KARATE SHINBOKU KAI
Karate Terms
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Below are a list of some of the japanese terms used commonly.  Don't worry about learning them now you will pick them up as you go along.  However if you want to have a go then just break each word up into syllables and say them as they are written.  There is no direct translation between japanese and english as the two languages use different alphabets, so japanese characters are written in english phonetically.

 

Dachi ~ Stances

Zenkutsu dachi ~ Front stance

Kiba dachi ~ Horse stance

Kosa dachi ~ Crossed feet stance

Kokutsu dachi ~ Back stance

Hangetsu dachi ~ Half moon stance

Neko ashi dachi ~ Cat stance

Fudo dachi ~ Rooted (immovable) stance

 

Uke waza ~ Blocks

Age uke ~ Upper rising block

Soto ude uke ~ Outside forearm block

Uchi ude uke ~ Inside forearm block

Gedan barai ~ Downward block

Shuto uke ~ Knife hand block

 

Two handed blocks

Morote uke ~ Augmented forearm block

Juji uke ~ Cross block

 

Tzuki waza ~ Punches

Chokka tzuki ~ Straight punch

Gyaku tzuki ~ Reverse punch

Oi tzuki ~ Lunge punch

Sanbon tzuki ~ Three consecutive punches

Kizami tzuki ~ Jab punch

Kagi tzuki ~ Hook punch

Ura tzuki ~ Close punch

Yama tzuki ~ U punch

 

Geri waza ~ Kicks

Mae geri ~ Front kick

Mawashi geri ~ Round kick

Yoko geri keagi ~ Side snap kick

Yoko geri kekomi ~ Side thrust kick

Ushiro geri ~ Back kick

Fumikomi geri ~ Stamping kick

Mikazuki geri ~ Crescent kick

 

Open hand strikes

Shuto uchi ~ Knife hand strike

Nukite ~ Spear hand

Haito ~ Ridge hand

Teisho ~ Palm heel

 

Areas of hand used

Seiken ~ Knuckles

Ippon ken ~ One knuckle fist

Uraken ~ Back fist

Tettsui ~ Hammer fist

 

Empi uchi ~ Elbow strikes

Mae empi ~ Forward elbow

Yoko empi ~ Side elbow

Ushiro empi ~ Back elbow

Mawashi empi ~ Round elbow

Ushiro mawashi empi ~ Back round elbow

Age empi ~ Upper rising elbow

Otoshi empi ~ Downward elbow

 

Kumite ~ Sparring

Gohon kumite ~ Five step sparring

Sanbon kumite ~ Three step sparring

Ippon kumite ~ One step sparring

Jiyu kumite ~ Free sparring

 

Target areas

Jodan ~ Upper level: neck, face and head

Chudan ~ Middle area: thorax and abdomen

Gedan ~ Lower area: below belt

 

Miscellaneous

Enoy ~ Relax

Hara ~ The centre

Hajime ~ Begin

Hidari ~ Left

Hizagashira ~ Knee

Kata ~ Form

Ki ~ Spirit

Kiai ~ Spirited shout

Mawate ~ Turn

Migi ~ Right

Mokso ~ Meditation

Yoi ~ Ready

Yamae ~ Finish

 

Numbers

Ichi ~ One

Ni ~ Two

San ~ Three

Shi ~ Four

Go ~ Five

Roku ~ Six

Shichi ~ Seven

Hachi ~ Eight

Ku ~ Nine

Ju ~ Ten

Ju ichi ~ Eleven

Ju ni ~ Twelve

Ju san ~ Thirteen

Ni ju ~ Twenty