TERMINOLOGY
DAILY TERMINOLOGY Kyoshi – Grand Master Shihan - Master Sensei – Honorable Teacher Gi- Uniform Obi – Belt Dojo – Karate School Hidari – Left Side Migi – Right Side Yame – Stop. Pronounced “Yah-may” Rei – Bow Musubi Dachi – Heels together, each foot turned out at 45 degrees with hands down at your sides Kadetsu!- ALL STUDENTS stand and come to attention in Musubi Dachi Kiai – Energy Release/Spirit Shout. Sound made when striking or performing a technique Kama-te - Means get ready for action by stepping back with your right foot and performing a left gedan barai Uke – Block Zuki – Punch Geri - Kick Ashi kotai - To change sides Seiza – Sitting Posture, sitting on heels Kumite – To Spar Kata - A series of karate techniques to practice body movements and karate concepts Jodan – High level, from top of head to neck Chudan – Middle level, from neck to belly button Gedan – Low level, from belly button to groin Gyaku – Reverse, rear hand or foot technique Yoko – Side or sideways
TACHI WAZA (STANCES) *spelling variations Tachi or Dachi, depending on the placement of the word.* Heiko Dachi - feet shoulder width and pointing forward Heisoku Dachi - feet together and both heel and toes, forward Zenkutsu Dachi - forward leading stance Kiba Dachi - horse riding stance Kokutsu Dachi - backward leaning stance Fudo Dachi - Immovable Stance Neko Ashi Dachi - cat foot stance Tsuru Achi Dachi - crane foot stance Shizen Dachi - natural stance Hachiji Dachi - feet shoulder width and pointed out Uchi Hachiji Dachi - feet shoulder width and pointed in Musubi Dachi - Heels touching, Each foot pointing out at 45-degree angle Teiji Dachi - T-angled stance Renoji Dachi - L- angled stance Hangetsu Dachi - Half-moon stance Kosa Dachi - crossed foot stance
UKE WAZA (BLOCKING TECHNIQUES) *Uke means "to receive." So Uke Waza are more literally: techniques for how to receive someone's attack* Gedan Barai- low sweeping block Age Uke- High rising block Soto ude uke- Outside [to-inside] forearm block Uchi ude uke- Inside [to-outside] forearm block Shuto uke- Knife-hand block Juji or Kosa Uke- Cross- block or X-block Morote Uke- Supported forearm block Tate Shuto Uke- Vertical straight arm Knife-hand block Haiwan Uke- Back arm block Sukui Uke- Scooping block Kakiwake Uke- Wedge block
TSUKI AND UCHI WAZA (PUNCHES AND STRIKES) *spelling variations: zuki or tsuki, depending on the placement of the word,* Oi zuki- Lunging punch Gyaku zuki- reverse punch Kizami zuki- lead-hand punch Choko zuki- Standing punch Haito uchi- ridge-hand strike Uraken uchi- back-fist strike Tettsui uchi- hammer-fist strike Teisho uchi- palm-heel strike Shuto uchi- knife-hand strike Empi uchi (also spelled Enpi)- Elbow strike Nukite uchi- spear-hand strike Yama zuki- U-punch Kage Zuki- hook-punch Age zuki- rising punch Tate zuki- Vertical punch Ura zuki Kumade uchi Yumi zuki
KERI WAZA (KICKS) *note: depending on the placement of the word, it is either Keri or Geri* mae geri- front/forward kick yoko geri- side kick mawashi geri- round kick ura mawashi geri- hook-kick gyaku mawashi geri- wheel kick mikazuki geri- crescent kick ushiro geri- back kick kakato geri- Axe kick fumikomi geri- stomping kick hiza geri- knee [strike] kick ashi barai- foot sweep
