© 2014 T. Westermann

Tegatana Ate – Hand edge strikes

Strikes with the edge of the hand can be performed from a variety of positions and directions, e.g. laterally to the neck or from top to bottom on the trapezius muscles or the collarbone. Usually, beaten with the hand outside. The fingers are close together and the fingers slightly curved, the thumb is placed next to the fingers; by this attitude will be a certain tension in the entire hand built up. Impingement of the strike is the edge of the hand between the wrist and metacarpal knuckle of the little finger. It is important that the thumb is retracted.

There is also the variant to strike with the inner edge of the hand (thumb side), here shows the back of the hand in the target upwards. For self-defense purposes, the strike is not recommended, since here an overload of the elbow can occur at hard hits, if not enough tension in the arm is constructed. This technique is thus very injury prone and should, if at all, only be applied after prolonged exercise.

Hand edge strikes can be divided as follows:

  • Age shuto uchi - Hand edge strike vertical forward
  • Mae shuto uchi - Hand edge strike horizontal forward