| Enpi | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Due to the inherent toughness of the elbow, elbow strikes (猿臂打ち enpi-uchi) are frequently utilized in breaking demonstrations. | |||||||
| Japanese name | |||||||
| Kanji: | 猿臂 | ||||||
| Hiragana: | えんぴ | ||||||
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Enpi (猿臂), literally meaning "monkey elbow", is a term for an elbow strike by the Japanese martial art of karate. There are several kinds of elbow strikes, classified by the direction they hit from. Upward elbow strikes and forward elbow strikes use the fist-chest interface as a pivot. Side elbow strikes translate the elbow, rather than rotating it around a point.
Elbow strikes offer several advantages over punches. They can be used when too close to an opponent to throw a punch, and there are less joints to give way in comparison to punches, which incorporate the comparatively weak wrist joints as well as the fingers. It is also easier to effectively harness one's whole upper body weight behind an elbow strike than a punch.
Please note that 猿臂 is also frequently transliterated as empi.