Karate weapon is the fist of the hand, toughens for attack, defense and counter-attacks.

Karate weapon is your fist toughens for attack, defense and counterattacks. In attack, it is capable of striking with great power and speed without injury to oneself. In defense, the fist as karate weapon is used to parry an attack and follow-up with counterattacks. It is therefore important that the fist is correctly formed and toughened.

With your fist as karate weapon, the striking area of your fist (seiken) consists of the knuckles of the first and second fingers and should be toughened by regular practice with a 'makiwara'. When striking, be sure that the fist is squeezed as tightly as possible and that the wrist is not bent.

To form that karate weapon with your fist:

1. Start with the hand open

2. Curl the little finger over until the tip of the finger meets the base

3. Curl the other fingers in turn finishing with the index finger

4. Now bend the fingers together from the roots, so that the back of the fist and the front (the first phalanges of the fingers) form a right angle

5. Finally, bend the thumb firmly over the second phalanges of the first and second fingers.

Karate fist

When using the fist as karate weapon in attack and counter-attack, your body movement must be in a strong, correctly spaced fighting stance, and maintains correct posture throughout the movement - an integral part of any karate art that you will be trained in a martial art school.

• With your fist as karate weapon in a straight punch (seiken-choku-zuki). With palm facing upward and from a point just above the waist, the attacking fist is thrust straight outwards, twisting as it nears the target so that the palm is downward at the moment of impact. At the same times, the other fist is withdrawn sharply to the corresponding starting position
   

• Reverse punch with the fist (gyaku-zuki) as karate weapon is very commonly used for counter-attack after having ward off an attack with the hand or arm on the side of the forward leg.
  
  In this karate technique, the hips are at forty-five degrees to the line of attack. By twisting the hips so that at the moment of impact you face the opponent or target squarely with the hip on the attacking side a little in advance of the other.
   

• Lunge pushes (qi-zuki). It is very useful when closing in on an opponent and delivering your karate weapon (straight punch) at the same time. When moving into the forward or the diagonal straddle stance, the fist should reach the target at the precise moment at which the advancing foot is planted on the ground. Remember to keep a strong balance and be very careful not to lean forward while pushing forward into the attack.
   

• Back-fist strikes (riken-uchi), the karate weapon or the striking surface here is the back of the two knuckles used in the straight punches.
  
  The elbow is pointed at the target and the fist palm facing downward. In downward strike, the fist describes an arc in the vertical plane and in the sideways strike, the fist in the horizontal plane. In both forms of strikes, the little finger side of the fist leads until the fist is flicked over.
   

• Bottom-fist strikes (tettsui-uchi). There are two forms of strikes like the riken-uchi strikes, except that the fist is not flicked over. This karate weapon has a wider striking surface and is best for striking soft targets such as the solar plexus.
   

• Elbow as karate weapon for attacks / strikes (empi-uchi) are often used for close-quarters fighting. The four separate techniques to empi-uchi are striking 1) to the front, 2) to the rear, 3) sideways and 4) upward.
  
  Forward strikes - with fist palm facing upward just above the waist, finish with the elbow pointing straight and the fist downward against the chest.
  
  Upward strike with fist palm facing upward finishes with the fist close and palm facing the ear.
  
  Backward strikes with the palm upward and the elbow pointing directly to the rear finish with the fist as in the starting position with forward and upward strikes.
  
  Sideways strikes with the attacking arm pointing away from the target across the body, the fist upward finish with the fist palm downward and against the chest.
   

• The 'knife-hand' (shuto-uchi) or little-finger edge of the hand as karate weapon, the palm should be stretched open at impact, the root of the thumb pulling outward but the thumb itself bent inward so as not to get caught in any loose clothing.

When using the fist as karate weapon in defense, you should always have a counterattack ready to follow up with. Always maintain correct posture and fighting stance to upset your opponent's momentum and strength.

• Rising block (age-uke) as karate weapon to parry an attack to the face (jodan). With the fist palm facing upward above the waist, the fist finishes at a point approximately twelve inches in front of and six inches above the opposite ear. At the last moment the fist is flicked over and the opponent's attacking arm is struck by the outer edge of your forearm near the wrist.
   

• Outside forearm block (soto-uke) this karate weapon is usually used to parry attack to the solar plexus (chudan).
  
  With the palm faces toward you, the fist levels with your shoulder and the elbow in front of the body, swing the fist from the shoulder down in front of the body.
   

• Inside forearm block (uchi-uke). This karate technique is also used to parry attacks to the solar plexus with the arm is in the same position as in the outer block. However, it begins with the fist palm facing downward on the opposite side of the body and the striking surface is inside edge of the forearm.
   

• Downward sweep (gedan-barai) as karate weapon is particularly employed against kicks and is useful against attacks to the solar plexus, stomach or groin (gedan). It is usually performed from a forward or diagonal straddle stance as it is against attacks from the front.
  
  The fist is near the opposite ear with palm facing the ear. Swing diagonally downward with the arm extended in front of the body and the fist twisted palm downward. Block / strike the attacking arm or leg with the outside edge of the forearm. Clench the fist tightly to avoid injury to the wrist.
   

• Knife-hand block (shuto-uke) – used as a very fast karate weapon and once mastered, it leaves one in a good position for counter attack. It is used to protect from attacks to the solar plexus.
  
  From the same position as the fist in the downward sweep with palm facing the ear. CUT DOWNWARD with the forearm as a weapon and finish with the palm facing diagonally forward, the hand and elbow in line with the shoulder.
  
  Simultaneously, the other hand is pulled from a position straight in front of the body to the middle of the chest with palm upward. This karate technique is commonly used while retreating and is conveniently executed from the back stance.

As in attacking and defense, many of the parries used as karate weapon are 'focused' with the entire strength concentrated at the point and after which the muscles are immediately relaxed.

Page topic – karate weapon