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A knifehand strike is a strike using the part of the hand opposite the thumb (from the little finger to the wrist), familiar to many people as a karate chop, (in Japanese, shutō-uchi). This refers to strikes performed with the side of the knuckle of the small finger. Suitable targets for the knife hand strike include the mastoid muscles of the neck, the jugular, the throat, the collar bones, the 3rd vertebra (key stone of the spinal column), the upper arm, the wrist (knife hand block), the elbow (outside knife hand block), and the knee cap (leg throw). In many Japanese and Chinese martial arts systems, the knifehand is used to block as well as to strike.

Tegatana (手刀 : てがたな, Tegatana^? Japanese for hand-sword) is a term from Japanese martial arts like aikido and karate referring to a hand position that resembles that of the blade of a sword. This can be in a high, middle or low position but is usually extended outwards at about eye level.

During practice, uke and tori will often stand opposite each other with their respective te-gatana touching each other. From this position, considered by some the ideal combative distance for two unarmed opponents, many balance-breaking, striking and throwing techniques can be applied.

This strike is usually delivered in one of two ways:

1.You can deliver a knife hand with your front hand while standing with your left foot forward. You do this by taking the thumb side of your hand or the palm and pulling it up near the right side of your neck. You then snap it out in a way that the pinky side of your hand would be hitting the target, do not physically hit with your pinky side of the hand or your hand will break. You must hit with the little bone down by the bottom of your wrist. Remember to twist your hips with the attack for increased power.

2. A knife hand can also be delivered in an attack called downward delivery. This would generally be used to attack someone if they had been injured and were leaning over, but you should use your judgement. To attack this way you put your arm straight up in the air swing down. Keep in mind that when you are in a martial arts stance you will have one foot farther in front of the other. So, when you do this with your back hand your hips will twist slightly to the left to align your body. When you are striking with your front hand you will be twisting your hips to the right a lot so that you are striking more to the right than straight.

3. The knife hand strike or block uses a certain energy that flows out of the center of your palm. When you learn about the energy of the open hand techniques, then you will have truely mastered them but not until then. Like when striking the side of the neck with a inside knife hand strike you are not only striking the neck. But in reality you can stop the heart by striking the neck in that area.

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