手刀打ち（基本型）(Shutō-uchi (Kihon-gata))
TraditionalTranslation: standard knife hand strike
The standard Shuto Uchi is the basic execution of the karate knife hand strike, delivered with the ulnar edge of the hand to the opponent's neck, temple, or collarbone. [1] Funakoshi described the correct hand formation as requiring all four fingers pressed tightly together with the thumb tucked across the palm, creating a rigid striking surface along the hand's outer edge. [1] Nakayama elaborated that power generation comes from hip rotation and the snapping motion of the arm, with the wrist locked at the moment of impact. [2] This standard form is taught across virtually all karate styles descended from the Okinawan tradition. [3]
The knife hand strike (shuto uchi) concentrates force along the fleshy edge of the hand (ulnar side), targeting vulnerable areas such as the neck, temple, and collarbone. [1] The technique is primarily a karate and self-defence weapon rather than a sport-fighting tool, as gloved competition eliminates the open-hand striking surface. [1]
Shuto uchi is a standard karate competition technique. [1]
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Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
Shuto/karate chop; targets neck, collarbone, temple
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
Karate-Do Kyohan: The Master Text (Gichin Funakoshi, 1935)
Alias sources — [1] Karate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935) [2] Kukkiwon Taekwondo Textbook (Kukkiwon, 2006) [3] Dynamic Karate (Nakayama, 1966)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Karate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935)
Official karate technique names (和語/漢語)
Established Japanese martial arts naming convention — native Japanese term (和語/漢語)
Alias sources — [1] Karate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935) [2] Kukkiwon Taekwondo Textbook (Kukkiwon, 2006) [3] Dynamic Karate (Nakayama, 1966)
Effectiveness sources — [1] Karate-Do Kyohan (Funakoshi, 1935)
speed, power generation through kinetic chain, striking surface conditioning
athletic build with fast-twitch muscle fibres
varies by strike — hip rotators, shoulders, core
Shuto Uchi can be used for both defense and attack. According to the Karate for Beginners instructor, the technique is not just to defend or hit to defend, but to attack as an offensive technique.
There are at least two types of Shuto Uchi that differ in hip positioning. One type uses a more forward hip position (straight forward), while the other uses a more lateral hip angle, affecting how the power is generated in the strike.
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.
The standard Shuto Uchi is the basic execution of the karate knife hand strike, delivered with the ulnar edge of the hand to the opponent's neck, temple, or collarbone. Funakoshi described the correct hand formation as requiring all four fingers pressed tightly together with the thumb tucked across the palm, creating a rigid striking surface along the hand's outer edge.
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
Danger rating 5/10. High — shuto/karate chop; targets neck, collarbone, temple
The standard setup chain: Assume Fighting Stance → Generate Power → Execute Strike → Recover to Guard.
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.
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).
Shuto uchi is a standard karate competition technique.
Top errors to watch for: Starting the strike from the hip instead of the ear, which telegraphs and slows the technique / Not rotating the body — the shuto uchi needs full hip and shoulder rotation behind it / Hitting with the fingers or the flat of the hand instead of the knife edge / Leaving the wrist loose at impact — the hand buckles and the force dissipates.
The Standard Shuto Uchi is also known as Shutō-uchi (Kihon-gata), Standard Knife Hand, Standard Sonnal Chigi, Standard Karate Chop.
