Below is a fairly list of Japanese terms and their approximate English translation. This is intended to give new students a quick guide to terms that may be used in class.

NOTE:

This is by no means a complete list of karate terms in Japanese, nor is it a precise translation or pronunciation list. Japanese-English translation is a complicated process that can yield several interpretations for the same phrase, and proper Japanese pronunciation in only achieved with well-informed practice and feedback from someone with good understanding of the Japanese language.

Fortunately, perfect pronunciation and translation skills are not necessary for practicing karate.



Japanese - English

Shian -  Master

Sensei -  Teacher

Sempai -  Senior

Koohai -  Junior

Sensei ni rei -  Bow to the teacher

Sempai ni rei -  Bow to the senior

Otagai ni rei -   Bow to all or 'bow to each other'

Shomen ni rei -  Bow to the dojo-alter-where usually Grand Master sits and karate forefather’s portraits is displayed.
 
Mokuso -  Close the eyes (for meditation)

Mokuso yamate -  Open the eyes

Karate-do -  Empty handed way

Karate-ka -  Karate student

Shotokan -  A Style of katate

Obi -  Belt

Hajime -  Begin

Dojo  -  Training hall

Ma-ette -  Turn

Yoi -  Get ready" Ready, in a state of alertness

Naote / Yasume -  Relax

Dachi -  Stance

Zuki -  Punch

Uchi -  Strike

Uke -  Black

Geri -  Kick

Kihon -  Basic (s)

Ki-ai -  "Spirit focus" / a focusing cry generated from abdomen (not from the mouth) by the burst of power while executing a technique .
   
Kime -  "Decision" / focus

Shomen -  Front

Rei -  Bow

Seiza -  Kneel

Yame -  Stop

Awase -  Combined

Gyaku -  Reverse

Sokumen -  Side or flank, example - Sokumen awase uke - Side combined block.

Yoko -  Side

Naore -  Return to natural stance

Narande -  Line up

Seiretsu -  Line up by rank

Hai -  Yes

Maai -  Distance

Hanmi -  Half-body

Koshi -  Hip or Waist

Koshi kamea -  Hip posture example where the fist are held one above the other against the hip.

Numeral

Ichi  -  1                          

Ni -  2

San -  3

Shi -  4

Go -  5

Roku -  6

Shichi -  7

Hatchi -  8

Kyu -  9

Ju -  10

Dachi - Stance

Shizentai - Natural stance

Hachiji dachi -  Open leg stance / natural closed feet shoulder width apart toes slightly pointed out.

Heisoku dachi -  Informal attention stance closed foot stance - feet together with inside of heels and big toe touching.

Musubi dachi -  Formal attention stance-feet together with inside of heels touching but with toes apart, pointing outwards and forming a "V" shape.

Heiko dachi -  Parallel stance - feet shoulder width apart with toes pointing slightly inwards such that the outer sides of the foot are on parallel lines.

Shiko dachi -  Sumo or square stance or horse straddle leg stance, feet as in KIBA DACHI but with toes point out a 45 degrees.

Kataashi dachi -  Performed in kata - Kanku -dai

Kosa dachi -  Cross feet stance

Kata hiza dachi  -  A stance / posture performed in kata - Gankaku

Tsuru ashi dachi -  Crane stance, also referred to as Gankaku dachi and Sagi ashi dachi. A stance / posture performed in kata Jitte and Gankaku.     

Han zenkutsu dachi -  Half-short front stance

Kiba dachi -  Horse riding stance - feet parallel

Kokutsu dachi -  Back stance

Zunkutsu dachi -  Front stance

Neko ashi dachi -  Cat stance

Fudo dachi  or Sochin dachi  -  Rooted stance or Immovable stance - an intermediate position between Kiba - Dachi and Zenkutsu - Dachi strengthened vertically and horizontally given the impression of being rooted to the ground.

It is essential to bend the knees deeply and exert an outer pressure while shifting the center of gravity.

Sanchin dachi -  Pigeon toed or hourglass stance

Hangetsu  dachi -  Half-moon stance or wide hourglass stance - the distance between the feet should be a little less than twice the shoulder's width, the front foot pointing 45* inward and the back foot 45* towards the outside.

The knees are bent inward and exert an inner pressure enabling to use this stance against KINTEKI.

Moto dachi -  Original stance  as performed in kata - Kanku -sho     

Renoji dachi  -  "L" stance as performed in kata - Heian -godan

Geri - Kick

Mikazuki geri -  Crescent kick

Hiza geri -  Knee kick

Fumikomi -  Stamping kick

Mae geri -  Front kick

Mae geri keage -  Front snap kick

Mae geri kekomi -  Front thrust kick

Yoko geri -  Side kick

Kekomi geri -  Thrust kick

Yoko geri kekomi  -  Side thrust kick

Yoko geri keage -  Side snap kick

Mawashi geri - Round house kick

Gyaku mawashi geri  -  Reverse roundhouse kick also as - Ura mawashi geri

Mae tobi geri -  Jumping front kick

Yoko tobi geri  -  Jumping side kick

Nidan tobi geri -  Jumping double kick

Ushiro geri -  Back kick

Ushiro geri keage -  Back snap kick

Ushiro ura mawashi geri -  Back spinning hook kick

Tobi geri -  Jumping kick

Ren geri -  A combination of kicks with alternate leg

Ashi barai -  Foot sweep

Ushiro kekomi  -   Back side thrust kick

Mae ashi geri -  Front kick with front leg also known as - Choku geri

Kasei geri -  Under kick, it is kicking from under your opponent it is seen in the kata - Unsu.

