai

Back low sweeping block (Empi)

Uchi — Strikes

Open-hand, elbow and snapping strikes delivered on circular or dropping lines.

Age empi

Rising elbow strike

Empi uchi

Elbow strike

Haishu uchi

Back-hand strike

Haito uchi

Ridge-hand strike

Hasami zuki

Scissor strike

Mae mawashi empi uchi

Augmented side elbow strike (Heian yondan)

Mawashi empi

Hook elbow strike

Morote zuki

Double punch (Tekki shodan)

Nakadaka ippon ken

One-knuckle fist

Nukite

Spear-hand strike

Shuto uchi

Knife-hand strike

Shuto yoko ganmen uchi

Knife-hand strike to the head

Shuto sakotsu uchikomi

Driving knife-hand to the sternum

Shuto sakotsu uchi

Knife-hand strike to the clavicle

Shuto hizo uchi

Knife-hand strike to the spleen

Shuto jodan uchi uchi

Inside knife-hand to the neck

Sokumen empi uchi

Augmented elbow strike (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 the side

Uraken uchi

Backfist strike

Uraken mawashi uchi

Circular backfist strike to the head

Uraken sayu ganmen uchi

Backfist strike to the side

Uraken hizo uchi

Backfist strike to the spleen

Ushiro empi ate

Backwards elbow strike

Ura zuki

Close short punch with inverted fist

Yama zuki

Mountain punch (Bassai dai, Wankan)

Awase zuki

Narrow double-fisted strike

Yoko empi

Side elbow strike

Yoko tettsui

Sideways hammer-fist strike (Heian nidan)

Gyaku age zuki

Rising reverse punch (Empi)

Zuki — Punches

Closed-fist thrusting techniques driven from the hips and rear leg.

Age zuki

Rising punch

Choku zuki

Straight punch

Chudan zuki

Mid-level punch

Gyaku zuki

Reverse punch

Jun zuki

Front-hand jab with square shoulders

Kagi zuki

Hook punch

Kizami zuki

Jabbing punch

Oi zuki

Stepping punch

Sanbon zuki

Triple punch (age, gyaku, choku)

Geri — Kicks

Snapping, thrusting and jumping kicks, each defined by its chamber and its recovery.

Ashi barai

Foot sweep

Fumikomi

Stomp kick

Hiza geri

Knee strike

Kin geri

Groin kick

Mae-ashi mae geri

Front kick with the front leg

Mae-ashi mawashi geri

Front-leg roundhouse kick

Mae geri

Front kick

Mae hiza geri

Front knee kick

Mae-ren geri

Double front kick

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

Hook kick / inside roundhouse

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

Dachi — Stances

Every technique is only as good as the stance under it. These are the postures drilled in every class.

Fudo dachi

Rooted stance

Hachiji dachi

Natural stance

Hangetsu dachi

Half-moon stance

Heisoku dachi

Informal attention stance

Kiba dachi

Horse / side stance

Kokutsu dachi

Back stance

Kosa dachi

Cross-legged stance

Neko ashi dachi

Cat stance

Renoji dachi

L-stance (Heian godan)

Sanchin dachi

Hourglass stance

Tsuru ashi dachi

Crane stance (Gankaku)

Zenkutsu dachi

Front stance

Yoi dachi

Ready stance

Musubi dachi

Heels together, feet at 45 degrees

Kata — Forms

Kata is a series of related karate techniques performed in sequence. The number of moves in Shotokan forms ranges from roughly 20 to 65. Students begin with the Taikyoku and Heian series and progress toward the advanced kata.

• Taikyoku Shodan 太極初段

  First cause, first level

• Taikyoku Nidan 太極二段

  First cause, second level

• Taikyoku Sandan 太極三段

  First cause, third level

• Heian Shodan 平安初段

  Peaceful mind, first level

• Heian Nidan 平安二段

  Peaceful mind, second level

• Heian Sandan 平安三段

  Peaceful mind, third level

• Heian Yondan 平安四段

  Peaceful mind, fourth level

• Heian Godan 平安五段

  Peaceful mind, fifth level

• Tekki Shodan 鉄騎初段

  Iron horse, first level

• Tekki Nidan 鉄騎二段

  Iron horse, second level

• Tekki Sandan 鉄騎三段

  Iron horse, third level

• Bassai Dai 披塞大

  To storm a fortress, major

• Bassai Sho 披塞小

  To storm a fortress, minor

• Kanku Dai 観空大

  Viewing the sky, major

• Kanku Sho 観空小

  Viewing the sky, minor

• Empi 燕飛

  Flight of the swallow

• Jion 慈恩

  Gentle kindness / temple sound

• Jiin 慈陰

  Temple ground

• Jitte 十手

  Ten hands / temple hand

• Hangetsu 半月

  Half moon

• Gankaku 岩鶴

  Crane on a rock

• Chinte 珍手

  Rare hand

• Sochin 壯鎭

  Vigorous suppression, deeply rooted

• Nijushiho 二十四歩

  Twenty-four steps

• Meikyo 明鏡

  Bright mirror

• Sanchin 三戦

  Three battles

• Unsu 雲手

  Hands of a cloud

• Wankan 王冠

  King's crown

• Gojushiho Dai 五十四歩大

  Fifty-four steps, major

• Gojushiho Sho 五十四歩小

  Fifty-four steps, minor