DOJO ETIQUETTE
TRAINING SESSION OPENING CEREMONY
Shugo: Line up (phonetically ‘shho-go’)
Ki o tsuke: Stand to attention (phonetically ‘kee-ut-skay’)
Seiza: Kneel (phonetically ‘say-zah’)
Mokuso: Meditate (phonetically ‘mok-so’)
Mokuso yame: Finish meditating
Shomen ni: Face the front of the dojo (phonetically ‘sho-men nee’)
Rei: Bow (phonetically ‘ray’)
Sensei ni: Face your teacher
Rei: Bow and say aloud Onegaishimasu meaning please teach me (phonetically ‘on-ee-guy-shim-ass’)
Shomen ni: Face the front of the dojo
Kiritsu: Stand up (phonetically ‘kee-ree-tsoo’)
TRAINING SESSION CLOSING CEREMONY
Shugo: Line up
Ki o tsuke: Stand to attention
Seiza: Kneel
Mokuso: Meditate
Mokuso yame: Finish meditating
Otagai ni: Face your partner, bow and say aloud Arigato Gozaimashita
Rei: Bow
Shomen ni: Face the front of the dojo
Rei: Bow
Sensei ni: Face your teacher, bow and say aloud Arigato Gozaimashita meaning thank you
(phonetically ‘ary-gato goz-aye-mahsh-tah’)
Rei: Bow
Shomen ni: Face the front of the dojo
Kiritsu: Stand up and bow.
Leaving the dojo: At the end of a lesson, it is not necessary to wait and leave the dojo in order of rank. But if you do meet at the exit, it is just a matter of courtesy to allow the senior to go first.
Japanese Grammar: You will sometimes hear people say ‘arigato gozaimashito’ (with a ‘tah’ at the end) or ‘arigato gozaimasu’ (without the ‘tah’). It is just a case of thanking someone in the future or past tense. ‘Arigato gozaimashita’ is used at the end of the lesson to thank the Sensei for the lesson just given. ‘Arigato gozaimasu’ would be used at the start of the lesson to thank the Sensei for the lesson they are about to give.
DOJO COMMUNICATION
Arigato Gozaimashita: Thank you for teaching me
Kiai: Focusing shout
Hai: Yes
Hajime: Begin
Onegaishimasu: Please teach me
Osu: Yes / no / general
Shugo: Line up
Wakari masu ka?: Do you understand?
Wakari masu: I understand
Wakari masen: I don't understand
Yame: Stop
Yoi: Ready
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
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
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
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
Muchimi: Heavy, sticky action
Obi: Training uniform belt
Oyo bunkai: Study of techniques in kata (similar to Bunkai but including follow-up techniques not shown in kata)
Otagai: Training partner
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
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
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John is a 4th Dan black belt in karate with over a decade of experience running a thriving karate club. His teaching goes far beyond technique — he brings a deep passion for coaching, mentoring, and helping people become stronger, more confident versions of themselves. Outside the dojo, John is grounded by his love of nature, gardening and his family which inspire his calm, balanced approach to life.
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