Tsuki no kata¶

Name¶

Romaji: Tsuki no kata
Japanese: 突きの型
English: Kata of thrusts / kata for punching technique

Tsuki means thrust or forward striking technique. No kata here means “kata for” or “form of”.

Tsuki no kata can therefore be understood as “kata of thrusts” or “kata for punching technique”.

At Galaz Dojo, the page name Tsuki no kata is used for consistency with Kyokushin romaji and the other kata pages.

Introduction¶

Tsuki no kata is a Kyokushin kata with strong emphasis on punches, body line, hip work, direction, and technical finish. It contains many forms of seiken tsuki, but relatively few kicking and blocking moments. This makes the kata a clear test of whether the practitioner can create power through correct stance, hip, hikite, seiken line, breathing, and kime.

The kata includes, among other techniques, Seiken chūdan gyaku tsuki, Seiken gedan gyaku tsuki, Seiken chūdan oi tsuki, Nihon seiken chūdan tsuki, Seiken jōdan oi tsuki, Seiken jun tsuki, Yohon nukite, Seiken gedan barai, Seiken uchi uke, Seiken uchi uke / Gedan barai, Chūdan mae geri, and Shutō mae mawashi uke.

Tsuki no kata should not be treated as a kata where one simply “punches many times”. The purpose is to understand how punches change depending on stance, level, direction, hip, hikite, balance, and distance.

Historical background¶

Tsuki no kata appears in modern Kyokushin as an intermediate-level kata focused on punching. In some materials, the kata is said to have been created by Seigo Tada, founder of Seigokan within Gōjū-ryū, where it was called Kihon Tsuki no Kata.

Within Kyokushin, there are different explanations of how the kata entered the system. Some sources mention Tadashi Nakamura, while others suggest that Masutatsu Oyama likely incorporated the kata through his contacts with Gōjū-ryū. Since the information varies, the historical background should be described carefully.

For Galaz Dojo, the most important point is to treat Tsuki no kata technically: as a kata for power development, direction, punching technique, stance control, hip work, and kime.

Placement in the system¶

Group: Higher basic kata / superior kata
Level: Intermediate level
Technical focus: Kiba-dachi, Sanchin-dachi, Zenkutsu-dachi, Tsuruashi-dachi, Seiken chūdan gyaku tsuki, Seiken gedan gyaku tsuki, Seiken chūdan oi tsuki, Nihon seiken chūdan tsuki, Seiken jōdan oi tsuki, Seiken jun tsuki, Yohon nukite, Seiken gedan barai, Seiken uchi uke, Chūdan mae geri, Shutō mae mawashi uke, hikite, hip work, and kime

Tsuki no kata should be trained after the student has good control of:

basic seiken technique
gyaku tsuki, oi tsuki, and jun tsuki
Zenkutsu-dachi
Kiba-dachi
Sanchin-dachi
level distinction between gedan, chūdan, and jōdan
hikite
Chūdan mae geri with recovery
basic turns and pivots
kime and zanshin

The kata functions as a test of whether the practitioner can:

create power in punches from different stances
distinguish between gyaku tsuki, oi tsuki, jun tsuki, and nihon tsuki
maintain the seiken line at gedan, chūdan, and jōdan
shift between Kiba-dachi, Sanchin-dachi, Zenkutsu-dachi, and Tsuruashi-dachi
use hip and trunk without over-rotating
perform punches without losing shoulder and wrist line
preserve technical sharpness throughout the kata

Technical profile¶

Area	Content
Main focus	Punching technique, level changes, hip connection, direction, and kime
Stances	Fudō-dachi, Musubi-dachi, Yoi-dachi, Heikō-dachi, Kiba-dachi, Sanchin-dachi, Zenkutsu-dachi, Tsuruashi-dachi
Punches	Seiken chūdan gyaku tsuki, Seiken gedan gyaku tsuki, Seiken chūdan oi tsuki, Nihon seiken chūdan tsuki, Seiken jōdan oi tsuki, Seiken jun tsuki
Open hand	Yohon nukite, shōtei cover
Blocks	Seiken gedan barai, Seiken uchi uke, Seiken uchi uke / Gedan barai, Shutō mae mawashi uke
Kicking technique	Chūdan mae geri
Kiai	Movements 13 and 18
Main counts	20 technical main counts
Technical character	Powerful, linear, punch-focused, and clearly hip-driven

Technical character¶

Tsuki no kata has a clearly offensive technical character. It does not merely train many punches, but different ways of creating, directing, and finishing punching power.

