Glossary and Terminology

Guide to Japanese Pronunciation

Although the Karate terminology is in Japanese, it is very easy to pronouce if you follow a few simple rules:

In the case of vowels, that is the letters a, e, i, o, u, pronouce them in the following manner (this is the only way they are ever pronouced):

• pronounce "a" like the "a" in the word "at"
• pronounce "e" like the "e" in the word "egg"
• pronounce "i" like the "e" in the word "be"
• pronounce "o" like in the word "awe"
• pronounce "u" like the "o" in the word "do"

In the case of the double vowel "ei", its pronunciation has no equivalent in standard English, but is to be pronounced as the "ay" is pronounced in words like "nay" in the Yorkshire dialect

In the case of the letter "y", it is never pronounced like the letter "i" as it is often in English in words like "cry", but always pronounced like the "y" in the word "yes"

In the case of the letter "g", it can be pronounced like the letter "g" in "go" and also like the "ng" in the words "bring", "king" and "sing", but never pronounced like the "g" in the word "gentle". With the exception of the words "gedan", "geta" "go", "gohon" and "gyaku", the "g" will be pronounced like "ng".

The other letters in the Karate terminology are pronounced as they are in English.

Glossary of Japanese Words

The following is a table of Japanese words which are commonly used in martial arts, their phonetic pronunciation and the English meaning:

Japanese Word	Phonetic Pronunciation	English Meaning
Sensei	Sen - sei	Teacher
Sempai	Sem - pai	Senior Student
Dojo	Do - jo	Training Hall
Kiai	Kee - ai	Yell of Spirit
Hai	Hi	Yes
Gi	Ghee	Uniform
Seiza	Say - zah	Kneel or sit
Rei	Ray	Bow
Arigato	Are - e - ga - toe	Thank you
Yasume	Ya - sue - may	Relax or rest
Yame	Ya - may	Stop
Mukuso	Muk - kuh - so	Meditation
Karate	Kar - rah - tey	Empty Hand
Kumite	Coom - i - tay	Sparring
Kata	Cat - ah	Forms
Hidari	Ha - dar - ree	Left
Migi	Mig - ee	Right
Shomen-ni	Sho - men - nee	Front
Jodan	Joe - dahn	Face level
Chudan	Chew - dahn	Chest level
Gedan	Gay - dahn	Low level
Keage	Kay - ah - geh	Snap
Kekomi	Keh - koh - me	Thrust
Hajime	Hah - ji - me	Start
Mawate	Ma - wa - teh	Turn
Otagai - Ni	O - teh - gai - nee	Turn and bow
Counting:
ichi	itch	one
ni	knee	two
san	san	three
shi	shee	four
go	goe	five
roku	rook - u	six
shichi	shee - see	seven
hachi	hach - ee	eight
ku	ku	nine
ju	ju	ten
Stances - "dachi" (dah - chee) is added at the end of each stance:
Hachi ji	Hah - chee - gee	Open-leg (relax)
Heisoku	Hay - so - koo	Attention
Zenkutsu	Zen - kut - sue	Front
Kokutsu	Koh - kut - sue	Back
Kiba	Key - bah	Horse riding
Sanchin	San - chin	Hour glass
Shiko	Shee - ko	Horse riding (45 degrees)
Musubi	Moo - sue - bee	Attention (45 degrees)
Neko Ashi	Nee - ko ash - ee	Cat
Blocks - "uke" (U - key) is added at the end of each block:
Jodan	Joe - dahn	Face
Soto	So - toe	Outside to inside
Uchi	Oo - chee	Inside to outside
Shuto	Shoe - toe	Knife - hand
Gedan Barai (no uke)	Geh - dahn bar - eye	Low Block
Punches - "tsuki" (tsue - key) is added at the end of punch:
Oi	Oh - ee	Lunge
Gyaka	Gya - koo	Reverse
Yama	Yah - mah	U - punch
Strikes - "uchi" (U - chee) is added at the end of strike:
Shuto	Shoe - toe	Knife - hand
Tettsui	Tet - Tsue	Hammer Fist
Empi	Em - pee	Elbow
Uraken	Er - rah - ken	Back - fist
Kicks - "geri" (gary) is added at the end of kick:
Mae	Mah - eh	Front
Yoko	Yoh - koh	Side
Mawashi	Mah - wah - she	Round
Ushiro	Oo - she - row	Back
Mae - keage	Mah - eh kay - ah - geh	Front snap
Mae kekomi	Mah - eh keh - koh - me	Front thrust
Yoko keage	Yoh - koh kay - ah - geh	Side snap
Yoko kekomi	Yoh - koh keh - koh - me	Side thrust

More terms :

 Goju-ryu  - Hard-soft style

  Karate-do - Empty hand Way

  Formal Phrases :

  Onegai shimasu - Please do me the favor (of)

  Arigato gozaimasu - Thank you

  Douzo - Here/Please

  Shitsure shimasu  - Excuse me

  Mo ichi do/Mo i kai - One more time

  Seiza - Sitting on heels, sitting politely

  Mokuso - Meditate

   Titles :

