GLOSSARY
Karate Uniform (Gi)
Obi : Belt
Uwagi :Top half of Gi
Zubon :Bottom half of Gi
Training Equipment
Chi ishi: Lever weighted stone
Ishi sashi: Stone padlocks
Kongo ken : Iron ring
Makiwara : Striking board
Nigiri game : Gripping jars
Tan : Barbells
Numbers
Ichi: One
Ni: Two
San: Three
Shi: Four
Go: Five
Roku: Six
Shichi: Seven
Hachi: Eight
Ku: Nine
Ju: Ten
Black Belt Grades
Shodan: 1st Dan
Nidan: 2nd Dan
Sandan: 3rd Dan
Yondan: 4th Dan
Godan: 5th Dan
Rokudan: 6th Dan
Nanadan: 7th Dan
Hachidan: 8th Dan
Sparring (Kumite)
Ippon kumite:
one step sparring (block and counter)
San dan gi: Basic three step sparring
Randori kumite:
Slow and soft free style sparring with emphasis on technique
Yakusoku kumite: Prearranged sparring
Iri kumite: Hard, fast but controlled continuous free style sparring
Go kumite: Full contact sparring
Parts of the body (Tai)
Ashinoyubi: Toes (Tsumasaki)
Danchin: Sternum
Ganchu: Below the nipples
Gansei: Eyeballs
Hiza: Knee
Jinchu: Region below the nose
Kinteki: Testicles
Kindama: Groin
Kote: Wrist
Miken: Bridge of nose
Mimi: Ears
Mikazuki: Jaw
Nodo: Throat
Onaka: Stomach
Seiken: Fist
Shuko: Back of hand
Suige tsu: Solar-plexus
Ude: Forearm
Yubi: Fingers
Punches (tsuki or zuki)
Jodan tsuki: Punch to the face
Chudan tsuki: Punch to the chest
Gedan tsuki: Punch to the groin
Age tsuki: Rising punch
Choku tsuki: Straight punch
Furi tsuki: Circular punch
Gyaku tsuki: Reverse punch
Kizame tsuki: Jab Punch
Oi tsuki: Lunge punch
Seiken tsuki: Forefist punch
Shotei tsuki: Palm heel thrust
Ura tsuki: Close range punch
Blocks(Uke)
Jodan uke: Upper level block
Age uke: Rising block
Chudan uke: Middle level block
Gedan harai-uke: Lower level sweep
Jodan uke: Upper level block
Hiji uke: Elbow block
Hiki uke: Pulling/grasping block
Hiza uke: Knee block
Kaisho uke: Open hand block
Ko uke: Wrist block
Shotei barai: Palm heel sweep
Shotei uke: Palm heel block
Soto uke: Forearm block (block from outside moving inward to the centre line of the body)
Sukui uke: Scooping block
Tora guchi uke: Tiger mouth block (sometimes called Mawashi Uke meaning ‘round block'
Strikes (Uchi)
Uraken uchi: Back fist strike
Empi uchi: Elbow strike (hiji)
Haito uchi: Ridge hand strike
Hiraken uchi: Fore knuckle fist strike
Ko uchi: Wrist strike
Nukite uchi: Spear hand strike
Shuto uchi: Knife-edge hand strike
Sokuto uchi: Knife-edge foot strike
Teisho uchi:
Palm heel strike
(sometimes called shotei uchi)
Tetsui uchi: Bottom fist strike
Kicking (Geri)
Mae geri: Front kick
Mawashi geri: Roundhouse kick
Yoko geri: Side kick
Ushiro geri: Back kick
Hiza geri: Knee kick
Kensetsu geri: Stamping kick, joint kick
Mae ashi geri: Front leg kick
Tobi geri: Jumping kick
Stances (Dachi)
Benzoku dachi:
One foot crossed over diagonally
in front of the other, prior to turning
Hachiji dachi:
Natural stance
Han zenkutsu dachi: forward stance
Heiko dachi: Parallel stance
Heiko sanchin dachi: Parallel stance, one foot distance apart
Heisoku dachi:
Formal attention stance, feet together
Kokutsu dachi: Back stance
Musubi dachi:
Formal attention stance, feet turned out
Neko ashi dachi: Cat stance
Reinoji dachi: tick stance
Sagiashi dachi: Crane leg stance
Sanchin dachi:
Hour glass stance
Sesan dachi:
Side facing straddle stance
Shiko dachi: Box stance
Zenkutsu dachi:
Forward leg stance
General Terms
Ashi barai: Foot sweep
Budo: Martial Way; Martial arts
Bunkai: Study of kata applications and techniques
Chudan: Middle level
Dan: Level
Do: Way; Path
Dojo: Training place
Dojo kun: Dojo rules
Gasshuku: Karate training camp
Gedan: Lower level
Geri: KIck
Gi: Dojo uniform (Do-gi)
Go: Hard, unyielding
Go kumite: Hard sparring
Goju-Ryu Karate Do: Hard/Soft style, empty handed way
Hai: Yes
Hajime: Begin
Hara: Stomach
Heishugata: ‘Closed Fist’ kata (Sanchin and Tensho)
Hidari: Left
Hiji: Elbow
Hiza: Knee
Hojo undo: Supplementary exercises
Honbu dojo: Head dojo of an organisation
Ippon kumite: One step (prearranged) sparring
Jodan: Upper level
Ju: Soft, flexible
Junbi undo: Warm up exercises
Kaishugata: ‘Open fist’ kata (Gekisai, Saifa, etc.)
Kakie: Push hands
Kamae: Combative posture
Kamae te: Assume stance
Kanji: Chinese characters
Karate: Empty hand
Karate-do: The way of karate
Kata: Forms
Keage: Snap action
Ken: Fist
Ki o tsuke: Attention (phonetically ‘kee-ut-ski’)
Kiai: Focusing shout
Kihon: Basic techniques
Kokomi: Thrust action
Koshi: Ball of the foot (or Josokutei)
Kumite: Sparring
Mae: Front
Mawatte: Turn around
Migi: Right
Mokuso:
Silent contemplation, meditation
Morote: Double / both hands
Muchimi: Heavy, sticky action
Obi: Training uniform belt
Osae: Pushing
Otagai: Training partner
Oyo bunkai: Study of techniques in kata (similar to Bunkai but including follow-up techniques not shown in kata)
Randori: Free sparring, relaxed sparring (sometimes called jiyu kumite)
Rei: Bow
Sandan gi: Three level sparring
Seiken: Fore fist
Seiza: Formal sitting position (kneeling on your haunches, feet crossed)
Semete: Attacking partner
Shime: Sanchin testing
Shomen: The front
Shugo: LIne up
Soto: Outwards
Suri ashi: Sliding step
Tai: Body
Tai sabaki: Moving the body to avoid contact
Tanden: The body´s power centre
Te: Hand
Tsuki: Punch
Uchi: Strike
Ude: Forearm
Ude tanren: Forearm conditioning
Uke: Block
Uke harai: Blocking exercises
Ura: Behind
Uraken: Back fist
Ushiro: Back, rear
Wakari masu ka?: Do you understand?
Wakari masu: I understand
Wakari masen: I don't understand
Waza: Techniques
Yakusoku kumite: Pre-arranged sparring
Yame: Stop
Yoi: Ready
Yoko: Side
Zanshin: Awareness