King's Kung-Fu& Tai Chi

Zenkutsu-dachi

Forward stance – a Karate stance

Type
Stances
Martial arts
Karate
Japanese
前屈立
Meaning
Forward stance
Listed in
Low frontal stances (karate stances), Gallery (karate stances)

This is a long frontal stance where the weight is mostly on the front leg. It has exactly the same height as shiko-dachi, but the rear leg is completely straight at the knee and extended back. The front foot is placed frontal (toes facing forward), the rear foot i

Kanji in 前屈立

in front, before
on: ゼン
kun: まえ、-まえ
9 strokes · JLPT 4
yield, bend, flinch
on: クツ
kun: かが.む、かが.める
8 strokes · JLPT 1
stand up, rise, set up
on: リツ、リュウ、リットル
kun: た.つ、-た.つ、た.ち-、た.てる
5 strokes · JLPT 4

Other Karate stances

Japanese terms for stances

TermReadingMeaning
大上段daijoudanholding a sword above one's head (kendo posture)
二枚腰nimaigoshiposture in which the legs are firmly planted (in sumo and judo)
死に体shinitailosing posture; falling position from which it is impossible to recover
変わり身kawarimichange of attitude (stance, position)
騎馬立ちkibadachihorse stance

text quoted from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); kanji data KANJIDIC2 and KanjiVG. Data retrieved 2026-10-22.

Data: Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.

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