Kesage geri -  Low stomp kick it is seen in the kata - Unsu

Zuki - Punch

Choku zuki -  Straight punch

Oi zuki -  Lunge punch

Gyaku zuki -  Reverse punch

Kizami zuki -   Jab punch

Age zuki -   Rising punch

Kagi zuki -  Hook punch

Morote zuki -  Double hand punch

Awase zuki -  U-shaped punch, also known as - Morate zuki

Mawashi zuki -  Round house punch

Tate zuki -  Vertical punch

Yama zuki -  Wide "U" punch

Ura zuki -  Close punch or upper cut

Ren zuki -  Alternate punching

Nagashi zuki -  Flowing punch

Heiko zuki -  Parallel punch

Hasami zuki -  Scissors punch

Uraken uchi -  Back fist strike

Teisho uchi -  Palm heel strike

Empi uchi -  Elbow strike

Tate empi uchi -  Vertical elbow strike

  Yoko empi uchi -  Side elbow strike

Mae empi uchi -  Front elbow strike

Mawashi empi uchi -  Roundhouse elbow strike

Ushiro empi uchi  -   Striking to the rear with the elbow

Otoshi empi uchi -  Dropping, downwards elbow strike, an elbow strike made by dropping the elbow also known as - Otoshi hiji ate.

Haito uchi -  Ridge hand strike

Haishu uchi -  Back hand strike

Tettsui uchi -  Hammer strike

Yoko mawashi empi uchi -  Side round elbow strike

Shuto uchi -  Knife hand strike

Uke - Block

Age uke -  Rising block

Soto ude uke -  Outside in forearm block

Uchi ude uke -  Inside forearm block

Gedan barai -  Downward sweep

Gedan uke -  Lower block

Shotei uke -  Palm heel block

Shuto uke -  Knife hand block

Soto uke -  Outside in block

Teisho uke -  Palm heel block as in - Shotei uke

Gyaku soto uke -  Reverse outside block

Haishu uke -  Back hand block or back of the hand

Haito uke -  Ridge hand block

Haiwan nagashi uke -  Back of the arm / wrist sweeping block

Haiwan uke -  Back of the arm / wrist block

Harai te -  Sweep with the hand

Hiji suri uke -  Elbow sliding block

Hiji or Empi uke -  Elbow block

Kosa uke -  Cross block

Juji uke -  Cross or X-block

Kakewake uke -  Reverse wedge block

Osae uke -  Pressing block

Hineri uke -  Twisting block

Mawashi uke -   Roundhouse block

Morote uke -  Two handed or augmented block

Nagashi uke -  Flowing or sweeping block

Otoshi uke -  Dropping, downwards, pushing block

Sukui uke -  Scooping block

Tate shuto uke -  Vertical knife hand block

Tate uke -  Vertical block

Teisho awase uke -  Combined palm heel block

Tettsui uke -  Hammer firs block also known as - Kentsui uke

Ude uke -  Forearm block

Kake uke -  Hooking block   

Postures

Hanmi -  Half body facing posture, a ready position stance with the feet staggered and the bode facing 45 degree.

Irimi -  Turned through 90 degrees to penetrate - to enter

Kamae -  Posture, ready posture fighting posture

Seiza -  Sitting posture

Shizen tai -  Natural stance posture

Levels

Jodan -  Upper level, area above neck

Chudan -  Middle level, torso area

Gedan -  Lower level, area below torso

Movements

Age -  Rising

Shuto -  Outer / outside

Uchi -  Inner / inside also means strike

Mawashi -  Roundhouse

Ura -  Close range or upper

Tate -  Vertical

Tobi -  Jumping

Keage -  Snap

Kekomi -  Thrust

Mawatte -  Turn

Ren -  Use of alternate hands or legs for a technique - as in ren zuki or ren geri.

Tai sabaki -  Body shifting

Yori ashi -  Foot shifting

Body Parts

Ashi -  Leg / foot

Ashnokou -  Instep (of foot)

Ashi yubi -  Toes

Empi / hiji -  Elbow

Fukubu -  Abdomen

Gan -  Eye

Wan -  Arm

Heisoku -  Top of the foot

Hiza -  Knee

Kakato -  Heel

Kami -  Hair

Kata -  Shoulder

Sokuto -  Outer edge of foot

Te -  Hand

Tekken / ken -  Fist

Tenohira -  Palm

Ude -  Forearm or as in - Zenwan

Tekubi -  Wrist or as in - Ude kuki

Hands and Arms

Zuki -  Punch

Nukite -  Knife / spear hand thrust attack

Uchi -  Strike

Tettsui -  Iron hammer, Hammer fist strike as in kata - heian -shodan

Uraken -  Back fist

Kaisho -  Open Hand

Shuto -  Knife hand

Haito -  Ridge hand

Haishu -  Back hand

Teisho -  Palm heel

Wan -  Arm

Hiraken -  Fore-knuckle fist, striking with second joint of fingers

Ipon ken -  One knuckle fist

Ipon nukite -  One Finger spear hand

Empi -  Elbow

Washide -  Eagle hand, formally called - Washi -te

Kumite - Sparring

Iri Kumi -  Free style sparring used in Okinawan Dialect

Kihon gohon kumite -  Basic five-step sparring

Kihon sanbon kumite -  Basic three-step sparring

Jiyuu ippon kumite -  Semi free one-step sparring

Jiyuu Kumite -  Free Style sparring

Shi ai kumite -  Tournament sparring

Randori -  Slow co-operative free style sparring

Tournament's

Aite -  Opponent / Training partner

Aka -  Red / Red player

Shiro -  White

Hajime -  Begin

No kachi  -  Winner

Shinpan -  Referee

Waza ari -  Half point

Ippon -  Full point

USS!