Tate Zuki
縦突き
Literally: vertical punch
Also known as: Tate tsuki, Seiken tate tsuki, Tate ken
A direct punch with a vertical fist that keeps the elbow close to the body; fast at short range, favored by the Isshin-ryu style.
Quick Facts
About
Tate zuki (縦突き), literally vertical punch, is a straight fist punch in which the fist stays vertical at the moment of impact instead of the usual horizontal position. Shotokan technique lists describe it as a half reverse punch with a vertical fist. The vertical fist keeps the elbow naturally close to the body, engages the triceps and the latissimus dorsi, and is fast and safe at short range; a fully rotated punch delivers somewhat more power. The Isshin-ryu style, founded by Tatsuo Shimabuku, favors the vertical fist; Shimabuku asked why one should train one way and fight another. The punch without rotation, and with half or full fist rotation, appears in a number of kata, for example in Seisan, Pinan, Gekisai, Seienchin, Saifa or Suparinpei. The Kyokushin organization KWF lists seiken tate tsuki as the sixth item on its list of hand strikes and teaches it from 9. kyu.