Body Parts

Identify the body parts and striking surfaces used in Ju Jitsu terminology.

• Empi

  The elbow. Used as a striking surface for close-range attacks.

• Haito

  The inner edge of the hand (thumb side). Used for strikes to sensitive areas such as the temple or neck.

• Hiza

  The knee. Used as a striking surface for close-range knee strikes.

• Jodan, Chudan, Gedan

  The three target levels of the body: Jodan (head, face, and neck), Chudan (chest, ribs, and abdomen), and Gedan (hips, groin, thighs, knees, and legs). Used to classify attacks,…

• Kakato

  The heel of the foot. Driven cleanly for maximum structural power in downward or backward strikes, such as the axe kick (Kakato geri) or back kick (Ushiro geri).

• Koshi

  The ball of the foot (often written as 虎趾 - tiger claw). Tori pulls the toes back tightly to expose this weapon, which is primarily used as the striking surface for front kicks…

• Shuto

  The outer edge of the hand (little finger side). Used for powerful chopping strikes to the neck or collar bone.

• Sokuto

  The outer edge of the foot. Used as the striking surface for side kicks and sweeping techniques.

• Teisho

  The heel of the palm. Used for powerful palm-heel strikes to the chin, nose or chest.

• Ude

  The arm or forearm. Used as a blocking and striking surface in many techniques.

• Uraken

  The back of the fist. Used for horizontal snapping strikes to the face or temple.