Tai sabaki (体捌き) literally means “body management” or “body shifting” in Japanese martial arts. It refers to whole-body movement that repositions the karateka relative to an attacker. Tai sabaki involves moving off the line of attack using pivots, sidesteps, and circular body turns. Rather than meeting force directly, one moves along or around an incoming attack to create an advantage.
Tai sabaki is closely linked with ashi sabaki (足捌き, footwork) and te sabaki (手捌き, hand movement). Good ashi sabaki means stepping or pivoting so that your feet, hips, shoulders, and hands work in concert to evade strikes, defend without opening your guard, and strike from difficult angles. Footwork can be linear (straight steps) or circular (arcing and pivoting).
The main purpose of tai sabaki is self-protection and counterattack. By shifting the body out of the attack’s path, a karateka causes the opponent to miss or overextend, while simultaneously moving into a position to counter. Tai sabaki allows the defender to move into the attacker’s blind spots and strike effectively.
Typical tai sabaki charts show eight basic movement directions: forward, back, left, right, and four diagonals. Movements include:
This guide summarizes traditional karate tai sabaki principles found in Shotokan, Goju-ryu, Shito-ryu, and Wado-ryu styles.