Reverse Punch

Target Areas

Prerequisites

Gyaku Zuki (reverse punch) is the single most powerful hand technique in the karate arsenal and the technique most closely associated with the "one strike, one kill" (Ikken Hissatsu) philosophy of traditional karate. The rear hand crosses the body to strike — the "gyaku" (reverse) meaning the opposite hand to the lead foot. The technique is executed in Zenkutsu Dachi and generates power exclusively through hip rotation: the rear hip drives forward, the shoulder follows, and the arm extends last. Without hip rotation, Gyaku Zuki is just an arm punch.