Category: Stances/Kamae

Kiza 跪座 means kneeling posture and refers to a kneeling position in which the toes are flexed under so that the balls of the feet remain on the floor. Unlike ordinary seiza, in which the tops of the feet lie…

In budō and koryū, kamae 構え is more than just a physical stance; it refers to a stance or guard position that dictates the placement of the sword, body posture, and mental readiness in combat. Each kamae has specific offensive…

Hanmi No Kamae 半身の構え means Half Body Stance. Hanmi is one of the core structural ideas of all Japanese martial arts essentially meaning “half-body posture.” You don’t face your opponent square-on. Instead, you stand sideways at an angle so that:…

In Japanese the general term for standing is tachi (立ち) but is changed to dachi when used as a suffix. It comes from the verb 立つ (tatsu), to stand. In martial arts, tachi refers to either a standing posture or…

Anza (安座) is an old Japanese word meaning “peaceful sitting” or “sitting calmly.” It refers to sitting in a relaxed or comfortable posture and can refer to a cross-legged seated posture, particularly in martial, religious, or traditional contexts. 安 (an)…