also: かんちく
Chinese bamboo; bamboo imported from China
Archaic term for bamboo brought from China, historically used for making flutes and other items. The reading からたけ is standard; かんちく is rare.
descending vertical sword attack
Only when written 唐竹
In kendo and similar martial arts, a downward strike aimed at the opponent's head or center. Written 唐竹 and read からたけ.
In the past, Chinese bamboo was prized as a material for flutes.
In the kendo match, he scored a point with a descending vertical strike.
Standard spelling for both the bamboo and the kendo strike; the reading からたけ is the most common.
Alternate kanji for the bamboo sense, read かんちく. Rare and mostly historical.
The plant name combines 唐, indicating Chinese or foreign origin, with 竹. The sword-strike sense is shortened from 唐竹割り, a vertical cut likened to splitting a bamboo stalk lengthwise.