Terminology - Striking Areas

Some of the fundamental and most frequently used parts of the anatomy in Goju-ryu strikes and kicks are depicted left and listed below. There are not always convenient or useful English translations readily available, so it is helpful to understand and remember these Japanese terms:

Japanese	English (Description)	Notes
ken yubi oya yubi hito sashi yubi naka yubi ippon nippon seiken tettsui uraken shuto haito shotei nukite hiji koken kakuto sokuto hiza	Fist Finger Thumb Index finger Middle finger One Two Fore-fist Fist hammer Back fist Knife hand Ridge hand Palm heel Finger thrust Elbow Bent wrist Heel Outer edge of foot Knee	The striking part is the knuckles of the index and middle finger, known as the daikento The bottom of the fist is used; application in saifa Used in the uraken uchi snap technique Strike with the fleshy area beneath the little finger and closest to the wrist Bend and tuck the thumb under the palm and strike with the base of the index finger Bend and press the thumb against the palm and bend the fingers slightly Keep the fingers firmly together and straight but level, bending the middle finger as necessary The strike with the elbow (hiji uchi) is also called empi Bend the hand down as far as possible and touch the thumb to the middle and/or fourth finger The striking area for ushiro geri Used in sokuto geri and kansetsu geri The striking area for ushiro geri Used in sokuto geri and kansetsu geri hiza ate is a strike with the knee