Weapons of the hand in Okinawan

 

From Uchinaaguchi the Martial Arts Handbook

 

 

Weapons of the hand in Okinawan

 

Ubi nu sachi        fingertip

Tugatana             outside edge of the palm

Tii nu wata          heel of the hand

Tiikubi                 wrist

 Ufu’iibi                thumb

Tchusashipibi      index finger

Naka’iibi              middle finger

Narashi’iibi         ring finger

Uubugwaa           little finger

 Chimi                   nail

Fushi                    joint, node

Chuu fushi          first knuckle

Ta fushi               second knuckle

 Tiijikun              back knuckles

Kushidii              back of hand

 

It is too easy to discount the many weapons that the hand offers us in Karate, just to think of our use of the fist, the knife hand, the spear hand or the backfist.

 

The actuality is much greater, but to begin the study of the uses of the hand greater control of the body movements becomes more essential, for one thing to avoid training injuries.

 

The uses are not as obvious as when the hand is seen as a unit in kata.

 

But the various potentials for these hand parts are available for the advanced martial artist. I discovered some of their potential by the tutelage of Sherman Harrill, who looked at everything, used everything believing no detail should be overlooked.

 

In fact this list does not contain all of the hand potentials within these parts.

 

Each fingertip, each knuckle, each formation of the hand over different striking potentials to different areas. If you work on those potentials.

 

For example there are many uses where striking with the back of the little finger first knuckle fit the target best.

 

But it is often said the whole is greater than the parts.