  Kancho - Head of School (Sensei Mike and Sensei Laura)

  Sensei - Teacher

  Yudansha – Black belt level students

  Sempai - Senior

  Kohai - Junior

  Mon-te - Other students/Followers

  San  - Mr./Ms. --, polite form of address

  Commands :

  Shugo - Formation/Make formation

  Kiotsuke - Attention

  Rei - Bow

  Yoi  -Formal position

  Arete - Present hands/ready position

  Kamae ite - Come to Kamae

  Hajime - Begin

  Yame - Stop

  Mawate/Mawashite - Turn/Rotate

  Kakuji - Free timing/By your own count

  Geritsu - Stand up

  Suwate - Sit down 

  Fighting Terms :

  Kime - Focus

  Ma-ai - Range, engagement distance

  Kokyu - Breath

  Kumite - Fight, Contest

  Kiso/Yakuso Kumite - Pre-arranged fight

  Ippon Kumite - Single technique fight

  Ju Kumite - Free fight

  Hara/Tanden - Center/ Body's balance point

  Mune - Chest

  Se - Back

  Dojo - Place of the Way

  Shomen - Front of Dojo, symbolic for founder and teachers

  Kamidana - Shrine

  Directions :

  Mae - Front

  Ushiro - Rear

  Migi - Right

  Hidari - Left

  Jodan - Upper level/Head

  Chudan - Middle level/Chest

  Gedan - Lower level/Down

  Parts of the Body :

  Karada - Body

  Ashi - Foot/leg

  Ude - Arm

  Te - Hand

  Kote - Wrist

  Yubi - Finger

  Ashiyubi - Toe

  Kansetsu/Kubi - Joint

  Atama - Head

  Kubi - Neck

  Kata - Shoulder

  Hiji - Elbow

  Koshi - Lower Back

  O naka - Stomach

  Hara/Tanden - Center/ Body's balance point

  Mune - Chest

  Se - Back

  Mei - Eye

  Mimi - Ear

  Kihon Waza - Basic Techniques

  Kamae - Fighting/Combat position

  Kiai - Spirit meeting/Spirit yell

  Meisuki - Eye punch/keeping eye contact

  Dachi - Stance

  Kihon/Sanchin - Basic/Sanchin/Hourglass

  Neko ashi - Cat Foot

  Zenkutsu - Long or front

  Shiko - Low / Straddle

  Shizentai - Natural

  Rei - Stance resembling character rei: 

  Tsuru - Crane/One foot

  Suki - Thrust or Punch

  Seiken - Power fist/Basic fist

  Shuto - Knife edge/Chop

  Empi/hiji suki - Elbow strike

  Hiraken - Flat fist/2'nd knuckle fist

  Gyakuken - Opposite fist/Undercut

  Kentsui - Hammer fist

  Uraken - Backfist/Snap

  Shote - Palm strike

  Nuki te - Knife hand/Fingertip strike

  Chukoken - Middle knuckle fist

  Kekoken/Ipoken - One knuckle/Foreknuckle fist

  Koken - Wrist attack

  Keri/geri Kick :

  Mae - Front

  Ashi barai - Foot sweep

  Fumikomi - Stamp

  Kakuto - Heel

  Uesokutei - Ball of foot

  Tsumasaki - Toe

  Sokuto - Edge of the Foot

  Kosa geri - Inside foot/cross

  Ushiro - Back

  Hiku geri - Pulling kick

  Hiza geri - Knee kick

  Kin geri - Groin kick

  Soto - Side

  Mikazuki - Inside crescent kick with sole of foot

  Mawashi - Round (Roundhouse)

  Kekomi - Pushing

  Keage - Snap/Rising

  Ni-dan geri - Two-level / Double kick

  Uke - Defensive/responsive technique

  Hiki uke - Pulling defense

  Kake uke - Open/grabbing defense

  Ukesuki - Block/punch

  Ura uke/kaku uke - Back/hooking defense

  Ko uke - Wrist defense

  Mawashi uke - Turning/Rotating defense

  Juji uke - Cross block

  Yama uke - Mountain block

  General Techniques

  Nage waza - Throwing techniques

  Kansetsu waza - Joint techniques

  Osu - (to)Push

  Hiku - (to)Pull

  Tobu - (to)Jump, to fall

  Tsukamau - (to)Grab

  Otosu - (to) Get rid of a grab/to strip

  Tatsu - (to) Strike

  Ukemi - Passive/to receive/to roll

  Kata - Form

  Koryu - Classical

  Sanchin - Three battles

  Saifa - Break and smash

  Seiunchin - Fight by pulling and controlling

  Shisochin - Fighting in four directions

  Seipai - 18 hands

  Sanseru - 36 hands

  Sesan - 13 hands

  Kurarunfa - Hold in place and crush

  Suparinpe/Pichurin - 108 hands

  Tensho - Knock down/control with the palms

  Toitsu Fukyu - Training (Standardization & Dissemination)

  Fukyu - Dissemination

  Geki sai - Attacking and tear