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Numbers

IchiOne
NiTwo
SanThree
ShiFour
GoFive
RokuSix
ShichiSeven
HachiEight
KuNine
JuTen

A training session´s opening ceremony

ShugoLine up (phonetically ‘shho-go’)
Ki o tsukeStand to attention (phonetically ‘kee-ut-skay’)
SeizaKneel (phonetically ‘say-zah’)
MokusoMeditate (phonetically ‘mok-so’)
Mokuso yameFinish meditating
Shomen niFace the front of the dojo (phonetically ‘sho-men nee’)
ReiBow (phonetically ‘ray’)
Sensei niFace your teacher
ReiBow and say aloud Onegaishimasu meaning please teach me (phonetically ‘on-ee-guy-shim-ass’)
Shomen niFace the front of the dojo
KiritsuStand up (phonetically ‘kee-ree-tsoo’)

A training session´s closing ceremony

ShugoLine up
Ki o tsukeStand to attention
SeizaKneel
MokusoMeditate
Mokuso yameFinish meditating
Shomen niFace the front of the dojo
ReiBow
Sensei niFace your teacher
ReiBow and say aloud Arigato Gozaimashita meaning thank you (phonetically ‘ary-gato goz-aye-mahsh-tah’)
Otagai niFace your partner
ReiBow and say aloud Arigato Gozaimashita
Shomen niFace the front of the dojo
KiritsuStand up and bow.
Leaving the dojoAt 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 GrammarYou will sometimes hear people say ‘arigato gozaimashita’ (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.

Punches (tsuki or zuki)

Jodan tsukiPunch to the face
Chudan tsukiPunch to the chest
Gedan tsukiPunch to the groin
Age tsukiRising punch
Choku tsukiStraight punch
Furi tsukiCircular punch
Gyaku tsukiReverse punch
Kizame tsukiJab Punch
Oi tsukiLunge punch
Seiken tsukiForefist punch
Ura tsukiClose range punch

Blocks (Uke)

Jodan ukeUpper level block
Age ukeRising block
Chudan ukeMiddle level block
Gedan harai-ukeLower level sweep
Jodan ukeUpper level block
Hiji ukeElbow block
Hiki ukePulling/grasping block
Hiza ukeKnee block
Ko ukeWrist block
Shotei baraiPalm heel sweep
Shotei ukePalm heel block
Soto ukeForearm block (block from outside moving inward to the centre line of the body)
Sukui ukeScooping block
Tora guchi ukeTiger mouth block (sometimes called Mawashi Uke meaning ‘round block’)

Strikes (Uchi)

Uraken uchiBack fist strike
Empi uchiElbow strike (hiji)
Haito uchiRidge hand strike
Hiraken uchiFore knuckle fist strike
Ko uchiWrist strike
Nukite uchiSpear hand strike
Shuto uchiKnife-edge hand strike
Sokuto uchiKnife-edge foot strike
Teisho uchiPalm heel strike (sometimes called shotei uchi)
Tetsui uchiBottom fist strike

Kicking (Geri)

Mae geriFront kick
Mawashi geriRoundhouse kick
Yoko geriSide kick
Ushiro geriBack kick
Hiza geriKnee kick
Kensetsu geriStamping kick, joint kick
Mae ashi geriFront leg kick
Tobi geriJumping kick

Stances (dachi)

Benzoku dachiOne foot crossed over diagonally in front of the other, prior to turning
Hachiji dachiNatural stance
Han zenkutsu dachiHalf forward stance
Heiko dachiParallel stance
Heisoku dachiFormal attention stance, feet together
Kokutsu dachiBack stance
Musubi dachiFormal attention stance, feet turned out
Neko ashi dachiCat stance
Reinoji dachitick stance
Sagiashi dachiCrane leg stance
Sanchin dachiHour glass stance
Sesan dachiSide facing straddle stance
Shiko dachiBox stance
Zenkutsu dachiForward leg stance

Sparring

Kumitesparring
Ippon kumiteone step sparring (block and counter)
San dan giBasic three step sparring
Randori kumiteSlow and soft free style sparring with emphasis on technique
Yakusoku kumitePrearranged sparring
Iri kumiteHard, fast but controlled continuous free style sparring
Go kumiteFull contact sparring

