Karate Terminology

If a karateka learns the japanese karate terminology, (s)he will be able to enter any karate dojo in the world and able to understand and workout .

GENERAL TERMS

• Karate: Empty Hands

   

• Karate Do: The Way of Karate

   

• Karateka: Practitioner of Karate

   

• Dojo: School or training room

   

• Sensei: Teacher

   

• Sempai: Senior

   

• Kohai: Junior

   

• Kyu: Rank

   

• Gi: Uniform

   

• Obi: Belt

   

• Hai: Yes

   

• Osu: "I understand and will try my best."
  Also used to show respect, entusiasm.
  Do not use outside of the dojo!

   

• Do: Way

   

• Budo: Way of combat

   

• Zanshin: Poise and control

   

• Kime: Focus

   

• Kihon: Fundamentals

   

• Kiai: Spirit shout/focus of spiritual energy

   

• Kata: Practice form

   

• Embusen: Floor pattern/lines of a kata

   

• Maai: Distance

   

• Bunkai: Application (interpretation) of kata techniques

   

• Kumite: Sparring/fighting

   

• Ippon kumite: One-step sparring

   

• Yakusoku kumite: "Promise" premeditated sparring

   

• Gohon kumite: Five-step sparring

   

• Jiyyu kumite: Free sparring

   

• Waza: Technique

   

• Dachi: Stance

   

• Tsuki (Zuki): Punch

   

• Uchi: Strike

   

• Uke: Block

   

• Geri: Kick

   

• Ashi-barai: Foot sweep

   

• Kamae: Posture

   

• Yori-ashi: Sliding the feet

   

• Tai-sabaki: Body shifting

   

• Shotokan: "House of Shoto" ; "pine sea"; pen name of Funakoshi.

   

• DomoArigato Gozaimashita: "Thank-you very much"

   

• Onegai Shimasu: "I welcome you to train with me"
  Literally: " I make a request." Said to one's partner when initiating practice.

MAJOR CONCEPTS

• Zanshin: Awareness; Continuing mind/heart - connotes "following through" a technique while maintaining awareness

   

• Sen: Initiative

   

• Sen no sen: Seizing the initiative earlier; Attacking at the same moment your opponent attacks.

   

• Go no sen: Seizing the initiative later; Allowing your opponent to attack first so as to open up target for counter-attacks.

   

• Sen sen no sen: Seizing the opponents sen no sen; Attacking before your opponent attacks-a preemptive attack.

   

• Ikken Hissatsu: "To kill with one blow"

   

• Karate ni sente nashi: Karate does not include the first move.

   

• Karate wa sente nari: Karate is the first move.

   

• Shorin (kata): Quick movement, emphasizing speed

   

• Shorei (kata): Slow, strong movement, emphasizing strength

   

• Sun-dome: Stopping a technique just prior to contact (three centimeters)

COMMANDS

• Narande: Line up

   

• Seiretsu: Line up by rank

   

• Yoi: Ready

   

• Yame: Stop

   

• Yasume: Relax (or ready position)

   

• Sensei ni: Face towards the teacher

   

• Otaigai ni: Face towards each other

   

• Shomen ni: Face towards the front

   

• Rei: Bow

   

• Seiza: Meditation position-kneeling

   

• Age-te: Hands up (cover position)

   

• Mawatte: Turn around

   

• Hajime: Begin

   

• Naore: Return to Shizen-tai

DIRECTIONS

• Mae: Front

   

• Yoko: Side

   

• Ushiro: Back

   

• Tate: Vertical

   

• Mawashi: Round

   

• Jodan: Head high level

   

• Chudan: Mid-high level

   

• Gedan: Low level; Down

   

• Migi: Right

   

• Hidari: Left

   

• Tobi: Jump

   

• Gyaku: Reverse

   

• Age: Rising

   

• Uchi: Inner

   

• Soto: Outer

   

• Otoshi: Dropping

   

