Empty-hand strikes (無手打撃 mude dakyoku / 打撃 dageki) are offensive techniques delivered without weapons, using parts of the body as the striking surface. They’re fundamental across karate, aikidōAikidō is a Japanese martial art that blends with an opponent’s force to control and throw them without relying on strength. More, jūjutsu, kung fu, and other unarmed systems. What counts as an empty-hand strike? Any hit using your own body as the weapon, including: fists, hands, elbows, knees, feet, head, forearms, fingers, palm, edge of the hand, heel of the foot.
Categories of Empty-hand Strikes
Empty-hand striking is generally referred to as: 打撃 (Dageki) – striking / blows • 打突 (Datotsu) – attack / striking (often used in sword arts too) • 当身技 (Atemi-waza) – striking techniques. In aikidōAikidō is a Japanese martial art that blends with an opponent’s force to control and throw them without relying on strength. More and jūjutsu, strikes are often called: Atemi (当身) — attacks intended to disrupt structure or intention, not just damage.
Fist strikes (拳技 / kengī)
Seiken-tsuki (正拳突き): straight punch • Uraken-uchi (裏拳打ち) – back-fist • Tetsui-uchi (鉄槌打ち) – hammer fist • Ippon-ken (一本拳) – one-knuckle fist • Hiraken (平拳) – flat knuckle fist
Hand strikes (手刀・掌打ち / shuto & shōteigī)
Shutō-uchi (手刀打ち) – knife-hand • Haitō-uchi (背刀打ち) – ridge-hand • Shōtei-uchi / Teishō-uchi (掌底打ち / 底掌打ち) – palm-heel • Haishu-uchi (背手打ち) – back-hand • Nukite (貫手) – spear hand • Washide (鷲手) – eagle hand
Elbow strikes (肘技 / hijigī)
Empi-uchi (肘打ち) – elbow strike • Mae-empi-uchi (前肘打ち) – forward elbow • Yoko-empi-uchi (横肘打ち) – side elbow • Tate-empi-uchi (縦肘打ち) – upward elbow • Ushiro-empi-uchi (後ろ肘打ち) – rear elbow • Otoshi-empi-uchi (落とし肘打ち) – downward elbow
Knee strikes (膝技 / hizagī)
Hiza-uchi (膝打ち) – knee strike • Shittsui (膝槌) – knee hammer • Mawashi-hiza (回し膝) – round knee
Foot & leg strikes (足技 / ashigī)
Mae-geri (前蹴り) – front kick • Mawashi-geri (回し蹴り) – round kick • Yoko-geri (横蹴り) – side kick • Sokutō-geri / Sokutō-uchi (側刀蹴り / 側刀打ち) – foot-edge strike • Haisoku-geri (背足蹴り) – top of foot strike • Kakato-geri (踵蹴り) – heel kick
Head strikes (頭突き / atama-uchi)
Zutsuki / Atama-uchi (頭突き / 頭打ち) – headbutt
List of Strikes
Atama-uchi – 頭打ち – Head strike
Empi-ate – 肘当て / 肘打ち – Elbow strike (also called Hiji-ate 肘当て or Empi-uchi 肘打ち)
Ganmen-uchi – 顔面打ち – Facial strike
Haitō-uchi – 背刀打ち – Ridge-hand strike (Haitō – often 背刀 in Shotokan/Goju sources, sometimes different in old Okinawan texts)
Haishu-uchi – 背手打ち – Back-hand strike
Haiwan – 背腕 – Back arm (Heiwan / Haiwan / Wantō / Shubō – used mainly in Okinawan karate/kobudō literature)
Heiwa-uchi / Heiwan-uchi – 平腕打ち – Forearm strike
Hiji-atemi – 肘当て・肘当身 – Elbow strikes (general term)
Hiraken – 平拳 – Fore-knuckle fist
Hitosashi-ippon-ken – 人差し指一本拳 – Forefinger knuckle weapon
Hizagashira – 膝頭 – Knee cap
Hiza-uchi – 膝打ち – Knee strike (sometimes Hiza-geri 膝蹴り)
Ippon-ken – 一本拳 – One-knuckle fist
Ippon-nukite – 一本貫手 – Single-finger spear hand
Kentsui-uchi – 拳槌打ち – Hammer-fist strike
Ko-uchi – 小打ち / 手首打ち – Wrist strike (usually written as 手首打ち in karate contexts)
Kumade-uchi – 熊手打ち – Bear-hand strike
Mae-empi-uchi – 前肘打ち – Forward elbow strike
Mawashi-empi-uchi – 回し肘打ち – Round elbow strike
Mawashi-hiji-ate – 回し肘当て – Circular elbow strike
Nakadaka-ippon-ken – 中高一本拳 – Middle-finger one-knuckle fist
Nakadaka-ken – 中高手拳 – Middle-finger knuckle fist
Nihon-nukite – 二本貫手 – Two-finger spear hand
Nukite-uchi – 貫手打ち – Spear-hand strike
Otoshi-empi-uchi – 落とし肘打ち – Downward elbow strike
Oyayubi-ippon-ken – 親指一本拳 – Thumb-knuckle weapon
Sashite – 差し手 – Raising or extending hand to strike
Seiryūtō – 青龍刀 / せいりゅうとう – Ox-jaw hand / ridge of the hand (Seiryūtō – written both 青龍刀 and 清龍刀 depending on tradition)
Shittsui – 膝槌 – Knee hammer
Shuwan – 手腕 – Palm arm / hand-arm region
Shubō – 手棒 – Arm stick / forearm weapon
Shutō-uchi – 手刀打ち – Knife-hand strike
Sokutō-uchi – 側刀打ち / 足刀打ち – Foot edge strike
Tate-empi-uchi – 縦肘打ち – Upward / vertical elbow strike
Teishō-uchi (Shōtei-uchi) – 底掌打ち – Palm-heel strike
Tetsui-uchi – 鉄槌打ち – Hammer-fist / bottom-fist strike
Uchi – 打ち – Striking / to strike
Uraken-uchi – 裏拳打ち – Back-fist strike
Ushiro-empi-uchi – 後ろ肘打ち – Back elbow strike
Wantō – 腕刀 – Arm sword / forearm weapon
Washide – 鷲手 – Eagle hand
Yoko-empi-uchi – 横肘打ち – Side elbow strike
Yoko-mawashi-empi-uchi – 横回し肘打ち – Side round elbow strike
