Uraken-uchi 裏拳打ち
Back-fist strike
The technique, and its job.
A whipping strike with the back of the first two knuckles, delivered by snapping the forearm out from a bent elbow. It is fast because it is short, and it recovers instantly, which makes it a natural counter and a natural feint.
Application. A fast counter to the head, a strike to the side in Tekki, and one of the most economical feints available.
Mechanics
What each part of the body does, in the order it does it.
- Starting position
- Elbow raised and bent, fist near the opposite shoulder or beside the head.
- Hips
- A small rotation, or a body drop, supplies the force.
- Elbows
- The pivot. If the elbow travels, the technique has become a swing.
- Trajectory
- The forearm snaps outward around the fixed elbow; the elbow itself barely moves.
- Target
- Temple, bridge of the nose, ribs.
- Contact surface
- The back of the first two knuckles.
- Kime
- An instant snap, immediately released.
- Recovery
- The hand whips back along its own path — as fast out as in.
What survives when the name is forgotten.
- The elbow is a hinge, not a lever. Everything good about the technique comes from that.
- Snap and return. A back-fist left extended is an arm offered to the opponent.
Common errors, and how to fix them.
Naming a fault teaches nobody. Each one below carries why it happens and what corrects it.
Why it happens. Swinging the whole arm.
The fix. Hold the elbow in place with the other hand and snap the forearm alone.
Why it happens. Tension in the arm.
The fix. Relax entirely until the last instant.
Drills
- Snap the forearm out and back against a hanging target, counting only the return speed.
Where it appears.
Kihon is the vocabulary, kata is the literature, kumite is the conversation. Every link below was written down deliberately; none of it was inferred from a name matching.
- Heian Nidan Peaceful mind, second level
- Heian Godan Peaceful mind, fifth level
- Tekki Shodan Iron horse, first level
- Bassai Dai To storm a fortress, major
- Empi Flying swallow
- Feint Feint, deception
- Combination attack Combination technique
- Shuto-uchi Knife-hand strike
- Tetsui-uchi Hammer-fist strike
- Empi-uchi Elbow strike
- Haito-uchi Ridge-hand strike
- Teisho-uchi Palm-heel strike
The Japanese, explained.
- Uraken-uchi 裏拳打ち
- Back-fist strike. A whipping strike with the back of the first two knuckles, the forearm snapping around a fixed elbow.
- Uraken 裏拳
- Back fist. The back of the first two knuckles, the arm whipping out around a fixed elbow. A small, hard surface delivered fast rather than heavily.
Video
No recording in the register is tagged to Uraken-uchi. MMAKF has not filmed this technique, and the discovery pass did not find an external recording specific enough to attribute to it without guessing.
Nothing is shown here rather than a search link dressed up as a demonstration. What has been found, checked and registered is listed in full on the source register.
The video source register →