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
Geri: 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:
arate: 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)