Jodan
上段
The upper height level a technique is aimed at: head, face and neck. In kendo, it is also the name of the stance with the sword raised above the head.
Quick Facts
Word breakdown
Definition
Jodan (上段) means “upper level.” Japanese martial arts divide the targets of techniques into three height levels: jodan (upper), chudan (middle) and gedan (lower). The word is added to a technique's name and says where it is aimed, for example seiken jodan tsuki is a straight punch to the head. In competition karate under WKF rules, the upper level covers the head, face and neck. A kick to jodan scores ippon for three points, the highest of all techniques. In kendo, jodan no kamae is a stance in which the swordsman holds the sword raised above the head and threatens a cut from above. It is an attacking stance that exposes one's own torso.
Relations to other terms
See also
The middle height level a technique is aimed at: the torso from neck to waist. In kendo, it is also the name of the basic stance with the sword tip toward the opponent.
Gedan下段The lower height level a technique is aimed at: from the waist down. The best-known technique with this word is the block gedan barai.
Atama頭Head in Japanese. As a target it belongs to the upper level, jodan. A head strike is called zutsuki, with the same character read zu.
Geri蹴り / 蹴り技Japanese for “kick”. In karate it is the second part of every kick name: mae-geri, yoko-geri, mawashi-geri, ushiro-geri. On its own it is read keri.
Ippon一本The highest score in Japanese martial arts competitions, “one full point”. In judo it ends the match, in kendo it is the basic unit of scoring.
Kamae構えGuard and ready stance in the Japanese martial arts. In kendo, five basic kamae are distinguished, from chudan to waki.