Japanese Term |
Pronunciation |
Description |
KIOTHUKE |
Kee-oh-skee |
Attention |
MOKUSO |
Mohk-soh |
Meditation |
YAME |
Yah-may |
Finish, Return to attention |
YOI |
Yoy |
Ready position, attention stance |
HAJIME |
Hah-jeee-may |
Command to Begin |
OREI |
Ray |
Command to Bow |
SHOMENI |
Sho-meh-nee |
To the front (bowing) |
SENSEI |
Sen-say |
Instructor |
SEMPAI |
Sem-pai |
Senior Instructor or Senior student |
OTAGAI |
Oh-tah-guy |
To each other (bowing) |
DOJO |
Doh-joh |
Training Hall/school |
KYU |
Cue |
Grade, lower belt rank |
DAN |
Dahn |
Degree, Black belt rank |
OSU |
Ohs |
A karate greeting, Yes, show of respect |
HAI |
High |
Yes, A formal answer |
ONEGAI SHIMASU |
Oh-neh-guy Shee-mahs |
Please . . . teach me |
MAKIWARA |
Mah-kee-wah-rah |
Punching board |
AGE UKE |
Ah-geh oo-keh |
Rising block |
GEDAN BARAI |
geh-dahn-bah-rye |
Downward block |
ZENKUTSU DACHI |
Zen-koot-sue-dah-chee |
Front stance |
OI ZUKI |
Oy-zoo-kee |
Forward punch |
GYAKU ZUKI |
Gee-yah-koo-zoo-kee |
Reverse punch |
CHOKU ZUKI |
Cho-koo Zoo-kee |
Forefist straight punch |
SAN BON ZUKI |
Sahn-bohn Zoo-kee |
Three alternating punches |
JODAN |
Joh-dahn |
Upper level, face area |
CHUDAN |
Choo-dahn |
Middle level, chest area |
GEDAN |
Geh-dahn |
Lower level, below the belt area |
SOTO UKE |
So-toh-oo-keh |
Outside middle block |
UCHI UKE |
Oo-chee-oo-keh |
Inside middle block |
MAE GERI |
My-geh-ree |
Front snap kick |
YOKO GERI KEAGE |
Yoh-koh-geh-ree Keh-yah-keh |
Side snap kick |
YOKO GERI KEKOMI |
Yoh-koh-geh-ree Keh-koh-mee |
Side thrust kick |
MAWASHI GERI |
Mah-wah-shee Geh-ree |
Roundhouse kick |
USHIRO GERI |
Oo-shee-roh Geh Ree |
Back kick |
SHUTO UKE |
Shoo-toh Oo-keh |
Knife hand block |
KOKUTSU DACHI |
Koh-koot-sue Dah-chee |
Back stance |
KIBA DACHI |
Kee-bah Dah-chee |
Horse riding stance |
URAKEN |
Oo-rah-ken |
Backfist strike |
EMPI |
Em-pee |
Elbow strike |
HAITO |
High-toh |
Ridgehand strike |
JYUJI UKE |
Joo-gee Oo-keh |
X-block |
KATA |
Kah-tah |
Form, A series of techniques executed in sequence |
KUMITE |
Koo-mee-teh |
Fighting or Sparring in offense or defense |
TAIKYOKU |
Tie-kee-yoh-koo |
“First Cause”, a beginner kata |
HEIAN |
Hey-yahn |
“Peaceful Mind”, lower belt katas, an era in Japanese History |
ICHI |
|
One |
NI |
|
Two |
SAN |
|
Three |
SHI |
|
Four |
GO |
|
Five |
ROKU |
|
Six |
SHICHI |
|
Seven |
HACHI |
|
Eight |
KU |
|
Nine |
JU |
|
Ten |
|