List Of Goju Ryu Techniques, Kata and Kumite Drills

This post covers a list of most common Goju Ryu stances, techniques, kata and fighting drills.

Goju Ryu Stances (Tachi Kata)

Heisoku dachi (閉足立): feet together stance, a formal attention stance
Musubi dachi (結び立): feet at 45° angle, an informal attention stance
Heiko dachi (平行立): feet parallel, attention stance
Heiko sanchin dachi (平行三戦立ち): paralleled-hourglass stance
Sanchin dachi (三戦立): hourglass stance or three battle stance, this stance is used in Sanchin kata
Hachiji dachi (八字立): character eight (八) stance
Naihanchi dachi (内歩進立): horse riding stance, also known as kiba dachi
Shiko dachi (四股立): “square stance” or “straddle leg stance”
Yokomuki shiko dachi“: “sideways shiko dachi” or “sideways straddle stance”.
Naname shiko dachi: diagonal shiko dachi
Zenkutsu dachi (前屈立): front stance or forward stance
Han zenkutsu dachi (半前屈立): half front stance or half forward stance
Kokutsu dachi (後屈立): back stance
Hanmi kokutsu dachi (半後屈立): half-turned back stance
Moto dachi (基立): “basic stance” or “foundational stance”.
Bensoku dachi: scissors stance or cross-legged stance
Renoji dachi (レの字立): character “レ” stance
Neko ashi dachi (猫足立): cat stance
Sagi ashi dachi (鷺足立): heron-foot stance
Sesan dachi (十三立): “thirteen stance” or “side facing straddle stance” (appear in Sesan kata).

Receiving Techniques (Uke Waza)

Jodan age uke: rising block at the head level
Jodan soto yoko uke: upper level block from inside outward
Jodan uchi yoko uke: upper level block from outside inward
Chudan uchi uke: middle level block from outside inward
Gedan barai: downward sweeping block
Hiki uke: pulling block
Kake uke: hook block
Jodan hiki uke: upper level pulling block
Chudan hiki uke: middle level pulling block
Hiji uke: elbow block
Ko uke: wrist block
Jodan ko uke: high wrist block
Yoko ko uke: side wrist block
Morote ko uke: double handed wrist block
Kosa uke: cross block (also called juji uke)
Shotei barai: palm heel block
Gedan shotei barai: downward palm heel block
Shotei uke: palm heel block
Chudan shotei yoko uke: middle level open hand block to the side
Otoshi uke: dropping block
Shotei otoshi uke: open hand dropping block
Shuto uke: knife hand block
Sukui uke: scooping block
Morote sukui uke: double handed scooping block
Chudan sukui uke: middle level scooping block
Jodan nagashi uke: upper level sweeping block
Sune uke: shin block
Teisho uke: palm heal block
Tora guchi: tiger mouth block (also called mawashi uke)
Hiza soto uke: knee block from inside out
Hiza uchi uke: knee block from outside inward
Hojo uke: augmented block
Haiwan age uke: rising block using the back of the forearm with the hands rising vertically up
Morote osae uke: double hand controlling block
Morote mawashi uke: doubled handed circular block
Hasami uke: scissor block

Hand Striking Techniques (Uchi Waza)

Seiken choku tsuki: straight forefist strike
Oi tsuki: lunge punch
Ura tsuki: close short punch with inverted fist
Age tsuki: rising punch or uppercut
Gyaku tsuki: reverse punch
Kizami tsuki: leading hand punch or jab
Mawashi tsuki: roundhouse punch
Furi tsuki: swing or circular punch
Kagi tsuki: short hook punch
Awase tsuki: u-punch or double fist punch
Nigiri awase tsuki: joined punch
Yama tsuki: mountain punch
Shotei tsuki: palm heel thrust
Tateken tsuki: vertical punch (top of hand facing the outside)
Heiko tsuki: parallel punch
Nakadaka ippon-ken tsuki: middle finger knuckle fist punch
Sanren tsuki: three consecutive punch
Sanbon tsuki: triple punch
Uraken uchi: back fist strike
Ko uchi: bent-wrist strike
Shuto uchi: knife-hand strike
Shuto mawashi uchi: roundhouse knife-hand strike
Shuto hasami uchi: scissoring knife-hand strike
Haito uchi: blunt-side sword, knife-hand strike, or ridge hand strike
Furi uchi: swing strike
Gedan furi uchi: low swinging strike
Tettsui uchi: iron hammer strike
Gedan tettsui uchi: low hammer strike
Morote mawashi uchi: double hand circular strike
Kinteki uchi: groin strike
Kote uchi: forearm strike
Boshiken tsuki: thumb fist strike
Keikoken tsuki: one knuckle punch
Nukite tsuki: spear hand
Kaiko-ken: crab-shell fist
Hiji ate: elbow strike (also called empi uchi or hiji uchi)
Age hiji ate: risking elbow strike
Ushiro hiji ate: backward elbow strike
Yoko hiji ate: elbow strike to the side
Mawashi hiji ate: roundhouse elbow strike
Otoshi hiji ate: falling elbow strike
Kou-to ate: head strike, head butt
Shotei oshi: palm push
Hojo oshi: supported push (appear in Seiyunchin kata)
Naiwan uchi: inside forearm strike
Gaiwan uchi: outside forearm strike