The first part begins with a diagonal movement into Kiba-dachi, where Gedan barai and Chūdan gyaku tsuki are performed in the same movement. Further punches then follow in Kiba-dachi, Sanchin-dachi, and Zenkutsu-dachi. This requires the practitioner to adapt hip, footwork, and body line according to the stance.

The middle section trains a 180° turn into Sanchin-dachi, Seiken uchi uke, Seiken chūdan oi tsuki, slow blocking, Nihon seiken chūdan tsuki, and forward Jōdan oi tsuki.

The later section contains Chūdan mae geri, recovery to Tsuruashi-dachi, transition to Kiba-dachi with Jun tsuki and kiai, Yohon nukite, slow combined Uchi uke / Gedan barai, a final punching sequence, and Shutō mae mawashi uke with ibuki.

The form especially trains:

seiken line
hip connection
active hikite
level change between gedan, chūdan, and jōdan
transition between different stances
power without unnecessary tension
explosive technical finish
slow control where the sequence requires it
zanshin after every punch and direction change

Embusen and technical figure¶

The embusen in Tsuki no kata is more complex than the Taikyoku forms, but more linear and punch-focused than several Pinan forms. The form includes a diagonal opening, forward movements, 180° turns, side movements, Kiba-dachi sequences, Sanchin-dachi sequences, and final return.

The diagram should be understood as a technical reference for direction and order. It does not show all details of hip work, footwork, stance height, hikite, seiken line, shōtei positions, or breathing.

During learning, the student should especially check:

starting point
first backward-right diagonal into Kiba-dachi
forward movement in Kiba-dachi
transition to Sanchin-dachi
transition to Zenkutsu-dachi
180° turn to Sanchin-dachi
uchi uke and following punches
180° turn to Gedan barai
Chūdan mae geri and recovery to Tsuruashi-dachi
transition to Kiba-dachi with Jun tsuki
Yohon nukite sequence
slow Uchi uke / Gedan barai
final punching sequence
Shutō mae mawashi uke with ibuki
final position and naore
that no extra adjustment steps are added

Stances¶

Tsuki no kata uses several stances with different technical functions.

Stance	Function in the kata
Fudō-dachi	Starting and ending readiness stance.
Musubi-dachi	Used in mokusō and closing according to dojo standard.
Yoi-dachi / Heikō-dachi	Used in the starting procedure with ibuki.
Kiba-dachi	Used in the diagonal opening and side techniques with jun tsuki and nukite.
Sanchin-dachi	Used in several chūdan punches and uchi uke sequences.
Zenkutsu-dachi	Used in gedan, chūdan, and jōdan punches, as well as Gedan barai.
Tsuruashi-dachi	Used after Chūdan mae geri as a recovery and balance moment before the side turn.

Kiba-dachi¶

Kiba-dachi in Tsuki no kata should be stable and side-oriented. It is not merely a wide stance, but a base for powerful Jun tsuki and Yohon nukite. The hip should be active and the knee line stable.

Sanchin-dachi¶

Sanchin-dachi is used for a shorter, more gathered punching structure. Here the body should not become rigid, but the center should be strong and the technique should stay close to the body line.

Zenkutsu-dachi¶

Zenkutsu-dachi is used when the kata requires clear forward power. The stance should be set at the same time as the punch or block finishes.

