Standard Chop

SubFamily

Translation: standard chop

Range & classification

Overview

The fundamental chopping strike bringing the edge of the open hand down in a forceful arc onto the opponent's neck, collarbone, or shoulder.

Also known as

Shuto UchiJP^[1]Knife Hand^[2]Karate Chop^[3]

Used in

Karate Kung Fu Krav Maga

History & Origin

The standard chop represents the fundamental edge-of-hand strike delivered in a downward chopping motion. ^[1] Fairbairn codified this technique in his 1942 manual Get Tough!, where he recommended the 'edge of hand blow' as one of the most reliable strikes for close-quarters combat, noting that it could be delivered with devastating force to the neck, temple, and bridge of the nose. ^[2] In karate, the chopping motion is fundamental to several uchi techniques and appears in numerous kata. ^[3]

Country of origin· shown in random order

JapanKarate
ChinaKung Fu
IsraelKrav Maga

Effectiveness

Standard chop strike. ^[1]

Lineage

From karate. ^[1]

Competition Record

Used in competition. ^[1]

Images

No images yet for this technique.

Biomechanical Mechanism

Primary Action — Striking with the heel of the palm — transfers force similar to a punch while reducing risk of hand fracture

Joints Involved — Wrist (extended, locked), shoulder (flexion/rotation), hips (rotation for power)

Force Vector — Linear or circular — same trajectory as equivalent punch but with palm contact

Safety Advantage — The palm heel absorbs impact across a larger area — lower risk of metacarpal fracture compared to closed-fist strikes

Position & Entry

From fighting stance — Extend the arm with fingers together, strike with the blade edge (ulnar side) of the open hand in a chopping arc

From close range — Short knife-hand strike to the neck, temple, or collarbone

Videos

iiCrazyy

How to chop and basics of a ring fight

Standard Chop·iiCrazyy

https://store.playstation.com/#!/tid=CUSA00572_00

1 video

Learn This Technique

No instructional courses yet for this technique.

Ratings

Danger Rating

Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to

Moderate4/10

Open hand chopping strike; less force than closed fist

Difficulty

Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably

Beginner

Competition Legality

Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets

Illegal

WBC/Boxing — Only closed-fist punches permitted {src— WBC Rules of Boxing}

Kyokushin — Only closed-fist strikes to body permitted {src— IKO Kyokushin Tournament Rules}

— WT — Prohibited

WT Competition Rules 2024PDF

— WAKO — Closed fist only

WAKO Competition RulesPDF

K-1/GLORY — Closed fist only {src— K-1/GLORY Kickboxing Rules}

Restricted

— WKF — Varies by technique — some open-hand strikes legal ...

WKF Competition Rules 2024PDF

— ITF — Some knife hand techniques legal

ITF Competition RulesPDF

Legal

— palm strikes, slaps permitted

Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDF

— IFMA — Legal — palm strikes permitted in Muay Thai

IFMA Muay Thai RulesPDF

Training Notes

✓From guard position, raise the striking hand and drive the knife edge downward or diagonally into the target

✓Keep the fingers pressed together tightly, thumb tucked against the palm

✓Strike with the meaty edge of the hand between the base of the little finger and the wrist

✓The chop should be sharp and decisive — a single powerful strike, not a flurry

✓Target the side of the neck (vagus nerve), the collarbone, or the bridge of the nose

✓Retract the hand to guard after impact — the chop hand should not linger on the target

✓In self-defence training, practise on focus mitts to develop accuracy on the neck target area

Common Mistakes

!Spreading the fingers during the chop, weakening the hand structure

!Hitting with the fingertips instead of the knife edge — causes finger injuries

!Over-committing and swinging past the target, pulling the body off balance

!Not conditioning the striking edge of the hand — practise on the makiwara or heavy bag to toughen the surface

!Chopping too softly in training and never developing the full-power version

!Using the chop at long range where a punch would be more effective — it is a close-range weapon

!Not protecting the head with the opposite hand during the chopping motion

Related Techniques

Combination — multi-strike sequence incorporating this technique for higher effectiveness

Counter Techniques

Block — absorb the strike with a protective guard position Evasion — move the target out of the strike's path Counter-Attack — time an offensive response during the recovery phase of the strike

Setup Chain

1Assume Fighting Stance — begin from a balanced position with guard up

2Generate Power — use hip rotation and weight transfer for maximum force

3Execute Strike — deliver the technique to the target with correct form

4Recover to Guard — return immediately to defensive position

Sources & References

Primary Source

Karate-Do Kyohan: The Master Text (Gichin Funakoshi, 1935)

