Shuto Uchi

SubFamily

Translation: knife hand strike

Range & classification

Overview

A knife hand strike using the outer edge (pinky side) of the open hand, delivered in a chopping motion targeting the neck, collarbone, or temple.

Also known as

Knife Hand Strike^[1]Sonnal Chigi^[2]Chop^[3]

Used in

Karate Taekwondo Hapkido

History & Origin

Shuto Uchi (手刀打ち, 'hand-sword strike') is the standard knife hand strike in karate, delivered with the outer edge of the open hand. ^[1] Funakoshi introduced shuto techniques to mainland Japan from Okinawa in the 1920s, including shuto uchi as a fundamental striking technique in his Shotokan curriculum. ^[1] Nakayama further codified the technique in Dynamic Karate, describing the precise hand formation and striking mechanics in detail. ^[2] The shuto uchi appears in numerous kata including Heian Shodan, Kanku Dai, and Bassai Dai. ^[3]

Country of origin· shown in random order

Japan手刀打ち(Shutō-uchi)Karate
KoreaTaekwondo, Hapkido

Effectiveness

Shuto uchi (knife hand strike) is a classic karate hand technique. ^[1]

Lineage

From Okinawan and Japanese karate. ^[1]

Competition Record

Used in karate kumite. ^[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

Sean Askew

Ura Shuto Uchi

Shuto Uchi·Sean Askew

Ura Shuto Uchi

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

High5/10

Shuto/karate chop; targets neck, collarbone, temple

Difficulty

Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably

Intermediate

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

✓Shuto uchi is the karate outer knife hand strike — delivered with the edge of the hand from the little finger to the wrist

✓The shuto uchi can travel in a horizontal, diagonal, or downward arc

✓In Shotokan karate, the standard shuto uchi is thrown from the outside inward across the body in a diagonal arc

✓Keep the fingers pressed together, thumb tucked, and wrist locked at the moment of impact

✓The shuto uchi targets the neck (carotid sinus), temple, collarbone, or bridge of the nose

✓Funakoshi described the shuto as one of the essential hand techniques in karate-do

✓Condition the outer edge of the hand on the makiwara to develop a hardened striking surface

Common Mistakes

!Slapping with a loose hand instead of striking with a rigid knife edge

!Spreading the fingers on impact, risking jammed or broken fingers

!Aiming at the top of the skull — target the soft neck or temple areas

!Not locking the wrist — a bent wrist collapses on impact and causes injury

!Over-extending the reach and losing the structural alignment of the hand and arm

!Using excessive wind-up, telegraphing the technique

!Striking too softly in training and never developing the impact tolerance needed for the shuto

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] Kukkiwon Taekwondo Textbook (Kukkiwon, 2006) [3] Dynamic Karate (Nakayama, 1966)

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

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

3SyllabusJapan Karate Association (JKA) — Official Technical Terminology

Official karate technique names (和語/漢語)

4OtherJapanese Martial Arts Standard Terminology (武道用語)

Established Japanese martial arts naming convention — native Japanese term (和語/漢語)

5CitationBoxing (Dempsey, 1950)

Alias sources — [1] Karate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935) [2] Kukkiwon Taekwondo Textbook (Kukkiwon, 2006) [3] Dynamic Karate (Nakayama, 1966)

6CitationMuay Thai: The Art of Fighting (Kraitus, 2002)

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

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 Shuto Uchi

Genus

The fundamental outside knife hand strike swinging the outer edge of the hand in a chopping arc to strike the side of the neck, carotid artery area, or temple.

Explore

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Shuto Uchi work?

A knife hand strike using the outer edge (pinky side) of the open hand, delivered in a chopping motion targeting the neck, collarbone, or temple.

Where does the Shuto Uchi come from?

Shuto Uchi (手刀打ち, 'hand-sword strike') is the standard knife hand strike in karate, delivered with the outer edge of the open hand. Funakoshi introduced shuto techniques to mainland Japan from Okinawa in the 1920s, including shuto uchi as a fundamental striking technique in his Shotokan curriculum.

Is the Shuto Uchi 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 Shuto Uchi?

Danger rating 5/10. High — shuto/karate chop; targets neck, collarbone, temple

How do I set up the Shuto Uchi?

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

How do I defend against the Shuto Uchi?

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 Shuto Uchi?

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 Shuto Uchi in competition?

Used in karate kumite.

What are common mistakes when doing the Shuto Uchi?

Top errors to watch for: Slapping with a loose hand instead of striking with a rigid knife edge / Spreading the fingers on impact, risking jammed or broken fingers / Aiming at the top of the skull — target the soft neck or temple areas / Not locking the wrist — a bent wrist collapses on impact and causes injury.

What are other names for the Shuto Uchi?

The Shuto Uchi is also known as Shutō-uchi, Knife Hand Strike, Sonnal Chigi, Chop.

shuto uchi shut uchi strike open hand strike knife hand strike karate taekwondo hapkido sonnal chigi chop