Central techniques¶

Technique	Function in the kata
Seiken gedan barai	Low block in the opening diagonal and later 180° turn.
Seiken chūdan gyaku tsuki	One of the kata’s fundamental punches. Should be performed with clear hip connection and centerline.
Seiken gedan gyaku tsuki	Low punch requiring the body not to collapse forward or downward.
Seiken chūdan oi tsuki	Forward punch with the same side as the front leg. Should finish with stable Zenkutsu-dachi or Sanchin-dachi according to the sequence.
Nihon seiken chūdan tsuki	Two chūdan punches in succession, left and right. Should be performed quickly but technically cleanly.
Seiken jōdan oi tsuki	Punch toward the upper level. Must not lead to a raised shoulder, broken wrist, or backward-leaning torso.
Seiken jun tsuki	Side-oriented punch in Kiba-dachi. Should connect to hip and lateral stability.
Seiken chūdan uchi uke	Inner middle-level block in Sanchin-dachi. Should be supported by the body, not only the arm.
Seiken uchi uke / Gedan barai	Combined block structure in the final section. Shows simultaneous control of two lines or levels.
Chūdan mae geri	The clear kicking technique in the kata. Recovery is essential before the next direction.
Shōtei ganmen cover	Protective open-hand position toward the face line. Should be structured, not decorative.
Yohon nukite	Four-finger thrust after the side turn. Should have gathered hand form and clear direction.
Shutō mae mawashi uke	Final circular shuto block in Sanchin-dachi. It begins quickly and finishes with ibuki in the shōtei part according to the material.
Hikite	Active pulling action that gathers the body and reinforces the punch.

Start and finish¶

The kata begins in Fudō-dachi, facing shinden.

On the command mokusō, the practitioner moves to Musubi-dachi and assumes the mokusō position. When the kata name, Tsuki no kata, is announced, the eyes open and the practitioner waits for yoi.

On the command yoi, Yoi-dachi is taken with slow ibuki, and the movement finishes in Heikō-dachi according to dojo standard.

In mugōrei, the kata is performed without continuous counting after the command hajime.

On this page, only the kata form’s 20 main technical counts are numbered. Start, mokusō, yoi, naore, and yasume are described separately.

On main count 20, the practitioner returns to Musubi-dachi and keeps the mokusō position. On naore, the practitioner returns to Fudō-dachi. On yasume, the practitioner returns to the resting position.

Movement sequence¶

The sequence below describes Tsuki no kata in pedagogical order according to modern Kyokushin standard. It is intended as support for training and repetition, but does not replace instruction in the dojo.

