Counting

ichi : 1
ni : 2
san : 3
shi : 4
go : 5
roku : 6
shichi : 7
hachi : 8
ku : 9
ju : 10
ni ju : 20
san ju : 30
yon ju : 40
go ju : 50
roku ju : 60
shichi ju : 70
nana ju : 70
hachi ju : 80
ku ju : 90
hyaku : 100
sen : 1000
mon : 10,000

A

age hiji (empi) ate : rising elbow strike
anza : cross-leg sitting
arigato : thank you
arigato gozaimasu : thank you very much (more polite)
ashi : foot
ashi barai : foot sweep
ashi sabaki : stepping and sliding
atama : head
atama uchi : head butt

B

bo : wooden staff, usually about 6 ft
bojutsu : staff art
bubishi : ancient martial arts text from China
budo : martial way or path
bunkai : application of techniques from kata
bushido : way of the warrior
butoku : principles of warriors

C

chishi : ancient form of dumbbell
chudan : middle level
chudan shotei ate : middle palm-heel smash
chudan shotei uke : middle palm-heel block
chudan shuto uke : middle knife-hand block
chudan soto uke : middle inward block
chudan uchi uke : middle outward block
chudan uke : middle block
chudan yoko-shuto uke : middle sideward knife-hand block
chudan tsuki : middle punch
cosa datchi : turning stance

D

dachi : stance
dan : step (as in chudan), or black belt ranking (as in godan)
denzook : no count
deshi : student or disciple
do : way or path
dojo : training hall
dojo kun : training hall code
domo arigato gozaimasu : thank you very much (most polite)
dozo : please

E

empi : elbow (hiji)
empi ate : elbow strike

F

fudo datchi: immovable stance

G

gedan : lower level
gedan barai uke : downward block
gedan juji uke : downward x block
gedan shotei ate : lower palm-heel smash
gedan shotei uke : lower palm-heel block
gedan shuto uke : lower knife-hand block
gedan uke : downward block
gedan yoko barai : lower sideward block
gedan tsuki : downward punch
geri : kick
geta : clogs (usually wooden)
gi : uniform
go : five
godan : fifth degree black belt
Goju Ryu : "Hard/Soft" style founded by Chojun Miyagi
Gorin No Sho : Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi
gyaku zuki : reverse or cross punch

H

hachi : eight
hachidan : eighth degree black belt
hai : yes
haito uchi : reverse knife-hand strike
haito uke : reverse knife-hand block
hajime : begin
hanshi : third and highest teaching title
hantai : reverse
hara : lower abdomen
heiko datchi : feet parallel stance
heisoku dachi : closed foot stance
hidari : left
hiji : elbow
hiji ate : elbow smash
hiji uke : elbow block
hikari : light
hiki uke : hooking block
hitsui uke : leg block
hiza : knee
hiza geri: knee kick / smash
hojo undo : subsidiary exercises
hombu/honbu dojo : main or headquarters dojo
hyaku : one hundred

I

ichi : one
ippon kumite : one step sparring

J

jiyu kumite : free sparring
jo : short staff
jodan : upper level
jodan juji uke : upper x block
jodan shotei ate : upper palm-heel smash
jodan uchi shuto uke : upper inner knife-hand block
jodan uke : upper level block
jodan age uke : upper rising block
jodan tsuki : upper level punch
josokutei : ball of the foot
ju : ten
judan : tenth degree black belt
junbi undo : warm-up exercises
juji uke : x block

K

kamae : fighting posture
kami : heavy earthenware jars
kanji : Chinese and Japanese characters
kansetsu geri : knee kick / dislocation kick
Karate : empty-hand
Karate-Do : the way of Karate
karateka : one who practices Karate
Karate ni sente nashi : there is no first attack in Karate
kata : form or pattern
keage : snap (kick)
keikoken zuki : forefinger-knuckle punch
kekomi : thrust (kick)
ken : fist
ki : spirit energy
kiai : spirit convergence
kiba dachi : horse-riding straddle stance
kihon : basics
kihon tanren : basic exercises performed while stationary
kihon undo : basic exercises performed while moving
kint : groin
kin geri : groin kick
kiostki : attention
kobudo : ancient weapon arts
kobujutsu : ancient weapon arts
kohai : junior
kokutsu dachi : backward leaning stance
kokyu : breathing
koteki tae : arm conditioning practice
ku : nine
kudan : ninth degree black belt
kumite : sparring
kyobu : chest
kyobu geri : chest kick
kyoshi : second teaching title
kyu : rank below black belt

