KARATE TERMINOLOGY

Begining Commands:

Seiretsu: Line up by rank

Mokuso: Meditate/Gather Your Thoughts

Sensei ni: Face towards the teacher

Seiza: Meditation position-kneeling

Shomen ni: Face towards the front

Rei: Bow

General Commands:

Yoi: Ready

Yame: Stop

Mawatte: Turn around

Hajime: Begin

Yasume: Relax (or ready position)

Directions:

Mae: Front

Ushiro: Back

Jodan: Head high level

Gedan: Low level; Down

Hidari: Left

Age: Rising

Soto: Outer

Yoko: Side

Mawashi: Round

Chudan: Mid-high level

Migi: Right

Gyaku: Reverse

Uchi: Inner

Technique Descriptions:

Waza: Technique

Tsuki (Zuki): Punch

Uke: Block

Dachi: Stance

Uchi: Strike

Keri: Kick

Dachi Waza (Stances):

Heisoku dachi: Feet Together Stance

Kokutsu dachi: Back Stance

Hachiji dachi: Open-legged Stance (Yoi)

Zenkutsu dachi: Front Stance

Musubi dachi: Formal Attention Stance (feet in a ‘V”)

Kame: Fighting Stance

Uchi Waza (Strikes):

Nukite: Spear-hand

Enpi-uchi: Elbow strike

Uraken-uchi: Back fist, back of fist strike

 

Uke Waza (Blocks):

Age uke: Rising block

Soto ude uke: Outside forearm block

Shuto uke: Knife-hand block 

Gedan barai: Down block

Uchi ude uke: Inside forearm block

Morote uke: Augmented block

Keri Waza (Kicks):

Mae geri: Front kick

Yoko geri keage: Side snap kick

Ushiro geri: Back thrust kick

Mawashi geri: Roundhouse kick

Yoko geri kekomi: Side thrust kick

Fumikomi geri: Stomping kick (Heian 3, 5)

Counting:

Ichi: One

San: Three

Go: Five

Shichi: Seven

Ku: Nine

Ni: Two

Shi: Four

Roku: Six

Hachi: Eight

Ju: Ten

General Terms:

Karate: Empty hand

Do: Way

Karate Do: The way of karate

Karateka: Practitioner of karate

Shotokan: “House of Shoto”; “Pine Sea”; pen name of Funakoshi

Dojo: School or training room

Sensei: Teacher

Sempai: Senior students

Renshi: Entry Level Master

Shihan: Master Instructor

Kyu: Rank (Lower colored belts)

Dan: Rank (Upper black belts)

Dogi: Uniform

Obi: Belt

Hai: Yes

Iie: No

Osu: “I understand and will try my best”

Kiai: Spirit shout/focus of spiritual energy

Dozo: Please

Domo Arigato Gozaimashita: “Thank you very much”

Onegai Shimasu: Said to one’s partner when initiating practice

Kime: Focus

Kihon: Fundamentals/basics

Kata: Practice form

Embusen: Floor pattern/lines of a kata

Bunkai: Application (interpretation) of kata techniques

Kumite

Kumite: Sparring/fighting

Ippon kumite: One-step sparring

Sanbon kumite: Three-step sparring

Gohon kumite: Five-step sparring

Yakusoku kumite: “Promise” premeditated sparring

Jiyyu kumite: Free sparring

Advanced terms (found in kata):

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

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

Haishu uke: Back-hand block (Heian 5)

Haiwan Nagashi Uke: Sweeping back-arm block

Juji uke: X block (Heian 4, 5)

Kakiwake uke: Reverse wedge block (Heian 4)

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

Nagashi Uke: Sweeping block (Tekki, Jion)

Osae uke: Pressing block (Heian 2, 3)

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

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

Sukui Uke: Scooping block (Bassai, Chinte)

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

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

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