Training Equipment

Chi ishiLever weighted stone
Ishi sashiStone padlocks
Kongo kenIron ring
MakiwaraStriking board
Nigiri gameGripping jars
TanBarbells

Karate uniform (Gi)

ObiBelt
UwagiTop half of Gi
ZubonBottom half of Gi

Kyu Grade Belt Colours

10th KyuWhite Belt
9th KyuYellow Belt
8th KyuOrange Belt
7th KyuGreen Belt
6th KyuBlue Belt
5th KyuPurple Belt
4th KyuPurple with White Stripe Belt
3rd KyuBrown Belt
2nd KyuBrown with black tag (or one white stripe) Belt
1st KyuBrown with two tags (or two white stripes) Belt

Grades

Shodan1st Dan
Nidan2nd Dan
Sandan3rd Dan
Yondan4th Dan
Godan5th Dan
Rokudan6th Dan
Nanadan7th Dan
Hachidan8th Dan

Parts of the Body (Tai)

AshinoyubiToes (Tsumasaki)
DanchinSternum
GanchuBelow the nipples
GanseiEyeballs
HizaKnee
JinchuRegion below the nose
KintekiTesticles
KindamaGroin
KoteWrist
MikenBridge of nose
MimiEars
MikazukiJaw
NodoThroat
OnakaStomach
SeikenFist
ShukoBack of hand
Suige tsuSolar-plexus
UdeForearm
YubiFingers

General Terms

Ashi baraiFoot sweep
BudoMartial Way; Martial arts
BunkaiStudy of kata applications and techniques
ChudanMiddle level
DanLevel
DoWay; Path
DojoTraining place
Dojo kunDojo rules
GasshukuSpecial karate training camp
GedanLower level
GeriKick
GiDojo uniform (Do-gi)
GoHard, unyielding
Go kumiteHard sparring
Goju-Ryu Karate DoHard/Soft style, empty handed way
HaiYes
HajimeBegin
HaraStomach
Heishugata‘Closed Fist’ kata (Sanchin and Tensho)
HidariLeft
HijiElbow
HizaKnee
Hojo undoSupplementary exercises
Honbu dojoHead dojo of an organisation
Ippon kumiteOne step (prearranged) sparring
JodanUpper level
JuSoft, flexible
Junbi undoWarm up exercises
Kaishugata‘Open fist’ kata (Gekisai, Saifa, etc.)
KakiePush hands
KamaeCombative posture
Kamae teAssume stance
KanjiChinese characters
KarateEmpty hand
Karate-doThe way of Karate
KataForms
KeageSnap action
KenFist
KenkonThe symbol of the IOGKF – Literally ‘Heaven and Earth’
Ki o tsukeAttention (phonetically ‘kee-ut-ski’)
KiaiFocusing shout
KihonBasic techniques
KokomiThrust action
KoshiBall of the foot (or Josokutei)
KumiteSparring
MaeFront
MawatteTurn around
MigiRight
MokusoSilent contemplation, meditation
MuchimiHeavy, sticky action
ObiTraining uniform belt
Oyo bunkaiStudy of techniques in kata (similar to Bunkai but including follow-up techniques not shown in kata)
OtagaiTraining partner
RandoriFree sparring, relaxed sparring (sometimes called jiyu kumite)
ReiBow
Sandan giThree level sparring
SeikenFore fist
SeizaFormal sitting position (kneeling on your haunches, feet crossed)
SemeteAttacking partner
ShimeSanchin testing
ShomenThe front
ShugoLine up
SotoOutwards
Suri ashiSliding step
TaiBody
Tai sabakiMoving the body to avoid contact
TandenThe body´s power centre
TeHand
TsukiPunch
UchiStrike
UdeForearm
Ude tanrenForearm conditioning
UkeBlock
Uke haraiBlocking exercises
UrakenBack fist
UshiroBack, rear
WazaTechniques
Yakusoku kumitePre-arranged sparring
YameStop
YoiReady
YokoSide
ZanshinAwareness