Karate Terminology

Karate Terminology

Block (Uke – pronounced “oo-kay”)

• Age-uke (ah-geh-oo-kay): Upper block (Raising)
• Shuto-uke (shoe-toe oo-kay): Knife-hand block
• Uchi-uke (oo-chee oo-kay): Inside center block
• Gedan-barai (Geh-dahn bah-rye): Down block
• Soto-uke (so-toh oo-kay): Outside center block
• Chudan-uke (Chew-dahn oo-kay): Middle level block
• Jodan-uke (joe-dahn oo-kay): Upper level block
• Gedan-uke (geh-dahn oo-kay): Lower level block
• Hiza-uke (he-zah oo-kay): Knee block
• Juji-uke (jew-gee oo-kay): X-block
• Morote-uke (moe-row-the oo-kay): Augmented block
• Nagashi-uke (nah-gah-she oo-kay) Sweeping block
• Sashite-uke (sah-she-tay oo-kay): Rising hand block
• Teishi-uke (tay-sho oo-kay): Palm-heel block

Punch (Zuki – pronounced “zoo-key”)

• Age-zuki (ah-geh zoo-key): Rising punch
• Awase-zuki (ah-wah-say zoo-key): U-punch
• Choku-zuki (cho-koo zoo-key): Straight punch
• Chudan-zuki (chew-dahn zoo-key): Middle area punch
• Gyaku-zuki (gya-koo zoo-key): Reverse punch
• Jodan-zuki (joe-dahn zoo-key): face level punch
• Morote-zuki (moe-row-the- zoo-key): Double “U” punch
• Oi-zuki (oh-ee zoo-key): Lunge punch
• Tate-zuki (tah-the zoo-key): Vertical punch
• Teisho-zuki (tay-show zoo-key): Palm-heel punch
• Ura-zuki (oo-rah zoo-key): Close punch

Kick (Geri – pronounced “geh-rhee”)

• Ashi-Barai (ah-she bah-rye): Foot sweep
• Fumikomi (foo-me-koh-me): Stamping kick
• Keage (key-ah-geh): Snap kick
• Kekomi (kay-koh-me): Thrust kick
• Mae-geri (mah-eh geh-rhee): Front kick
• Mae-geri-kaege (mah-eh geh-rhee kay-ah-geh): Front snap kick
• Mae-geri-kakomi (mah-eh geh-rhee kay-koh-me): Front thrust kick
• Mae-tobi-geri (mah-eh toe-be geh-rhee): Jumping front kick
• Mawashi-geri (mah-wha-she geh-rhee): Round kick
• Ushiro-geri (oo-she row geh-rhee): Back kick
• Yoko-geri-kaegi (yoh-koh geh-rhee key-ah-geh): Side snap kick
• Yoko-geri-kekomi (yoh-koh geh-rhee key-ah-geh): Side thrust kick

Strike (Uchi – pronounced “oo-chee”)

• Empi-uchi (en-pee oo-chee): Elbow strike
• Haishu-uchi (hi-shoo oo-chee): Back hand strike
• Haito-uchi (hi-toe oo-chee): Ridge-hand strike
• Ippon-ken (eep-pone ken): One-knuckle fist
• Nukite (noo-key-teh): Spear hand
• Kentsui-uchi (ken-tsue-ee oo-chee): Hammer fist strike
• Shuto-uchi (shoe-toe oo-chee): Knife hand strike
• Teisho-uchi (tay-sho oo-chee): Palm hand strike
• Uraken-uchi (oo-rah-ken oo-chee): Back fist strike

Stance (Dachi – pronounced “dah-chee”)

• Fudo-dachi (foo-dough dah-chee) Rooted stance
• Hachiji-dachi (hah-chee-gee dah-chee): Open leg stance
• Hangetsu-dachi (hahn-geh-tsue dah-chee): Half-moon stance
• Heiko-dachi (hay-koh dah-chee): Parallel stance
• Kamae (kah-may): Sparring posture
• Kiba-dachi (key-bah dah-chee): Side stance (horse stance)
• Kokutsu-dachi (koe-koo-tsu dah-chee): Back stance
• Kosa-dachi (koe-sah dah-chee): Crossed legged stance
• Neko-ashi-dachi (neh-koh ah-she-dah-chee): Cat stance
• Sanchin-dachi (san-chin dah-chee): Hour-glass stance
• Shizentai (she-zen dah-chee): Natural position
• Sochin-dachi (so-chin dah-chee): Diagonal straddle-leg stance
• Teiji-dachi (the-gee dah-chee): T stance
• Zenkutsu-dachi (zen-koo-tsue dah-chee): Front stance

Numbers

• Ichi (ih-chee): One
• Ni (nee): Two
• San (sahn): Three
• Shi (she): Four
• Go (go): Five
• Roku (roo-koo): Six
• Shichi (Shih-chee): Seven
• Hachi (Hah-chee): Eight
• Ku (koo): Nine
• Ju (joo): Ten

General Terms

• Budo (boo-doh): Martial way
• Bunkai (bun-kye): Applications
• Chudan (chew-dahn): Chest area
• Dan (dahn): Black belt rank
• Do (doh): Way/path
• Dojo (doh-joh): Training area
• Domo Arigato Gozai-mashita (doh-moh ah-ree-gah-toe go-zye-mah-she-tah) Thank you very much (past)
• Gasshuku (gas-shoe-koo) Summer camp
• Gedan (geh-dahn): Lower body area
• Gi (ghee): Uniform
• Gohan-kumite (goh-hon koo-mih-tay): Five step sparring
• Hai (hi): Yes
• Hajime (hah-zhim-ay): Begin
• Hidari (he-dah-rhee): Left
• Hombu-Dojo (hohm-boo doh-joh): Dojo headquarter
• Ippon kumite (eep-pohn koo-me-teh): One step sparring
• Jiyu ippon (jye-oo ih-pon): Free one step sparring
• Jiyu-kumite (gee-you koo-me-teh): Free sparring
• Jodan (joh-dahn): Face area
• Kamae (kah-mah-eh): Sparring posture
• Karate (kah-rah-teh): Empty hand
• KarateKa (kah-rah-teh-kah): Karate student
• Kata (kah-tah): Form
• Ki (key): Mind, Spirit, Energy
• Kiai (key-aye): Focusing shout
• Kihon (key-hohn): Basic technique
• Kihon kumite (key-hohn koo-me-teh): Basic sparring
• Kime (key-may): Focus of power
• Kumite (koo-me-teh): Sparring
• Kyu (kyoo): White/Brown belt Rank
• Mae (mah-eh): Front
• Makiwara (mah-key-wha-rha): Punching board
• Mawate-te (mah-wha-tay): Turn around
• Migi (me-ghee): Right
• Ohayo Gozaimasu (oh-ha-yoh go-zye-mah-soo): Good morning
• Onegai-shimasu (oh-nih-guy-she-mah-soo): Please teach me
• Osu (oh-soo): Greeting
• Oyasumi nasai (oh-yah-soo-me nah-sigh): Good night
• Rei (rey): Bow
• Sanbon kumite (san-bohn koo-me-teh): Three step sparring
• Seiza (say-zah): Sitting position
• Sempai (sehm-pye): Senior student
• Sensei (sehn-seh-ee): Instructor
• Shizen-tai (she-zen tah-ee): Natural position
• Tai sabaki (tye sah-bah-key): Body movement
• Waza (wah-zah): Technique
• Yame (yah-may): Stop
• Yoi (yoy): Ready
• Zanshin (zahn-shin): Following through technique