Hachiji Dachi
八字立ち
Literally: stance of the character eight
A natural shoulder-width stance with the toes turned outward, named after the character 八 for eight; it serves as a ready stance.
Quick Facts
Katas containing this technique
About
Hachiji dachi (八字立ち) is named after the character 八 for the number eight, whose shape the feet in the stance resemble. According to the Japan Karate Federation (JKF) it derives from the parallel stance, with the toes turned slightly outward; the torso stays straight and natural and the gaze faces forward. The English Wikipedia gives the feet at shoulder width and the toes turned out by about 45°, a more pronounced turn than the one JKF describes. According to The Martial Way it is the basic ready stance yoi with which, for example, Heian Shodan, Nidan and Sandan begin; in most styles it is treated as the same as the natural stance shizentai. In Shotokan kata according to JKA listings it appears in Kanku Dai (movements 1, 2, 5, 6, 8 and 62), Bassai Dai (movements 8, 9, 10 and 12), Gankaku (movements 14, 20 and 21), Jitte (movement 14) and Empi (movement 2).