1BookBoxing (Dempsey, 1950)

Alias sources — [1] Karate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935) [2] Dynamic Karate (Nakayama, 1966) [3] Best Karate Vol. 3 (Nakayama, 1978)

2BookMuay Thai: The Art of Fighting (Kraitus, 2002)

History sources — [1] The Art of Striking (Blauer, 2004) [2] Get Tough! (Fairbairn, 1942) [3] Karate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935)

3OtherJapanese Combat Sports Katakana Convention

Standard katakana transliteration of Western martial arts terminology (外来語) — used in Japanese MMA, boxing, and BJJ communities

4CitationBoxing (Dempsey, 1950)

Alias sources — [1] Karate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935) [2] Dynamic Karate (Nakayama, 1966) [3] Best Karate Vol. 3 (Nakayama, 1978)

5CitationMuay Thai: The Art of Fighting (Kraitus, 2002)

History sources — [1] The Art of Striking (Blauer, 2004) [2] Get Tough! (Fairbairn, 1942) [3] Karate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935)

Community

Athletics

Requires

speed, power generation through kinetic chain, striking surface conditioning

Favours

athletic build with fast-twitch muscle fibres

Key muscles

varies by strike — hip rotators, shoulders, core

Sub-techniques

Find by what a technique does — not its name

Every move, in any martial art, shares a few universal traits. Mix and match below to pinpoint the right tool — or compare equivalents across styles.

Standard Chop Strike

Genus

The basic chopping strike raising the hand and driving the outer edge down onto the target in a committed downward arc, targeting the base of the neck or trapezius.

Explore

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a lagon and how do I perform it in standard chop?

A lagon is performed by holding L2 and repeatedly spamming X. This defensive technique prevents your opponent from catching your lagon if they try to punch you.

What buttons do I press to execute a chop instead of relying on punches?

Press R2 and L3 together to execute a chop. You don't need to perform this quickly; you can take your time with the inputs.

How does the Standard Chop work?

The fundamental chopping strike bringing the edge of the open hand down in a forceful arc onto the opponent's neck, collarbone, or shoulder.

Where does the Standard Chop come from?

The standard chop represents the fundamental edge-of-hand strike delivered in a downward chopping motion. Fairbairn codified this technique in his 1942 manual Get Tough!

Is the Standard Chop legal in competition?

Unified MMA: legal — Legal (palm strikes, slaps permitted); WBC/Boxing: banned — Only closed-fist punches permitted; WKF: restricted — Varies by technique — some open-hand strikes legal in kata, generally restric…; Kyokushin: banned — Only closed-fist strikes to body permitted; WT: banned — Prohibited; ITF: restricted — Some knife hand techniques legal; WAKO: banned — Closed fist only; K: banned — 1/GLORY — Closed fist only; IFMA: legal — Legal — palm strikes permitted in Muay Thai

How dangerous is the Standard Chop?

Danger rating 4/10. Moderate — open hand chopping strike; less force than closed fist

How do I set up the Standard Chop?

The standard setup chain: Assume Fighting Stance → Generate Power → Execute Strike → Recover to Guard.

How do I defend against the Standard Chop?

Standard counters include: Block — absorb the strike with a protective guard position / Evasion — move the target out of the strike's path / Counter-Attack — time an offensive response during the recovery phase of the strike.

What are the variants of the Standard Chop?

Common variants: Standard variation (primary execution of the strike from the most common stance); Power variation (modified mechanics for maximum force generation); Speed variation (minimised telegraph for a faster, harder-to-read attack); Counter variation (timed to exploit the opponent's offensive commitment).

How effective is the Standard Chop in competition?

Used in competition.

What are common mistakes when doing the Standard Chop?

Top errors to watch for: Spreading the fingers during the chop, weakening the hand structure / Hitting with the fingertips instead of the knife edge — causes finger injuries / Over-committing and swinging past the target, pulling the body off balance / Not conditioning the striking edge of the hand — practise on the makiwara or heavy bag to toughen the surface.

What are other names for the Standard Chop?

The Standard Chop is also known as Sutandādo Choppu, Shuto Uchi, Knife Hand, Karate Chop.

standard chop sutand do choppu strike open hand strike chop karate kung fu krav maga shuto uchi knife hand karate chop