13/10/2026
In old Karate, we don't just use fists. The whole arm and leg is a weapon. Here are your 6 classic striking points:
*Teisho:* This is the palm heel. The thick base of your palm. Old masters used it instead of a punch when distance is close. It is powerful, safe for your own hand, and can break the nose, push the chin, or shatter the solar plexus without breaking your knuckles. Very common in self-defense.
*Kakuto:* Bent wrist strike. You fold the wrist down and strike with the top of the wrist joint. It looks strange, but it is a whip-like strike for the chin, face, or wrist locks. In traditional Okinawan Kata, it is used to block and strike at the same time.
*Empi:* The elbow. The most dangerous close-range weapon in Karate. The elbow is hard bone, short, and needs no conditioning. One empi to the jaw, ribs, or temple can end a fight instantly. That is why every Kata ends with it — it is the final answer when the opponent is too close for a punch.
*Shuto:* Knife hand, the outside edge of the hand. When the hand is open and tight, this edge becomes like a sword. Shuto can strike the neck, collarbone, or temple, but it is also famous for blocking. A true shuto carries the spirit of cutting, not slapping.
*Seiryuto:* Bull-hand or ox-jaw hand. The base of the open hand, the fleshy bottom edge near the little finger. Used in Goju and Sh*to-ryu to strike the jaw, ribs, or grab and tear. More powerful than shuto because it uses the whole lower palm.
*Hizagashira:* The knee cap. Another short-range destroyer. Unlike a high kick, the knee does not need flexibility. Drive the knee into stomach, groin, or face when you have pulled the opponent down. In Bunkai, hiza is what finishes what the hands started.
