The kanji 拳 means "fist," "clenched hand," or "punch." It represents the hand closed tightly, ready for action.

・On-yomi (音読み): ・ケン (ken) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): ・こぶし (kobushi)

⚫︎ 拳銃 (kenjuu) Translation: Pistol; handgun ⚫︎ 空手 (karate) Translation: Karate (literally "empty hand") ⚫︎ 握り拳 (nigiri kobushi) Translation: Clenched fist

The kanji 拳 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). It combines the radical 手 (て - te), meaning "hand," with the phonetic component 卷 (ken), which provides the sound and hints at the idea of something being rolled up or curled. Together, they visually represent a hand that is clenched or closed, forming a fist. This structure emphasizes both the physical form and the action associated with the fist.