Glossary
Karate Terms / Techniques
| Romanization | Approx. English Sound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Age Uke | (ahg-ay ook-ay) | Rising Block |
| Ashi Barai | (ash-ee bah-rah-ee) | Leg Sweep |
| Chudan | (chew-dan) | Middle (Stomach) Level |
| Dachi | (dah-chee) | Stance |
| Empi | (em-pee) | Elbow |
| Fudo | (foo-doh) | Immoveable |
| Ganmen | (gahn-men) | |
| Gedan | (geh-dan) | Low level |
| Gedan barai | (geh-dan bah-rah-ee) | Low sweep (parry) |
| Go No Sen | (go-no-sen) | Seizing the initiative later |
| Gohon | (go-hon) | Five Step |
| Gyaku | (gya-koo) | Reverse |
| Haito | (high-toe) | Inner or Ridge Hand |
| Hanmi | (han-mee) | Half Body (hip of the front leg is in front) |
| Hente | (hen-teh) | Same Side |
| Ippon | (eep-on) | One Point |
| Jiyu | (jee-you) | Freestyle |
| Jodan | (joe-dan) | High level |
| Jun zuki | (joon zoo-key) | Following Punch |
| Kaeashi | (k-eye-ash-ee) | Stepping |
| Kamae | (kah-my) | Guard / posture |
| Kata | (kah-tah) | Form (pre-arranged sequence of moves) |
| Keage | (key-aggi) | Snap |
| Kekomi | (keh-koe-mee) | Thrust |
| Kiai | (key-eye) | Yell combining physical and spritual energy |
| Kiba dachi | (key-bah dachee) | Horse-riding (Straddle) Stance |
| Kihon | (key-hon) | Basic (beginning) training |
| Kime | (key-meh) | Focus |
| Kirikae | (keeree-k-eye) | Switch over (change) |
| Kisami | (key-zamee) | Front leg/hand |
| Kokutsu dachi | (koe-kootsoo dachee) | Back stance |
| Kosa | (koh-sah) | Cross-legged |
| Kumite | (koo-mee-teh) | Sparring |
| Mae geri | (mah-eh gher-ee) | Front kick |
| Mawashi geri | (mah wah shee gher-ee) | Roundhouse kick |
| Morote Uke | (more-oh-tay oo-kay) | Assisted (supporting) forearm block |
| Nagashi | (nah-gash-ee) | Flowing |
| Nukite | (noo-key-teh) | Spear-hand straight thrust |
| Oi kome | (oy comb-ee) | Strike Inward (technique with a step) |
| Oi zuki | (oy zoo-key) | Pursuing (stepping) Punch |
| Okuri ashi | (oh-kooree Ash-ee) | Glide step |
| Omote | (oh-moh-teh) | Front (forwards/‘primary’) |
| Otoshi | (oh-tosh-ee) | Dropping |
| Rengeri | (ren-gher-ee) | Alternate kicking (combined kicking) |
| Sanbon | (san-bon) | Three-step |
| Seite | (say-teh) | Opposite side |
| Sen no sen | (sen-no-sen) | Seizing the initiative earlier |
| Shuto | (shoo-toe) | Knife hand |
| Soto | (so-toe) | Outside (as in Soto Uke: Outside block) |
| Tate | (tah-teh) | Vertical |
| Te | (teh) | Hand |
| Tori | (toe-ree) | Attacker |
| Tsugi ashi | (tsoo-gee ash-ee) | Skipping step |
| Uchi | (oo-chee) | Inside |
| Uke | (oo-kay) | Block |
| Ura | (oo-rah) | Reverse |
| Uraken | (oo-rah-ken) | Back-fist |
| Ushiro geri | (oo-shee-row geh-ree) | Rear kick |
| Waza | wah-zah | Technique |
| Yoko geri | (yo-koh gher-ee) | Side-kick |
| Yoriashi | (yo-ree ash-ee) | Sliding step |
| Zenkutsu dachi | (zen-kootsoo dach-ee) | Front stance |
Other Related Terms
| Romanization | Approx. English Sound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Karate Ka | (kara-tay-ka) | Karate Student |
| Gi | (g-ee) | Karate uniform, suit |
| Dojo | (doe-joe) | Training area/hall |
| Sensei | (sen-say) | Teacher |
| Hajime | (ha-jeemay) | Begin |
| Yame | (yah-may) | Stop/Cease |
| Rei | (ray) | Bow |
| Seiza | (say-za) | Kneeling Position |
| Ichi | (eechy) | One |
| Ni | (nee) | Two |
| San | (san) | Three |
| Shi | (shee) | Four |
| Go | (go) | Five |
| Roku | (roke) | Six |
| Shichi | (shee-chee) | Seven |
| Hachi | (ha-chee) | Eight |
| Kyu | (kyoo) | Nine |
| Ju | (joo) | Ten |
| Ju Ichi | (joo-eechy) | Eleven |
| Ni Ju | (nee-joo) | Twenty |
General note: Japanese pronounciation
In Japanese there are five vowels – a e i o u – and they are always pronounced the same way (except that i and u are sometimes silent). They don’t vary depending on the position in a word, or on accent. They are pronounced:
a as in father (ah)
e as in bed or bear (eh)
i as in machine. (ee) (ki sounds like English ‘key’)
o as in awe or lord (aw)
u as in rule (oo)
Any vowel can combine with another: so ie, au, ai, oe etc. These should be spoken with each part distinct, as two syllables (don’t turn ie into iye).
The only time a vowel sounds different is when an i or u is between two “voiceless consonants” (p t k s h). Then, the vowel becomes effectively silent. So kisa is pronounced roughly as khsa, and Yasukuni is almost Yasskuni. This also happens at the ends of the grammatical endings -desu and -masu. Effectively the u is silent.
The vowel rules such as ‘magic e’ in English are actually quite odd – it’s simpler in Japanese. So the Japanese “age” (age uke: rising block) doesn’t sound like the Englsh “age” (’years old’, ay-j): instead it’s just what you see: a-g-e.
“g” is always ‘hard’ g, as in gum, not soft like in gem.
Langauge Reference: http://everything2.com/e2node/Japanese%2520pronunciation
Karate Reference: http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~karate/ranks.shtml
Counting: http://www.shotokankarate.ca/counting%20in%20japanese.htm