• Sokumen: Side

DACHI WAZA (STANCES)

• Kamae:Posture (Yoi)

   

• Heisoku dachi: Formal Attention Stance (Yoi)

   

• Zenkutsu dachi: Front Stance

   

• Kokutsu dachi: Back Stance

   

• Kiba dachi: Straddle Stance

   

• Fudo dachi: Fighting Stance

   

• Musubi dachi: Informal Attention Stance (feet in a 'V")

   

• Hachiji dachi: Open-legged Stance (Yoi)

   

• Shizen-tai dachi: Natural Stance

   

• Neko-ashi dachi:Cat Stance

   

• Renoji dachi: "L" Stance

   

• Kosa dachi: Cross-legged Stance

   

• Hangetsu dachi: Wide Hour-glass Stance

   

• Migi Ashi Orishiku: Right Leg Kneeling

   

• Hidari Ashi Orishiku: Left Leg Kneeling

UKE WAZA (BLOCKS)

• Age uke: Rising block

   

• Gedan uke: Down block

   

• Soto ude uke: Outside forearm block

   

• Uchi ude uke: Inside forearm block

   

• Shuto uke: Knife block

   

• Morote uke: Augmented block

   

• Kakiwaki uke: Reverse wedge block (Heian 4)

   

• Juji uke: X block

   

• Kosa uke: Cross block (Uchi/gedan uke-Heian 3)

   

• Manji uke: Hi/low block (Heian 5)

   

• Tate shuto uke: Vertical knife-hand block (Heian 3)

   

• Haishu uke: Back-hand block (Heian 5)

   

• Empi uke (or Hiji uke): Elbow block (Heian 3)

   

• Osae uke: Pressing block (Heian 2, 3)

   

• Otoshi uke: Dropping or falling block (Heian 2, 3)

   

• Nagashi Uke: Sweeping block (Tekki, Jion)

   

• Haiwan Nagashi Uke: Sweeping back-arm block

   

• Te Nagashi Uke: Sweeping hand block (parry) (Heian 5)

   

• Sukui Uke: Scooping block (Bassai, Chinte)

   

• Sokumen Awase Uke: Side combined block (Bassai-Dai)

   

• Tsukami Uke: Grasping block (Bassai-Dai, Jion)

   

• Awase Shuto Age Uke: Combined rising knife-hand block (Kanku-Dai)

   

• Ryowan Uchi Uke: Double inside block( Jion, Bassai-Sho)

   

• Seiryuto Uke: Ox-Jaw block

GERI WAZA (KICKS)

• Mae geri keage: Front snap kick

   

• Mae geri kekomi: Front thrust kick

   

• Yoko geri keage: Side snap kick

   

• Yoko geri kekomi: Side thrust kick

   

• Mawashi geri: Round kick

   

• Ushiro geri: Back thrust kick

   

• Fumikomi geri: Stomping kick (Heian 3, 5)

   

• Uchi mikazuki geri: Inside crescent kick

   

• Soto mikazuki geri: Outside crescent kick

   

• Tobi geri: Flying kick

   

• Name ashi geri: Returning wave kick (Tekki 1)

   

• Hiza geri: Knee kick/strike

   

• Nidan geri: Double kick (Kanku-Dai)

TSUKI WAZA (PUNCHES)

• Oi tsuki: Lunge punch

   

• Gyaku tsuki: Reverse punch

   

• Kizami tsuki: Jab

   

• Choku tsuki: Straight punch

   

• Kagi tsuki: Hook punch

   

• Oi-gyaku tsuki: Lunging reverse punch

   

• Ura tsuki: Close punch

   

• Morote tsuki: Parallel punch

   

• Ren tsuki: Double punch

   

• San tsuki: Triple punch

   

• Age tsuki: Rising punch

   

• Gedan tsuki: Downward punch

   

• Yama tsuki: Wide "U" punch

   

