Glossary of Karate Terms

 


Attention – Yoi!

Back – Ushiro (sounds like Oo-she-row)

Basic Techniques – Kihon (sounds like Key-hon)

Begin/Start – Hajime (sounds like Ha-gee-may)

Belt – Obi (sounds like Oh-bee)

Block – Uke (sounds like Oo-keh)

Body Movement – Tai Sabaki

Bow – Rei (sounds like Ray)

Cat – Neko (i.e. Neko Ashi Dachi = Cat Foot Stance or Cat Stance)

Elbow – Empi or Enpi (sounds like En-pee or Em-pee)

Elbow Strike – Empi-Uchi (sounds like Em-pee Oo-chee)

Focus the muscles – Kime (prounounced Kee-meh)

Foot – Ashi (sounds like Ah-she)

Form or Pattern – Kata (sounds like Ka-ta)

Front – Mae

Goodbye – Sayonara (sounds like Sa-yoh-na-rah)

Hand – Te (sound like Teh)

Head – Atama (sounds like Ah-ta-ma)

Heel – Kakato (sounds like Ka-ka-toe)

Kick – Geri 

Knee – Hiza (sounds like He-zah)

Kneeling – Seiza

Knife Hand – Shuto (sounds like Shoe-toe)

Left – Hidari (sounds like Hee-da-ree)

Low (Level) – Gedan (sounds like Geh-dan)

Mat (Practice/Training Mat) – Tatami (sounds like Ta-ta-me)

Meditate – Mokuso

Middle (Level) – Chudan (sounds like Choo-dan)

No Mind (State of “No Mind”) – Mushin

Practitioner of Karate – Karateka

Pulling Hand (brining hand back to ready position) – Hikite

Punch – Tsuki or Zuki (sounds like Zoo-key)

Push On Through Difficulties – Oss or Osu. Nevertheless, this term used in many different ways and is often used by non-Japanese Karate students for “Thank you”, “I understand”, etc. Oss (Osu) is a kind of respectful catch-all phrase. The meaning of Oss (Osu) can vary greatly between Karate schools and styles.

Right – Migi (sounds like Mee-gee)

School (Martial Arts) – Dojo (sounds like Doe-Joe)

Senior Student – Senpai or Sempai (sounds like Sen-pie)

Shout or Yell – Kiai (sounds like Key-eye)

Side – Yoko (sounds like Yoh-koh)

Snap – Keage (sounds like key-agi)

Sparring – Kumite (sounds like Coo-meh-tay)

Stance – Dachi (sounds like Dah-chee)

Stop – Yame (sounds like Yah-may)

Strike – Uchi (sounds like Oo-chee)

Sweep – Barai (sounds like Baa-rye)

Teacher/Instructor – Sensei (sounds like Sen-say)

Thrust – Kekomi

Turn Around – Mawatte (sounds like Ma-wa-tay)

Uniform – Gi (sounds like Ghee)

Upper (Level) – Jodan (sounds like Joe-dan)

Void or State of No Mind – Mushin

Yes – Hai (sounds like Hi)


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