Empi-Uchi 肘打ち

Empi-uchi (肘打ち) is a standard Japanese martial-arts term meaning elbow strike. You may find it in karate, jujutsu, judo (kata only), and kobudo. Empi strikes include: horizontal elbow; vertical elbow; upward elbow; backward elbow; spinning elbow; dropping elbow. You can find 肘打ち (empi-uchi) in: karate technique lists (Shotokan, Goju, Wado, Shito); Judo Kime-no-kata descriptions; Aikido Daitō-ryū atemi catalogs; and Japanese budō dictionaries.

Types of Empi-Uchi

• Age-empi (上げ肘打ち) – Upward elbow strike – Delivered rising from below toward the chin or ribs.
• Hiji-ate (肘当て) – General elbow thrust / drive – Often used in grappling, clinch, and close range. (Note: “ate” 当て = strike/impact; same root as atemi.)
• Hiki-empi (引き肘打ち) – Pulling elbow strike — elbow strike delivered while retracting.
• Mae-empi (前肘打ち) – Forward / straight elbow – Direct elbow into face/chest while stepping in.
• Mawashi-empi (回し肘打ち) – Circular elbow / spinning elbow – Rotational or hooking elbow around the guard. (Known as “spinning elbow” in Muay Thai; mawashi = round/circular.)
• Oroshi-empi (下ろし肘打ち) – Downward elbow strike – Dropping elbow used to strike the clavicle, face, or shoulder.
• Sokumen-empi (側面肘打ち) – Side-angle elbow strike (diagonal).
• Tate-empi (縦肘打ち) – Vertical elbow – The elbow travels in a vertical line up or down, close to the body.
• Uchi-age-empi (内上げ肘打ち) – Inside upward elbow. (Uchi here means “inner line,” not “strike.”)
• Uchi-oroshi-empi (内下ろし肘打ち) – Inside-downward elbow.
• Ushiro-empi (後ろ肘打ち) – Rear elbow strike – Elbow shot backward to defend from behind.
• Yoko-empi (横肘打ち) – Side elbow strike – Lateral elbow into temple, jaw, or ribs.

These terms are found in:

• 日本空手協会 (JKA) Shotokan terminology lists
• 極真会館 (Kyokushin) technique lists (hiji-uchi / empi-uchi variations)
• 糸東流 (Shitō-ryū) kata manuals
• 和道流 (Wado-ryū) kihon waza indexes
• 柔術武道辞典 (Jujutsu Budō Dictionary) — includes under ate-waza
• Aikido Journal — lists “hiji-ate” as elbow atemi

Translation and Etymology

肘 (empi / hiji) — elbow. The native reading is hiji, but in compound strike names the old reading empi is used.
打ち (uchi) — strike, blow, hit. From the verb utsu (打つ) — to strike.
肘打ち (empi-uchi) = “elbow strike”

Other Uses of Empi

There are four completely different words pronounced “Empi.” They sound the same, but the kanji and meanings are unrelated and come from different historical contexts. They only overlap in sound, not in concept. Confusion occurs because karate borrowed the classical term 燕飛 (Empi) for a kata. Modern Japanese pronunciation sometimes renders hiji (elbow) as empi in compounds. English texts often mix them without showing kanji, which hides their difference.

1. Empi (肘) — “ELBOW”
肘 (hiji / empi) = elbow
This is the modern Japanese term used in karate, jūjutsu, aikidōAikidō is a Japanese martial art that blends with an opponent’s force to control and throw them without relying on strength. More atemi, etc. It’s a physical elbow attack used as a combat technique and describes an anatomical body part. For example, 肘打ち (empi-uchi) means elbow strike and 肘当て (hiji-ate) means elbow thrust.

2. Empi (燕飛) — “SWALLOW FLIES”
In classical budō, especially in kenjutsu and kyūdō, empi is a poetic/technical name meaning bird-flight movement.
燕飛 (えんぴ / enpi) — “swallow flying”
燕 = swallow (bird)
飛 = to fly
Used to describe: a whipping, sharp airborne motion; certain cuts in sword schools; a jumping/turning maneuver in karate (kata Empi). This is the origin of the Shotokan kata Enpi/Empi (燕飛). This empi is a poetic or classical term used in kata names, sword arts, and arm-shape descriptions.

3. Enpi (猿臂) (えんぴ) — “MONKEY’S FOREARM / MONKEY’S ELBOW”
猿 = monkey
臂 = arm / forearm / elbow
Used in kenjutsu; kyūjutsu (archery); and classical texts describing arm angles. Refers to the shape of the arm/elbow when bent like a monkey’s limb. This has NOTHING to do with “elbow strike.” It is a metaphor describing structure, not technique.

4. Enpi 延髄閉 (rare) — “HEAD-BASE CONSTRICTION”
This enpi is an old and uncommon jūjutsu term meaning “head-base constriction” and is used in some antique jūjutsu manuals. It refers to a choke or neck control attacking the base of the skull (enzui).