Japanese Karate Terms
This page lists all of the Japanese terms that a student of Shotokan Karate is expected to know. Beginning students are expected to first learn counting from one to ten in Japanese so that he/she can follow the count of exercises during training. As the student progresses, he/she will be required to learn the names of the various kata, stances, punches, blocks and kicks in Japanese.
Opening and Closing Class
| Arigato Gozaimashita |
thank you very much |
| Kyotsuke |
stand (sit) up straight |
| Mokuso |
meditate |
| Mokuso Yame |
stop meditating |
| Narande |
line up |
| Onegashimasu |
please help me |
| Otagai ni rei |
bow to each other |
| Seiza |
sit in kneeling position |
| Sensei ni rei |
bow to the teacher |
| Shomen ni rei |
bow to the Shomen |
|
Numbers
| ichi |
one |
| ni |
two |
| san |
three |
| shi |
four |
| go |
five |
| roku |
six |
| shichi |
seven |
| hachi |
eight |
| ku |
nine |
| ju |
ten |
|
General Terms
| dan |
grade |
| dojo |
training hall |
| domo |
thanks |
| domo arigato gozaimasu |
thank you very much |
| dozo |
please |
| gi |
uniform |
| hai |
yes |
| kamaete |
make the position |
| karate |
empty hand |
| karate-Do |
the way of karate |
| kime |
focus |
| kohai |
student |
| kyoshi |
head instructor |
| kyu |
class |
| makiwara |
punching post |
| onegashimasu |
please help me |
| Oss |
exclamation uttered when bowing |
| rei |
bow |
| reigi |
feeling of respect |
| sempai |
senior |
| sensei |
teacher |
| shomen |
front wall of the dojo |
| yame |
stop |
| yoi |
ready |
|
Basics (Kihon)
| ashi |
leg |
| chudan |
middle level |
| gedan |
low level |
| hanmi |
half facing |
| hidari |
leftside |
| hikite |
pulling hand |
| jodan |
high level |
| kiai |
shout (YA) |
| mae |
frontward |
| mawashi |
round (turning) |
| migi |
rightside |
| shomen |
front facing |
| te |
hand |
| ushiro |
backward |
| waza |
technique |
| yoko |
sideways |
|
Punching
| choku |
straight |
| gyaku |
reverse |
| oi or jun |
lunging |
| tate |
vertical |
|
Striking
| kentsui |
hammer fist |
| nukite |
spear hand |
| shuto |
knife hand |
| uraken |
back fist |
|
Stances
| kiba |
side |
| kokutsu |
back |
| shizentai |
natural |
| zenkutsu |
front or forward |
|
Shifting
| gyaku kaiten |
opposite direction |
| jun kaiten |
same direction |
| kaiten |
rotation |
| naname-ni-yokeru-koto |
diagonal evasion |
| ushiro-ni-yokeru-koto |
rearward evasion |
| yokeru-koto |
evasions |
|
Kicking
| keage |
snapping |
| kekomi |
thrusting |
| mae |
frontward |
| mawashi |
roundward |
| ushiro |
backward |
| yoku |
sideward |
|
Blocking
| age |
rising |
| gedan barai |
low sweeping |
| shuto |
knife hand |
| soto |
outside to inside |
| uchi |
inside to outside |
| ude |
forearm |
| ude barai |
forearm sweeping |
|