KARATE TERMINOLOGY (JAPANESE TRANSLATIONS)
The Willington Karate Club does not require its students to use any language other then English. This being said we often field questions about what different terms mean they encounter when reading and studying. While we do not use these terms in class it is important to at least have a reference when practicing traditional karate. This page is serves that purpose. Some of the terminology here is useful when performing any sort of research into the martial arts. So here it is, let me know if there are terms not represented here and I will add them.
Counting |
Numerical Ranks |
|
| Japanese |
English |
Japanese |
English |
|
| ichi |
one |
ichi ban |
first |
|
| ni |
two |
ni ban |
second |
|
| san |
three |
san ban |
third |
|
| shi |
four |
yon ban |
fourth |
|
| go |
five |
go ban |
fifth |
|
| roku |
six |
roku ban |
sixth |
|
| shichi |
seven |
nan ban |
seventh |
|
| hachi |
eight |
hachi ban |
eighth |
|
| gu |
nine |
kyu ban |
ninth |
|
| ju |
ten |
ju ban |
tenth |
|
|
|
Belt Ranks |
| Japanese |
English |
|
| shodan ho |
first dan |
|
| shodan |
first dan |
|
| nidan |
second dan |
|
| sandan |
third dan |
|
| yondan |
fourth dan |
|
| godan |
fifth dan |
|
|
|
Basic Terms |
|
| Japanese |
English |
|
| Soke |
founder |
|
| Shihan |
master |
|
| Sensei |
teacher |
|
| Sempai |
senior student |
|
| Kohai |
student |
|
| dojo |
karate school |
|
| tatami |
training area |
|
| makiwara |
punching board |
|
| gi |
karate uniform |
|
| hara |
abdominal tension |
|
| kime |
focus |
|
| kihon |
basics |
|
| kumite |
sparring |
|
| kata |
pre arranged form of movements |
|
| koshi |
ball of foot |
|
| ma-ai |
distancing |
|
| sanchin |
awareness |
|
| zuki or tsuki |
punch |
|
| geri |
kick |
|
| uchi |
strike |
|
| uke |
block |
|
| dachi |
stance |
|
| ken |
knuckle |
|
| kage |
hook |
|
| mawashi |
roundhouse |
|
| ushiro |
back |
|
|
|
Basic Stances |
|
| Japanese |
English |
|
| heiko dachi |
heels together toes apart with straight legs |
|
| gankaku dachi |
crane stance |
|
| kake dachi |
one knee pressed in the back of the bent front leg |
|
| kiba dachi |
horse stance similar to shiko dachi but feet face forward |
|
| kokutsu dachi |
back stance |
|
| musubi dachi |
heels together, toes apart at 90 deg |
|
| neko ashi dachi |
cat stance |
|
| sanchin dachi |
hour glass stance |
|
| shiko dachi |
sumo stance |
|
| shizen dachi |
open leg stance before "yoi" |
|
| shizen dachi heiko |
"yoi dachi" feet shoulder width apart facing forward |
|
| sochin dachi |
diagonal straddle leg stance |
|
| yoi dachi |
ready stance feet shoulder width apart |
|
| zenkutsu dach |
forward stance |
|
|
|
Attack Levels |
|
| Japanese |
English |
|
| jodan |
above shoulder level |
|
| chudan |
middle area between hips and shoulder |
|
| gedan |
lower area below hips |
|
|
|
Training Commands |
|
| Japanese |
English |
|
| hajime |
begin / start |
|
| kamae te |
on guard |
|
| mawate |
turn around / change direction |
|
| seiza |
to kneel or sit back on heels |
|
| yame |
stop |
|
| yasame |
relax, stand at ease |
|
| yoi |
ready |
|
|
|
Hand/Elbow Attacks |
|
| Japanese |
English |
|
| age zuki |
rising punch |
|
| awase zuki |
combined punch |
|
| choko zuki |
straight punch |
|
| gyaku zuki |
reverse punch |
|
| hiraken zuki |
fore knuckle fist straight punch (second joints of fingers) |
|
| ippon ken zuki |
one knuckle punch |
|
| kage zuki |
hook punch |
|
| kizami zuki |
front jab |
|
| mae ken zuki |
front hand punch (vertical fist) |
|
| mawashi zuki |
roundhouse punch |
|
| morote zuki |
double fist punch |
|
| oi zuki |
lunge punch (step over punch) |
|
| tataken zuki |
as above |
|
| teisho zuki |
palm heel straight punch |
|
| tettsui |
hammer fist |
|
| ura zuki |
close punch |
|
| yama zuki |
double handed U punch |
|
| empi uchi |
elbow stike (also called hijiatei) |
|
| haishu uchi |
backhand strike |
|
| keito uchi |
chicken head strike |
|
| haito uchi |
ridge hand strike |
|
| hiraken |
punch using the second knuckles of the hand (towards throat) |
|
| mawashi uke |
circular block |
|
| nukite |
spear hand strike |
|
| shotei |
palm heel strike towards chin or nose |
|
| shuto uchi |
knife hand strike towards side of neck - the karate chop! |
|
| teisho |
palm heel strike towards other areas such as inner bicep |
|
| uraken |
back knuckle strike |
|
|
|
Blocks |
|
| Japanese |
English |
|
| jodan age uke |
upper rising block |
|
| chudan ude uke |
mid section across the body block using forearm |
|
| chudan uchi uke |
mid section inside out block using forearm |
|
| gedan barai |
lower block |
|
| jiyi uke |
cross block |
|
| kake te |
hooking hand (for grabbing) |
|
| kake uke |
hooking block |
|
| mine uke |
backhand block with bent wrist |
|
| morote uke |
two hand forearm block |
|
| nami ashi |
inside snapping block with foot |
|
| nagashi uke |
open hand pushing block |
|
| osae uke |
pressing hands |
|
| shuto uke |
knife hand block |
|
| sukui uke |
sweeping block (for mae geri) |
|
|
|
Kicks & Sweeps |
|
| Japanese |
English |
|
| ashi barai |
foot sweep |
|
| fumakomi geri |
stomping kick |
|
| hiza geri |
knee strike |
|
| kansetsu geri |
stomping or joint kick usually to knee joint |
|
| kin geri |
front snap kick to groin using instep |
|
| mae ashi geri |
rising shin kick (half way between mae geri and mawashi geri) |
|
| mae geri |
front kick |
|
| mawashi geri |
roundhouse kick |
|
| mikazuki geri |
crescent kick |
|
| yoko geri keage |
side kick (snapping) |
|
| yoko geri kekomi |
side kick (thrusting) |
|
| yoko tobi geri |
flying side kick |
|
| ura mawashi geri |
hook kick |
|
| ushiro geri |
back kick |
|
|
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