Waist strike

Heori (허리), the waist or torso, is one of the four scoring targets in kumdo. A kumdo-club page lists them as the head (meori), the torso or waist (heori), the wrist (sonmok) and a thrust to the throat (jjireum). It says each is worth one point. The strike itself is called heori-chigi (허리치기), and the striker calls out the name of the target, "heori!".

• Basic method: the Korea Kumdo Association describes raising the jukdo between the arms until the opponent's right waist can be seen. The striker pushes off the left foot and leaps in on the right foot to strike.
• Position at impact: both fists stay at the same height as in sonmok-chigi and must not leave the center line (jeongjungseon).
• Angle: the association's textbook describes a downward cut of about 45 degrees.
• Practice: the textbook describes striking the right and left waist alternately, and combination drills such as sonmok then heori-chigi.
• Timing: the textbook says the waist is hidden by the arms. It should be struck when the opponent is unsettled and leaves an opening. One English-language guide describes a common combination in which a head attack raises the defender's sword and opens the waist.
• Characteristics: the same guide calls the waist strike "in some ways the most complex" strike in kumdo. Unlike the head strike, the sword does not rise high. It snaps up only about 6 to 12 inches and then continues forward in a straight line.
• Valid attack: a point is acknowledged only if the attack is clear, precise and intentional, and if the finishing pose follows it. The waist armor (the skirt-like apron) is not a target.

The word heori also means the body's waist in general. In kumdo, the association stresses the strength of the waist as the center of body movement.