• Awase tsuki: "U" punch

   

• Otoshi tsuki: Dropping punch (Empi)

   

• Ippon Ken tsuki: One-knuckle fist punch (Hangetsu)

UCHI WAZA (Strikes)

• Tettsui Hammer-fist strike

   

• Kumade Uchi: Bear Claw Strike

   

• Uraken Uchi: Backfist Strike

   

• Hiraken Uchi: Foreknuckle Strike

   

• Teisho Uchi: Palm Heel Strike

   

• Ippon Nukite Uchi: Single Finger Strike

   

• Nihon Nukite Uchi: Two Finger Strike (Fork)

   

• Shuto Uchi: Knife Hand Strike

   

• Soto Shuto Uchi: Outside Knife Hand Strike

   

• Uchi Shuto Uchi: Inside Knife Hand Strike

   

• Shihon Nukite Uchi: Spear Hand Strike

   

• Gyaku Haito Uchi:Reverse Backfist Strike

   

• Haito Uchi: Backfist Strike

   

• Empi Uchi: Elbow Strike

   

• Mawashi Empi Uchi: Round Elbow Strike

   

• Mae Empi Uchi: Front Elbow Strike

   

• Otoshi Empi Uchi: Downward Elbow Strike

   

• Ushiro Empi Uchi: Back Elbow Strike

   

• Yoko Empi Uchi: Side Elbow Strike

   

• Yoko Mawashi Empi Uchi: Side Roundhouse Elbow Strike

   

• Tate Empi Uchi: Upward Elbow Strike

   

• Hiza Age Ate: Rising Knee Strike

   

• Washide Uchi: Eagle Beak Strike

   

• Koko Uchi: Tiger Mouth Strike

   

• Haishu Uchi: Back Hand Strike

 

• Taikyoku: First Cause

   

• Heian: Peaceful mind

   

• Tekki: Iron Knight

   

• Bassai: Storm the Fortress

   

• Sho: Lesser, small

   

• Dai: Greater, big

   

• Jion: Bhuddist temple name; Gratitude for the Bhudda (2nd Kyu)

   

• Kanku: To look at the sky (2nd Kyu)

   

• Hangetsu: Crescent or Half moon (1st Kyu)

   

• Empi: Flying Swallow (1st Kyu)

   

• Chinte: Extraordinary Hands (Nidan)

   

• Jitte: Ten Hands (Nidan)

   

• Gankaku: Crane on a rock (Sandan)

   

• Sochin: To keep the peace; Grand Suppression (Sandan)

   

• Nijushiho: Twenty-four steps (Sandan)

   

• Shorei Kata: Light and quick; emphasizing agility and speed

   

• Shorin Kata: Slow, hard, and strong; emphasizing muscles and strength

BODY PARTS

• Ken: Fist

   

• Ippon Ken: Single-point index-finger Fist

   

• Tate Ken: Vertical Fist

   

• Te: Hand

   

• Kaishu: Open hand

   

• Tekubi: Wrist

   

• Teisho: Palm heel

   

• Ude: Forearm

   

• Empi (also Hiji): Elbow

   

• Ashi: Leg

   

• Ashikubi: Ankle

   

• Hiza (also Hitsui): Knee

   

• Ensho: Back of the heel

   

• Heisoku: Top (instep) of the foot

   

• Teisoku: Bottom of the foot

   

• Kakato: Heel of the foot

   

• Koshi: Ball of the foot

   

• Sokuto: Outer edge (knife) of the foot

   

• Tsumasaki: Toe tips

   

• Atama: Head

   

• Wan: Arm

   

• Naiwan: Back of Arm

   

• Kata: Shoulder

   

• Jiku Ashi: Pivot leg

   

• Jodan: Head level

   

• Chudan: Mid-level

   

• Gedan: Lower level

COUNTING

• Ichi: One

   

• Ni: Two

   

• San: Three

   