No.	Direction	Stance	Technique	Comment
1	Migi ushiro naname 45°	Kiba-dachi	Hidari seiken gedan barai / migi seiken chūdan gyaku tsuki	On hajime/ichi, the right leg moves 45° backward clockwise into Kiba-dachi. Block Hidari gedan barai and strike Migi chūdan gyaku tsuki in the same movement.
2	Migi mae naname 45°	Kiba-dachi	Hidari seiken chūdan gyaku tsuki	Step forward with the right foot in a straight line to Kiba-dachi 45° counterclockwise and strike Hidari chūdan gyaku tsuki.
3	Forward	Hidari sanchin-dachi	Migi seiken chūdan gyaku tsuki	Step forward with the left foot to Hidari sanchin-dachi and strike Migi chūdan gyaku tsuki.
4	Forward	Migi sanchin-dachi	Hidari seiken chūdan gyaku tsuki	Step forward with the right foot to Migi sanchin-dachi and strike Hidari chūdan gyaku tsuki.
5	Forward	Hidari zenkutsu-dachi	Migi seiken gedan gyaku tsuki	Step forward with the left foot to Hidari zenkutsu-dachi and strike Migi gedan gyaku tsuki.
6	Forward	Migi zenkutsu-dachi	Hidari seiken gedan gyaku tsuki / migi seiken chūdan oi tsuki	Step forward with the right foot to Migi zenkutsu-dachi. Strike Hidari gedan gyaku tsuki followed by Migi chūdan oi tsuki. The punches should be fast but technically clean.
7	Turn 180° counterclockwise	Hidari sanchin-dachi	Hidari seiken uchi uke / seiken chūdan oi tsuki	Bring the right foot across and turn 180° counterclockwise to Hidari sanchin-dachi. Block Hidari uchi uke and strike Seiken chūdan oi tsuki.
8	Forward	Migi sanchin-dachi	Migi seiken uchi uke	Step forward to Migi sanchin-dachi with the right arm still extended and slowly block Migi seiken uchi uke.
9	Same direction	Migi sanchin-dachi	Nihon seiken chūdan tsuki	After the block, immediately perform two chūdan punches, left and right.
10	Forward	Hidari zenkutsu-dachi	Hidari seiken jōdan oi tsuki	Step forward to Hidari zenkutsu-dachi and strike Hidari jōdan oi tsuki.
11	Forward	Migi zenkutsu-dachi	Migi seiken jōdan oi tsuki	Step forward to Migi zenkutsu-dachi and strike Migi jōdan oi tsuki.
12	Turn 180° counterclockwise	Hidari zenkutsu-dachi	Hidari seiken gedan barai	Bring the left foot across and turn 180° counterclockwise to Hidari zenkutsu-dachi. Block Hidari gedan barai.
13	Kick and side turn	Tsuruashi-dachi → Kiba-dachi	Migi chūdan mae geri / shōtei cover / migi seiken jun tsuki, kiai	Kick Migi chūdan mae geri. Draw the kicking leg back to Tsuruashi-dachi, rotate the hip 90° clockwise to the right, and slide into a short Migi zenkutsu-dachi with left shōtei cover. Then rotate back 90° counterclockwise to Kiba-dachi and strike Migi jun tsuki with kiai.
14	Turn 180° clockwise	Kiba-dachi	Hidari seiken jun tsuki / shōtei cover / migi yohon nukite	Bring the left foot across and turn 180° clockwise to Kiba-dachi. Strike Hidari jun tsuki. Then rotate the hip 90° clockwise, cover with left shōtei, rotate back 90° counterclockwise to Kiba-dachi, and thrust Migi yohon nukite.
15	Turn 90° clockwise	Kiba-dachi	Shōtei cover / hidari yohon nukite	Bring the left foot across and turn 90° clockwise to the right. Cover with right shōtei and finish in Kiba-dachi with Hidari yohon nukite.
16	Backward transition	Migi zenkutsu-dachi	Migi seiken uchi uke / hidari seiken gedan barai	Bring the left foot to the right foot and slide back to Migi zenkutsu-dachi. Slowly block with Migi seiken uchi uke and Hidari seiken gedan barai at the same time.
17	Same direction	Migi zenkutsu-dachi	Hikite	Slowly draw the right fist back to hikite. Keep stance and direction.
18	Same direction	Migi zenkutsu-dachi	Migi seiken jōdan oi tsuki, kiai / hidari seiken gedan gyaku tsuki / migi seiken chūdan oi tsuki	Strike Migi jōdan oi tsuki with kiai. Follow immediately with Hidari gedan gyaku tsuki and Migi chūdan oi tsuki.
19	Backward	Migi sanchin-dachi	Migi shutō mae mawashi uke / ibuki	Quickly bring the right foot back to Migi sanchin-dachi and perform fast Migi shutō mae mawashi uke. Inhale and continue the block with ibuki on the shōtei part of the block.
20	Finish	Musubi-dachi	Mokusō position	Bring the right foot back to Musubi-dachi and keep the mokusō position. The kata then finishes on the command naore.

Breathing, rhythm, and kiai¶

Tsuki no kata should have clear rhythm, but it must not be rushed. Since the kata is punch-focused, it is easy to perform all techniques at the same tempo. This should be avoided.

The rhythm should show the difference between:

the opening yoi movement with ibuki
fast combination of Gedan barai and Chūdan gyaku tsuki
punches in Kiba-dachi
punches in Sanchin-dachi
gedan and chūdan punches in Zenkutsu-dachi
slow Uchi uke
Nihon seiken chūdan tsuki
jōdan punches on the main line
Chūdan mae geri with controlled recovery
Jun tsuki in Kiba-dachi with kiai
Yohon nukite
slow combined Uchi uke / Gedan barai
final level-changing punching sequence
Shutō mae mawashi uke with ibuki

Kiai is performed on:

movement 13
movement 18

In movement 13, the kiai is on Migi seiken jun tsuki in Kiba-dachi.
In movement 18, the kiai is on Migi seiken jōdan oi tsuki in the final punching sequence.

