This is the third and very important post in a series of posts on karate terms that extensively cover names of all stances in Japanese that you will probably ever need in your karate training.
For previous posts in this series, please click the links below:
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Karate stances in alphabetical order
These karate stances are listed in alphabetical order for easy reference.
- Bensoku dachi: Turning cross leg stance
- Chinto dachi: A stance only used in Chinto kata
- Fudo dachi (sochin dachi): Immovable stance or rooted stance
- Gankaku dachi (or sagi ashi dachi): Crane or heron stance
- Gyaku neko ashi dachi: Reverse cat stance
- Gyaku zuki dachi: Reverse punch stance
- Gyaku zuki tsukkomi dachi: Reverse lunge stance
- Hachiji dachi: Natural or open leg stance, feet shoulder-width apart pointing outward
- Hachinoji dachi: Ready stance
- Han zenkutsu dachi: Half front stance
- Hangetsu dachi: Half moon stance
- Hanmi neko ashi dachi: Half turned cat stance
- Heiko dachi: Feet parallel, shoulder-width stance
- Heisoku dachi: Feet are closed together, heels touching
- Jun zuki dachi: Front punch or jab stance
- Jun zuki tsukkomi dachi: Front lunge punch stance
- Kake ashi dachi: Crossed leg stance
- Kiba dachi: Horse riding stance
- Kokutsu dachi: Back stance
- Kosa dachi: Crossed leg or scissor stance
- Moro ashi dachi: One foot forward stance
- Moto dachi: Foundational Stance
- Musubi dachi: Formal attention stance or V-shape stance, heels together, feet pointing outwards forming an angle of about 60 degrees
- Naihanchi dachi: Modified horse stance. One shin-length plus one to one and a half fist between the heels, feet pointing inwards, knees slightly bent
- Neko ashi dachi: Cat foot stance
- No tsukomi dachi: Forward lunging stance
- Renoji dachi: Letter “Re” stance or the L stance. Heels are on the same line, one foot pointing outward at 45 degree angle and one foot pointing straight forward
- Sagi ashi dachi: Heron leg stance
- Sanchin dachi: Hourglass stance
- Sesan dachi: side facing straddle stance
- Shiko dachi: square stance
- Shizentai dachi (yoi daichi): Natural ready stance. One foot space between the heels, feet pointing outward about 30 degree angle
- Shomen neko ashi dachi: Forward-facing cat stance
- Soto hachiji dachi: Outside figure 8 stance
- Tachi dachi: Standing stance
- Tate seisan dachi: Vertical seisan stance
- Teiji stance: T-shaped stance
- Tsuru ashi dachi: Crane leg stance
- Uchi hachiji dachi: Inside figure 8 stance
- Yoko seisan dachi: Side seisan stance
- Zenkutsu dachi: Front stance
Videos on karate stances
Shotokan stances
In this video, three common basic Shotokan stances are demonstrated. They are zenkutsu dachi (front stance), kokutsu dachi (back stance), and kiba dachi (horse stance).
More Shotokan stances
This is another video on Shotokan stances. It covers the following most common stances:
- Heisoku dachi
- Musubi dachi
- Heiko dachi
- Renoji dachi
- Zenkutsu dachi
- Kokutsu dachi
- Kiba dachi
Goju ryu stances
This video is for beginners and cover the following 10 common Goju ryu stances:
- Heisoku dachi
- Musubi dachi
- Heiko dachi
- Hachiji dachi
- Shiko dachi
- Sanchin dachi
- Neko ashi dachi
- Zenkutsu dachi
- Kokutsu dachi
- Bensoku dachi
More Goju ryu stances by Master Morino Higaonna
In this video, Master Morio Higaonna, 10th Dan in Goju ryu karate, demonstrates and provides excellent detailed explanations on each of the following common Goju ryu stances:
- Heisoku dachi
- Musubi dachi
- Heiko dachi
- Hachiji dachi
- Uchi hachiji dachi
- Kiba dachi
- Shiko dachi
- Sanchin dachi
- Zenkutsu dachi
- Han zenkutsu dachi
- Hiku zenkutsu dachi
- Kokutsu dachi
- Neko ashi dachi
- Bensoku dachi
- Seisan dachi
Kyokushin stances
This video demonstrates 15 Kyokushin stances:
- Shizentai dachi
- Heisoku dachi
- Musubi dachi
- Heiko dachi
- Soto hachiji dachi
- Uchi hachiji dachi
- Migi sanchin dachi
- Moro ashi dachi
- Kokutsu dachi
- Neko ashi dachi
- Kake ashi dachi
- Zenkutsu dachi
- Kiba dachi
- Shiko dachi
- Tsuru ashi dachi
Wado ryu stances
This is the first video of a two part series on Wado ryu stances. It demonstrates the following stances:
- Heisoku dachi
- Musubi dachi
- Shizentai/hachiji dachi/yoi
- Heiko dachi
- Jogotai
- Naihanchi dachi
- Shiko dachi
- Migi shizentai
- Hidari shizentai
- Junzuki dachi/zenkutsu dachi
- Gyakuzuki dachi
- Moto dachi
This is the second video of the series and it demonstrates the following stances:
- Shomen neko ashi dachi
- Hanmi neko ashi dachi
- Mahanmi neko ashi dachi
- Guyaku neko ashi dachi
21 karate stances
This video demonstrates 21 karate stances listed below.
- Heisoku Dachi
- Musubi Dachi
- Heiko achi
- Hachiji dachi
- Uchi hachiji dachi
- Naihanchi dachi
- Shiko dachi
- Naname shiko dachi
- Kiba dachi
- Zenkutsu dachi
- Han zenkutsu dachi
- Kokutsu dachi
- Renoji dachi
- Sanchin dachi
- Neko ashi dachi
- Sagi ashi dachi
- Bensoku dachi
- Kosa dachi
- Fudo dachi
- Seiza
- Han seiza