• Shi: Four

   

• Go: Five

   

• Roku: Six

   

• Shichi: Seven

   

• Hachi: Eight

   

• Ku: Nine

   

• Ju: Ten

   

• NiJu: Twenty

   

• NiJu-Go: Twenty-five

   

• Hyaku: One Hundred

   

• Ippon: First

   

• Yon: Fourth

   

• Gohon: Fifth

COLORS

• Shiro: White

   

• Ki: Yellow

   

• Ao: Blue

   

• Midori: Green

   

• Murasaki: Purple

   

• Cha: Brown

   

• Kuro: Black

   

• Aka: Red

TOURNAMENT TERMS

• Sanbon Shobu: Three point Match

   

• Ippon shobu: One point match; used in tournaments

   

• Sanbon Shobu Hajime: Start the Match

   

• Shobu hajime: Start the Match

   

• Tsuzukete hajime: Resume fighting — begin. Referee standing on his line steps back into zenkutsu dachi and brings palms of hands toward each other

   

• Shiai-jo: Ring (size = 8-10 meters square)

   

• Wazari: Half point

   

• Ippon: Full point

   

• Toranai: No point

   

• Jogai: Out of Bounds; Referee points with index finger at a 45� angle to the area boundary on the side of the offender.

   

• Jogai keikoku: Second exit from fighting area. Waza-ari penalty given to opponent.

   

• Jogai keikoku: 4^th and final exit from the fighting area. 4^th exit causes victory to the opponent.

   

• Ai-uchi: Clash; simultaneous scoring technique, no point awarded to either. Referee brings fists together in front of chest.

   

• Uchi-majiri: Brawl (melee)

   

• Atoshi baraku: A little more time left; an audible signal given by time keeper 30 seconds before actual end of bout.

   

• Jikan: Time

   

• Encho-sen: Extension; after a draw, the match goes into overtime. Referee reopens match with command "shobu hajime".

   

• (Aka/Shiro) No Kachi: (R/W) Victorious

   

• Fusen-gachi: Victory by default

   

• Hansoku-make: Lose by disqualification

   

• Hikiwake: Draw; referee crosses arms over chest, then uncrosses and holds arms out from the body with the palms showing upwards.

   

• Hansoku: Foul; imposed following serious infraction, results in opponents score being raised to sanbon.

   

• Shugo: Judges called. Referee beckons with arms to the judges.

   

• Fukushin shugo: Judges conference

   

• Hantei: Judge’s decision/decision; judgement. Referee calls for judgement by blowing his whistle and judges render their decision by flag signal

   

• Mienai: I could not see. A call by a judge to indicate that a technique was not visible from his/her angle.

   

• Hantei kachi: Winner by decision

   

• Chui: Warning

   

• Shido: Light warning

   

• Atenai yoni: Warning without penalty; referee raises 1 hand in fist with other hand covering it at chest level and shows it to offender.

   

• Hansoku chui: Warning with an ippon penalty, ippon added to opponents score.

   

• Keikoku: Severe warning; warning with waza-ari penalty in sanbon shobu. Penalty added to opponents score. Imposed for minor infractions for which a warning has previously been given in the bout. Referee points index finger to feet of offender at angle of 45�.

   

• Mumobi: Warning for lack of regard for one’s own safety. Referee points 1 index finger in the air at a 60� angle on side of offender.

   

• Mumobi keikoku: Warning with waza-ari penalty.

   

• Shikkaku: Disqualification; opponents score raised to sanbon.

   

• Shiro: White

   

• Aka: Red

   

• Aite: Opponent

WEAPONS

• Bo: Long staff

   

• Jo: Short staff

   

• Sai: forked knife (Jitte)

   

• Nunchaku: Thrasher (two sticks joined by a chain)

   

• Kama: Sickles

   

• Tonfa: Batons

   

• Shinai: Bamboo sword

   

• Bokken: Wooden sword

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