Karate Terminology

High levels of grammatical and semantic ability are what allows one to properly and effectively realise or exhibit the martial arts mentality

…

words and action, like wings to a bird, are never separate from each other 

Hironori  Otsuka

Words and commands used in the dojo

General terms

Dojo – 道場 – The place (-jo) of the way (do-)

Sensei – 先生 – Teacher (lit. “preceding in life”)

Kata – 形 – Form (See also: Six Principles of Kata)

Kihon – 基本 – Basics / Fundamentals

Kumite – 組手 – Sparring (lit. “grappling hands”)

Waza – 技 – Technique

Counting

Ichi       一      one

Ni          二      two

San       三      three

Shi        四      four

Go         五      five

Roku    六      six

Shichi  七      seven

Hachi   八      eight

Kyū       九      nine

Jyū        十       ten

Stances

Tachi 立ち – stance

Zenkutsu-dachi – 前屈立ち – Front bent stance

Kokutsu-dachi – 後屈立ち – Back bent stance

Musubi-dachi – 結立ち – Bound stance (heels together, toes apart)

Heisoku-dachi – 閉足立ち – Closed-foot stance (heels and toes together)

Shiko-dachi – 四股立ち – Square stance

Kiba-dachi – 騎馬立ち – Horse riding stance

Mahanmi-no-neko-ashi-dachi – 真半見の貓足立ち – Side viewing cat foot stance

Mashomen-no-neko-ashi-dachi – 真正面の貓足立ち – Front viewing cat foot stance

Hanmi-gamae – 半身構え- Half-body posture (Fighting stance)

Shizentai – 自然体 – Natural stance

Kata-hiza-dachi – 片膝立ち – One knee stance

Ura-gamae – 裏構え – Reverse posture (e.g. Kushanku Kata)

Fudō-dachi – 不動立ち – Immovable stance

Kōsa-dachi – 交差立ち – Crossed-leg stance

Positioning and levels

Chūdan – 中段 – Mid level

Hidari – 左 – Left

Migi – 右 – Right

Mae – 前 – In front

Ushiro – 後ろ – Behind

Yoko – 横 – To the side

Gyaku – 逆 – Reverse

Ura – 裏 – Opposite side

Seichusen – 正中線 – Centre line

Sen no Seichusen – 線の正中線 – Line between your and your opponents centre line

Enbusen – 演武線 – Starting point and line of movement of a Kata

Body parts

Kasumi – 霞 – Temple
Ago – 顎（あご）- Chin
Koshi – 腰 – Hips
Shutō – 手刀 – hand (outer edge)
Haitō – 背刀 – hand (inner edge. lit. back blade)

Haishu – 背手 – Back of hand
Teishō – 底掌 – Heel of hand
Suigetsu – 水月 – Solar plexus
Hara – 腹 – Abdomen (for breathing)
Sokutō – 足刀 – Edge of foot
Haisoku – 背足 – Instep / Top of foot
Chūsoku – 中足 – Bottom of foot between heel and ball (plantar fascia)
Jōsokutei – 上足底 – Ball of foot

Kakato – 踵 – Heel of foot

Hiza – 膝 – Knee

Movement

Suri komi – 摺り込み – Step up

Suri ashi – 摺足 – Sliding step

Chidori ashi – 千鳥足 – Side stepping by crossing feet

Kusshin – 屈伸 – hopping / springing step

Nijiri ashi – 躙り足 – Creeping feet

 

Ayumi ashi – 歩み足 – Natural stepping (walking foot)

Tsugi ashi – 継ぎ足  – Move forward in the same stance back foot first (adding foot)

Yori ashi – 寄り足 – Move forward in the same stance front foot first (sending foot)

 

Zenshinshite – 前進して – Advancing

Kōtaishite – 後退して – Retreating

Commands

Yōi – 用意 – Ready (prepared)

Naore – 直れ – Prepare to bow (Return to starting position)

Rei – 礼 – Bow (Respect, courtesy)

Sonobade Ippon Toru – その場で一本取る – Change to gyaku-zuki stance (Punch once, in position)

Yame – 止め – Stop, Cease

Hajime – 始め – Begin

Mawatte – 回って – Turn around

Seiretsu – 整列 – Line up

Seiza – 正座 – Kneel straight

Kiritsu – 起立 – Stand up

Kata Gōreinashi – 形号令無し – Perform kata at full speed (without count commands)

Blocks

Gedan barai – 下段払い – Lower sweeping block

Uchi-uke – 内受け – Inner block

Soto-uke – 外受け – Outer block

Jōdan-uke – 上段受け – Upper block

Shutō-uke – 手刀受け – Knife hand block

Morote-uke – 双手受け – Double hand (augmented) block

Jūji-uke – 十字受け – Figure ten (Cross) block

Tenohira-uke – 手の平受け/掌受け – Palmar block

Kicks

Mae-geri – 前 蹴り – Front kick

Mawashi-geri – 回し蹴り – Turning kick

Ura-Mawashi-geri – 裏回し蹴り – Reverse turning kick

Sokutō – 足刀 – Thrusting kick (Blade foot)

