鉄槌打ちTettsui-uchi — Hammer-fist strike

See the technique型

Toggle between the phases. These are simplified schematics of the shape of the technique — pair them with the step-by-step below and your instructor.

How to perform it

1. Raise the striking fist up and across, typically to the opposite ear or shoulder, little-finger side leading; the other hand to hikite.
2. Swing the bottom of the fist down or across in a committed arc driven by the whole arm plus hip rotation.
3. Land the little-finger-side muscle pad on the target (skull, collarbone, forearm, ribs).
4. For otoshi (dropping) versions, sink the bodyweight down with the strike; keep the wrist firm so the fist does not buckle.
5. Recover to guard without letting the swing carry you off balance.

Key points

• Strike with the bottom muscle pad of the fist, not the bone.
• Drive with hip and bodyweight, not just the arm.
• Keep the fist fully clenched and the wrist locked.

Common mistakes

Where you’ll see it

Tettsui-uchi appears across the Shotokan kata syllabus, including:

Application (bunkai)分解

A heavy, low-risk strike that handles hard targets — down onto a collarbone or the back of the neck, or across into the ribs — and can hammer a grabbed or exposed limb.

Watch a reference performance演武

To see Tettsui-uchi performed at full speed, watch instructor demonstrations:

Related techniques

Tettsui-uchi — frequently asked questions