Usoku-dachi (右足立ち)

Usoku-dachi (右足立ち)  “lean-away stance” is not a step or a foot-change. It is a torso rotation inside an existing shuto-dachi.

Starting from hidari shuto-dachi (左手刀立ち)
(left foot forward, right foot at 90 degrees, even weight)
The legs do not move at all.
The feet remain exactly in place, keeping the original L-shape
The karateka rotates the upper body to the right, looking backward over the right shoulder.
During the rotation, the practitioner performs gedan shuto-uke (下段手刀受け) backward.
The stance remains essentially shuto-dachi, but now the torso is facing the opposite direction.
In short, Usoku-dachi = shuto-dachi with a backward torso rotation, no foot movement, weight unchanged.

右 (migi / u) = right
足 (ashi / soku) = foot or leg
立ち (dachi) = stance

Shuto-dachi (手刀立ち)

Shuto-dachi (手刀立ち)

Shuto-dachi is the stance most people recognize from the open-hand blocks of karate. The feet form an L-shape, the front foot pointing forward and the back foot turned out. The weight is shared evenly, which makes it more stable than a cat stance but lighter than a deep back stance. It is used in many Shorin-based systems because it supports the natural mechanics of shuto-uke. The hips stay open, the shoulders relaxed, and the body is ready to rotate or step without losing balance. In practice, the stance teaches calmness, centered posture, and controlled movement, which is why it appears early in kata like Keishin.

Gedan soto shuto-uke (下段外手刀受け)

Gedan soto shuto-uke (下段外手刀受け)
A low, outside-to-inside knife-hand block performed with a sweeping motion toward the center line.
Stance: often heikō-dachi or a short transitional stance
Hand: open knife-hand (shuto) with thumb tucked
Motion: sweeping from outside to inside, but at a low level (gedan)
Purpose: deflect a low kick, grab, or low strike

Heikō-dachi (平行立ち)

Heikō-dachi (平行立ち) is a natural, parallel-foot stance used for ready positions and transitions.
Feet shoulder-width apart, both pointing straight forward in parallel.
Knees relaxed, not bent deeply.
Weight is evenly distributed on both legs.
Back straight, posture natural.
Hands are typically at the sides or in a ready guard, depending on the kata.

Heisoku-dachi (閉足立ち)

Heisoku-dachi (閉足立ち) is a simple closed-feet stance used in bowing and kata openings.

Feet together, heels and toes touching.
Legs straight but not locked.
Body upright with natural posture.
Arms relaxed at the sides unless performing a bow.
Used for ceremonial openings, closures, kata, and formal attention.