Ushiro-geri – 後ろ蹴り – Back kick

Tobi-geri – 飛び蹴り – Jumping (leaping) kick

Mikazuki-geri – 三日月蹴り – Crescent kick

Ashi-barai – 足払い – Sweeping kick

Kin-geri – 金蹴り – Groin kick

Keage – 蹴上げ – Snap kick (e.g. Mae-geri, Mawashi-geri)
Kekomi – 蹴込み – Thrust kick (e.g. Sokutō, Ushiro-geri)

Strikes

Junzuki – 順突き – Orthodox punch (same arm and leg forward)

Gyakuzuki –  逆突き – Reverse punch (opposite arm to leg forward)

Junzuki-no-tsukkomi – 順突きの突っ込み – Leaning lunge punch

Gyakuzuki-no-tsukkomi – 逆突きの突っ込み – Leaning reverse punch

Uraken – 裏拳 – Backfist 

Tate-uraken – 縦裏拳 – Vertical Backfist

Tobikomizuki – 飛び込み突き – “Leaping” body-in punch

Nagashizuki – 流し突き – Flowing punch

Nukite – 貫手 – Spear hand

Yohon Nukite – 四本貫手 – Four finger spear hand

Tettsui – 鉄鎚 – Hammer fist (lit. Iron Hammer)

Enpi Uchi – 猿臂内 – Elbow strike (inner)

Mawashizuki – 回し突き – Turning / roundhouse punch

Kagizuki – 鉤突き – Hook punch

Chokuzuki – 直突き – straight punch

Hiraken – 平拳 – Flat fist strike

Hitosashiyubi Ipponken – 人差し指一本拳 – Index finger knuckle strike

Oyayubi Ipponken – 親指一本拳 – Thumb knuckle strike

Nakadaka Ipponken – 中高一本拳 – Middle finger knuckle strike

Wado Technique

Hikite – 引手 – Pullback
Ishuku – 畏縮 – Natural Recoil

Ichosu – Single timing

Otoshi – 落とし – Dropping

Saegiru – 遮る – To intercept

Kime no taema nai – 決めの絶え間ない – Fixed / continous contact

Noru – 乗る – Riding a techinique

Irimi – 入り身 – Entering and opponents space

Maai – 間合い – Distancing, timing and attitude respective to your opponent

Kuzushi – 崩し – Unbalancing your opponent

Nuki mi – 抜き身 – Disconnect body power to reduce time and sharpen impact

Tai sabaki – 体捌き – Body movement / manipulation

 

Sente – 先手 – Initiative

Go no sen – 後の先 – Attack after the opponent has started to attack

Sen no sen – 先の先 – Attack before the opponent has started to attack by reading their movement

Sensen no sen – 先々の先 – Attack before the opponent by reading their intention to attack

 

Yonshin – 四心 – Four minds

Mushin – 無心 – Clear mind

Senshin – 先心 – Preparatory mind

Tsushin – 通心 – Concentrating mind

Zanshin – 残心 – Remaining mind

Notes on pronunciation

Vowel sounds

See the below reference for individual Japanese vowel sounds with examples of similar vowel sounds in English

a   –   あ  –   hat, app

e   –   え  –   day, weigh

i    –   い  –   tea, bee

o   –   お  –   go, toe

u   –   う  –   clue, zoo

“R” sound in Japanese

Syllables represented with an “r” using roumaji (ら – ra, れ – re, ろ – ro, り – ri, る – ru)  are different from the ‘R’ sound in english. In Japanese the sound is somewhere between and ‘L’ and and ‘R’ sound, similar to a rolled ‘R’ without the trill effect.

Double Letters

Double consonants in roumaji (e.g. “ippon”) indicate a small pause before the consonant. In hiragana this is indicated with a small ‘tsu’ (つ) character:

roumaji:      ippon

hiragana:    いっぽん

kanji:          一本

Consecutive vowels “ei” “ou” (“Rei“, “Heisoku”) do not always indicate a change in sound but simply lengthen the syllable. A double length syllable is often denoted in roumaji with an accented character (ō, ū).

Other combinations such as “oi”, “ai” can be read by combining the sounds of the individual vowels.

Rendaku 連濁 – Sequential Voicing

Rendaku is a common aspect of Japanese where the second part of a compound word changes from an unvoiced to a voiced consonant. A “k” syllable will often become a “g”, “h” will become “b” or “p”, “s” will become “z” and “t” will become “d”.

keri (kick) -> maegeri (front kick)

kumite (sparring) -> sanbon gumite (three step sparring)

This is slightly unpredictable in nature as evidenced by the versions of sanbon gumite (where “h” of “hon” may become “b” or “p”):

一本目 – ipponme (the first)

二本目 – nihonme (the second)

三本目 – sanbonme (the third)