PARTS OF THE BODY (SORTED IN ENGLISH) Abdomen -- Hara, Kafukubu Achilles heel/ tendon-- Akiresu ken Ankle-- ashi kubi arm-- wan arm joint-- ude kansetsu Back-- Ushiro, haimen, senaka back area (in sports)-- haibu back arm-- Haiwan back hand-- kote (2) backbone (spine)-- sebone Ball of the foot - Koshi Big toe - Oyayubi Brains - Zuno Back or Rear - Ushiro, Haimen Body, Physique - Shintai, Tai, Karada Bottom of the foot - Ashizoko Brow/ Forehead - Taikaku, Karada Buttocks - Shiri Center of Gravity - Tanden Chest - Mune Chest area - Kyobu Chin/ Jaw - Ago Collar bone - Sakotsu Collar - Ear or Ears - Mimi Edge of the foot - Sokuto Elbow - Hiji, Empi, Enpi Elbow Joint - Hiji Kansetsu Eye - Me, Gan Face, Face area - Men, Ganmen Finger - Yubi Finger joint - Yubi no kansetsu Finger tip - Yubisaki Fist - Ken Foot/ Leg - Ashi Forearm - Ude, Kote (3), Zenwan Forehead/ Brow - Hitai Gums - Haguki Hair - Ke, Kami Hand - Te Head/ Brains - Zuno Head and face area - Ganmen Heart - Shin/ Shinzo Heel - Kakato Index finger - Hitosashi Inner arm - Naiwan Inner/front forearm (thumb edge) Omote Kote Instep of foot - Haisoku Jaw/ chin - Ago Joint - Kansetsu, Fushi Kidney - Jinzo Knee cap - Hizagashira Knee joint - Hiza kansetsu Knee/ Lap - Hiza Left [side] - Hidari Leg/ foot - Ashi Liver - Kanzo (sometimes Kimo) Lower half of the body - Kahanshin Lung - Hai Mouth - Kuchi Muscles - Kinniku Neck - Kubi Neck area (in sports karate) - Keibu Nail, of the finger and toes - Tsume ( as in Bassai Sho) Nape of the neck - Keichu Navel area - Tanden Nose - Hana Outer arm - Gai wan Palm - Sho palm side of forearm - Shuwan Pulse - Myaku Reverse - Reverse-forearm - rear-forearm - Ura kote Rib - Rokkotsu Right [side] - Migi Shin - Sune Shoulder - Kata (form, as in shoulders are a major form of the body) Shoulder (for shoulder throw) - Seoi Side of chest - Wakibara Side or Lateral - Yoko Solar Plexus - Suigetsu Sole of the foot - sokutei, or Ashi Ura Spine - Stomach - Tomoe Skin - Hifu, Hada Temple - Komekami Testicles - Kinteki Thigh - Momo Throat - Nodo Thumb/ Big toe - Oyayubi Tips of the toes - Tsumasaki Toes - Ashi Yubi Tongue - Shita Tooth - Ha Top of the foot - Sokko Top of the Thigh - Mata Torso (Trunk of the Body) - Do Whole (entire) Body - Zehshin Wrist - Kote (1) Wrist joint/ Bent wrist - Koken
PARTS OF THE BODY (SORTED IN JAPANESE) *note: Sorted by romanji: English alphabet for pronounciation* ago-- Jaw or chin Akiresu ken-- Achilles heel/ tendon ashi-- foot or leg ashikubi-- ankle ashi ura-- sole of foot ashi yubi-- toes ashizoko-- bottom foot (you use this to sweep opponents foot during Ashi Barai) do-- torso or trunk Enpi (or Empi)-- elbow Fushi-- joint Gai Wan-- outer arm Gan-- eye Ganmen-- head and face area Ha-- tooth Hada-- skin Haguki-- gums Hai-- lung Haibu-- the back area used in Sports Karate Haimen-- back or rear side Haisoku-- instep of the foot Hai Wan-- back arm Hana-- nose Hara-- abdomen Hidari-- left [side] Hifu-- skin Hiji-- elbow Hijikansetsu-- elbow joint Hira Kote-- level forearm Hitai-- brow/ forehead Hitosashi-- index finger Hiza-- knee or lap Hizagashira--Knee cap Hizakansetsu-- knee joint Jinzo-- kidney kafukubu-- abdomen Kahanshin-- lower half of the body Kakato-- heel [of the foot] Kami-- hair Kansetsu-- joint Kanzo-- liver Karada-- Body, physique Kata-- Shoulder Ke-- hair Ken-- fist Keibu-- Neck area (target in sports karate) Kinniku-- muscles Kinteki-- testicles Koken-- wrist joint or bent wrist Kimo-- liver Komekami-- temple area of the head Koshi-- the ball of the foot Kote (1)-- wrist (te is on the end to signify it is of the hand. ko means arc) Kote (2)-- back hand Kote (3)-- forearm Kubi-- neck Kuchi-- mouth Kyobu-- chest area Mata-- top of the thigh Me-- eye Men-- face Migi-- right [side] Mimi-- ear or ears Momo-- thigh Mune-- chest Myaku-- pulse Nai Wan-- Inner arm Nodo-- Throat Omote Kote-- Front/ Inner forearm (thumb side) Oyayubi-- thumb or big toe Rokkotsu-- rib/ ribs Sakotsu-- collar bone Sebone-- backbone, spine Senaka-- back Seoi-- shoulder (as in shoulder throw) Shin-- heart Shintai-- body