Technical key points¶

Clearly distinguish between gyaku tsuki, oi tsuki, jun tsuki, and nihon tsuki.
Keep the seiken line straight at all punching levels.
Do not let jōdan punches lift the shoulder or break the wrist line.
Perform gedan punches without allowing the body to fall forward.
Use the hip actively, but without over-rotation.
Keep Kiba-dachi stable in the diagonal and side sequences.
Keep Sanchin-dachi compact and gathered.
Set Zenkutsu-dachi at the same time as the punch or block finishes.
Perform Seiken chūdan uchi uke with body connection.
Control the 180° turns.
Recover the leg after Chūdan mae geri before the next direction.
Use Shōtei cover as a protective structure, not as loose hand placement.
Perform Yohon nukite with gathered hand form.
Perform combined Uchi uke / Gedan barai slowly but actively.
Coordinate breathing with every technical finish.
Perform Shutō mae mawashi uke with clear finishing ibuki.
Preserve zanshin after every punch and direction change.

Common errors¶

The student performs the kata as a long series of punches without technical distinction.
Gyaku tsuki, oi tsuki, jun tsuki, and nihon tsuki are confused.
The seiken line breaks in the jōdan punches.
The shoulders lift during jōdan punches.
Gedan punches make the body fall forward.
Kiba-dachi becomes too high, too narrow, or loses lateral stability.
Sanchin-dachi becomes stiff instead of gathered.
Zenkutsu-dachi becomes too short or too long.
The hip over-rotates and the punch loses direction.
Uchi uke becomes an arm movement without body connection.
Chūdan mae geri lacks recovery.
Tsuruashi-dachi becomes a rushed intermediate position without control.
Shōtei cover becomes decorative.
Yohon nukite loses hand form.
The slow Uchi uke / Gedan barai sequence becomes passive.
Kiai is used without kime.
Shutō mae mawashi uke loses ibuki and finishing structure.
The end of the kata falls apart.

Bunkai and application¶

Bunkai for Tsuki no kata should focus on how different punches, levels, stances, and directions affect practical use.

Movement or technique	Simple bunkai
Gedan barai	Low deflection or downward control during a direction change.
Chūdan gyaku tsuki	Direct counterattack from the opposite hand with hip connection.
Gedan gyaku tsuki	Low punch toward the body or lower line after control.
Chūdan oi tsuki	Forward punch that follows the body’s step and direction.
Nihon seiken chūdan tsuki	Fast two-punch sequence toward middle level.
Jōdan oi tsuki	Attack toward upper level without opening the body structure.
Seiken chūdan uchi uke	Inner block or deflection of a middle-level attack.
Chūdan mae geri	Middle-level kick to break distance or create an opening.
Jun tsuki in Kiba-dachi	Side-oriented punch with strong base and hip connection.
Shōtei cover	Protective hand position toward the face line before a side attack.
Yohon nukite	Directed open-hand thrust toward the centerline or softer target.
Uchi uke / Gedan barai	Simultaneous control of two lines or levels.
Shutō mae mawashi uke	Circular control or deflection with shuto and shōtei structure.

Bunkai should be trained in a controlled way with a partner. It should not be made more advanced than the technical content of the kata justifies.

Training method¶

Train Tsuki no kata step by step:

Train the different punching types separately: gyaku tsuki, oi tsuki, jun tsuki, and nihon tsuki.
Check the seiken line at gedan, chūdan, and jōdan.
Train the opening 45° movement into Kiba-dachi.
Train Gedan barai and Chūdan gyaku tsuki as a single gathered movement.
Train punches in Sanchin-dachi.
Train punches in Zenkutsu-dachi.
Train the transition to Seiken chūdan uchi uke.
Train Nihon seiken chūdan tsuki.
Train the jōdan punches without lifting the shoulders.
Train Chūdan mae geri with recovery.
Train the transition from Tsuruashi-dachi to Kiba-dachi.
Train Jun tsuki in Kiba-dachi with kiai.
Train Shōtei cover and Yohon nukite.
Train combined Uchi uke / Gedan barai slowly.
Train the final punching sequence: jōdan, gedan, chūdan.
Train Shutō mae mawashi uke with ibuki.
Add correct breathing.
Add kime and kiai at the correct points.
Train the whole kata slowly without counting.
Try simple bunkai with a partner.
Return to the kata form and correct stance, direction, and zanshin.