Karate Terminology

​Part of the fun of learning karate is learning about a new language. The following terms are introduced gradually as you progress through different training levels. 

COUNTING
ichi - one
ni - two 
san - three
shi - four
​go - five
roku - six
shichi - seven
hachi -eight
ku - nine 
ju - ten 

PUNCHES ( ZUKI)
seiken choku zuki - straight punch
gyaku zuki - reverse punch
oi zuki - lunge punch
age zuki - rising punch
mawashjodai zuki - round house punch
ura zuki - short punch
​keage zuki - snap punch

BLOCKS (UKE)
jodan age uke - rising block
sluto uke - knife hand block
gedan barai - downward block
morote uke - power block
jji uke - X block
​chudan uke - middle block

KICKS (GERI)
mae geri -front kick
​yoko geri - side kick
mawashi geri - round house kicki
mikazuki geri - crescent kick
ushiro geri - back kick
mae tobe geri - flying front kick
yoko tobe geri - flying side kick
kin geri - instep or groin kick 
kekomi geri - thrust kick 
keage geri - snap kick
fumikoni geri - stomp kick
hiza geri - knee kick

STANCES (DACHI)
hanmi dachi - short stance
zenkutsu dachi - front stance
kiba dachi - horse stance
shiko dachi - staddle stance
neko ashi dachi - cat stance
kokutsu dachi - back stance 
niahanchin dachi - side stepping
kosa dachi - hook stance
seiza - formal sitting position 
zazen - seated meditation

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HANDS
seiken - fist
uraken - back fist
tettsui - hammer fist
haito - ridge hand
hiraken -foe knuckle fist
shuto - knife hand
nukite - spear hand
teisho - palm heel
​empi - elbow


BASIC KARATE TERMS
karate - empty hand
sensei - instructor
gi - uniform
​obi - belt
kata - form 
dan - degree
kiai - shout of spirit
kumite - sparring 
dojo - training hall
kyu - class
makiwara - punching board
bunkai - analysis / technique
shihan- director 
shomen - front of dojo
kime -focus

COMMANDS
kyoski - attention 
rei - bow
yoi - prepare
hajime - begin
matte - stop
mawate - turn

BODY LEVELS
jodan - upper
chudan - middle
gedan - lower

GENEREAL
Shorin Ryu Shoirnkan - our karate style 
arigato - thank you
gomen nasai - excuse me
domo arigato Sensei - thank you teacher
one gaishimas - please teach me
joto -good,  hai - yes,  yosh - okay
dai sempai - senior student 
gokuro sama - thank you for your effort
kobudo - the way of weaponry
​kobujitsu - the art of weaponry

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