Kicking Techniques (Keri Waza)

Kin geri: groin kick
Mae geri: front kick
Tsumasaki mae geri: kick with the tips of the toes
Mawashi geri: round house kick
Jodan mawashi geri: upper roundhouse kick
Gyaku mawashi geri: reverse roundhouse kick
Ushiro geri: back kick
Kaiten ushiro mawashi geri: turning backward roundhouse kick
Yoko geri: side kick
Yoko geri keage: side snap kick
Yoko geri kekomi: side thrust kick
Gedan yoko geri: low side kick
Kansetsu geri: knee joint kick
Hiza geri: knee kick (also called hiza ate)
Mawashi hiza geri: roundhouse knee kick
Fumikomi geri: stomp kick
Kakato geri: kick with heels
Mae kakato geri: front kick with heels
Kakato fumikomi geri: stomping kick with the heel
Kakato otoshi: heel drop kick
Tobi geri: jumping kick
Tobi nidan geri: two level jumping kick
Tobi mae geri: front frying kick or front jumping kick
Tobi yoko geri: jumping side kick
Tobi mawashi geri: jumping roundhouse kick
Tobi hiza geri: jumping knee kick

Grappling Techniques

Tsukami waza: grabbing techniques
Hiki waza: pulling techniques
Oshi waza: pushing techniques
Hazusu waza: freeing techniques
Hiji age waza: elbow lifting techniques
Oase waza: controlling techniques
Ashi nage: leg throw
Ashi barai: leg sweep
Ashi basami: leg scissors
Koshi nage: throw using your hip
Kata nage: throw using your shoulder
Te nage: throw using your hands
Furi nage: swing throw
Gyaku nage: reverse throw
Sukui nage: scooping throw
Kubi nage: neck throw
Sutemi nage: offer throw (the defender falls down in order to throw the opponent)
Ashi dori: grabbing the leg

Joint Manipulation Techniques

Hiji kansetsu waza: elbow joint techniques
Ude kansetsu waza: arm-joint techniques
Te kubi kansetsu waza: wrist joint techniques
Kote kansetsu waza: wrist joint techniques
Yubi kansetsu waza: finger joint techniques
Kubi kansetsu waza: neck joint techniques
Hiza kansetsu waza: knee joint techniques
Ashi kubi kansetsu waza: ankle joint techniques
Ude osae: forearm control used in a joint lock
Suhei osea: horizontal control
Maki age: rising arm roll
Ude garami: arm weave (joint lock in which the arm of the attacker is bent and weaved into an arm lock)
Hiji garami: technique in which the elbows of the opponent are crossed in order to create an arm lock
Ashi or hiza garami: leg or knee weave (joint lock in which the legs of the attacker is bent and weaved into a knee lock)

Strangulation Techniques

Hadaka jime: naked strangulation (strangulation without grabbing the opponent’s clothes)
Eri jime: collar strangulation (strangulation in which the legs are used to strangle the opponent)

Kumite Drills

Kumite: grappling hands, fighting practice
Gohon kumite: five-step sparring
Sanbon kumite: three-step sparring
San dan gi: three-level sparring or three-level moving
Kihon ippon kumite: basic one-step sparring
Jyu ippon kumite: one-step sparring (block and counter-attack and then reset)
Jyu kumite: freestyle sparring
Randori kumite: soft freestyle sparring
Ranzoku kumite: consecutive sparring
Yakusoku kumite: pre-arranged sparring drills
Bunkai: breaking down the movements of a kata and applying them in self-defense situations
Kakie: sticking hand practice
Iri kumi ju: continuous freestyle sparring with little contact or soft contact and focus on techniques
Iri kumi go: continuous freestyle sparring with full contact
Shiai kumite: competition sparring
Oyo kumite: application sparring
Semete: attacker
Ukete: defender