18 October 2026
Kokutsu Dachi: Weight Transfer in Karate’s Back Stance
A short coaching lesson shows kokutsu dachi as a transition: an angled step, a change in weight, and a brief moment before a kick.
A back stance used as a transfer
Kokutsu dachi is karate's back stance. This short lesson does not list the stances in the style. The coach shows how he uses this one to change direction and shift his weight.
The angled step
He starts by stepping out on an angle. He says 45 degrees, puts the foot down, and goes the other way. He calls that a weight transfer. What matters in the clip is the change of direction, not a measured length of the stance.
The opening title on the video names kokutsu dachi. That is the stance he is demonstrating. The lesson stays with the transition you can see.
Quick in fighting, then a kick
He says they use this stance all the time in fighting, but very quickly. He calls it a transitional stance. In the example, he moves, someone comes towards him, and he leans back. He holds kokutsu dachi for a second, then uses it to kick.
Three things are enough to look for:
- Where the step angles off the line.
- When his weight shifts as he changes direction.
- How briefly the stance appears before the kick.
If you watch it twice, use the first pass for the foot that steps out and the direction he turns. Use the second pass for how little time he spends in the stance before the kick leaves the floor. That matches the way he teaches the moment: a transfer, then a use.
The clip does not give a fixed weight split, a required stance length, or a full stance guide. Those details belong in class, with the coach who teaches the style.
See it in Seiyu Karate
If you want to learn the stance in the room, look at Seiyu Karate in New Westminster. No experience is required to begin. Book a free intro class, or contact the dojo and ask where to start.
