Translation
Hikite is broken down into two symbols. Hiki, which means “pull” and Te, which means “hand”. Therefore Hikite can be translated as “the pulling hand”. It describes the hand that is pulled to your hip simultaneously as you punch or strike with the opposite hand.
Push Pull Concept
Hikite is commonly explained as a “push pull” concept to new students. As you are “pushing” or punching, you pull your opposite hand backwards to your hip. This helps generate power in a rotation around the hips.
Where this explanation often falls short is the pulling part. New students are taught to always pull their hand back to their hip and as time goes on, they forget the part about actually pulling something. This technique is used to pull something like an arm or a jacket inwards as you send a devastating strike outwards.
Hikite is one of the most fundamental concepts of karate, so for those whose practice has not given them a viable explanation for it this is a fantastic introduction! I also definitely like the intro for the video!