bare hands; empty-handed; from nothing
Used in set phrases like 空拳で立ち向かう (to face something bare-handed) or 空拳から始める (to start from nothing). Often implies facing a challenge without weapons or resources.
He confronted the robber with his bare hands.
He started his business from nothing, and now it has become a large company.
empty-handed; with nothing but one's bare hands · penniless; without capital
barehanded; starting with nothing but one's own abilities
Compound of 空 (empty) and 拳 (fist). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word is conventionally associated with the idea of being unarmed or without resources.