M

ma-ai : distance, spacing
mae : front
mae geri : front kick
mae hiji (empi) ate : forward elbow strike
mageru : circle
makiwara : striking board
mawashi geri : roundhouse kick
mawashi uke : round block
mawashi tsuki: round house punch
mawatte : turn
migi : right
Miyagi Chojun : founder of Goju Ryu
mokuso : meditation
morote : double, or both hands
morote barai uke : augmented lower block
morote soto uke : augmented forearm block
mudansha : kyu grade level/holders
musuba datchi : feet at 45 degrees stance
mushin : no-mind

N

Naha-Te : Karate developed in the Naha area of Okinawa
nana : seven (sometimes used instead of shichi)
neko ashi dachi : cat stance
ni : two
nidan : second degree black belt
nidan geri : double front kick
nukite zuki : spear-hand thrust
nunchaku : wooden flailing weapon

O

obi : belt
oi zuki : lunge punch
Osensei : title of respect usually reserved for founder of an art
otoshi uke : downward dropping block

R

rei : bow
reigi : etiquette
renshi : first teaching title, qualified instructor
renzoku : without count
roku : six
rokudan : sixth degree black belt
ryu : school or system
Ryukyu : group of islands just south of Japan of which Okinawa is the largest

S

sai : three pronged ancient weapon, usually of iron
saijutsu : sai art
samurai : Japanese warrior
san : three
sanchin datchi : hour glass stance / three battles stance
sandan : third degree black belt
sashi : stone or iron hand-grip
seiken : fist (strike with first two knuckles)
seiken waza : fist technique
seiza : formal sitting posture on knees
sempai : senior
sensei : teacher, instructor, elder
sensei-ni-rei : all bow to sensei
shi : four
shichi : seven
shichidan : seventh degree black belt
shihan : director
shika dachi : sumo stance
shiro : white
shita tsuki : short range punch (fist upside down)
shodan : first degree black belt
Shorei-Ryu : early Karate school developed around Naha
Shorin-Ryu : early Karate school developed from Shuri and Tomari
shotei : palm-heel
shotei ate : palm-heel smash
shotei uke : palm-heel block
shugo : line up
Shuri-Te : early Karate school developed around Shuri
shuto : knife-hand
shuto uchi : knife-hand strike
shuto uke : knife-hand block
shuto waza : knife-hand technique
sokko : instep of the foot
sokuto : foot-edge
sokuto geri : foot-edge kick
soto uke : inside block

T

tai sabaki : body movement or shifting / evasion
tanden : spot two inches below the navel
tate tsuki : short range punch (fist vertical)
te : hand
tenshin : body and distance shifting
tenshin no kamae : body shifting fighting posture
tetsugeta : iron clogs
tetsui uchi : hammer fist strike
tobi geri : jumping kick
Tomari-Te : early Karate school developed around Tomari
tonfa : wooden weapon with handles
tora datchi : tiger stance
tsuki : punch
tsuki waza : punching technique
tsumasaki geri : toe-tip kick
tsuro ashi datchi : crane foot stance

U

uchi : strike
uchi waza : striking technique
uke : block
uke waza : blocking technique
ura : back
ura ken : backfist
ura ken uchi : backfist strike
ura tsuki : short range punch (fist upside down)
ushiro : backward
ushiro geri : back kick
ushiro hiji (empi) ate : backward elbow smash

W

waza : technique

Y

yame : stop
yari : spear
yoi : ready
yoko : side
yoko geri : side foot-edge kick
yoko hiji (empi) ate : side elbow smash
yon : four (yon is often used instead of shi)
yondan : fourth degree black belt
yubi waza : finger technique
yudansha : black belt level/holders

Z

zanshin : The state of mind where one is able to proceed from the end of one movement to the next movement freely
zazen : sitting form of meditation
zen : A Japanese school of Buddhism in which enlightenment is attained through direct intuitive insight
zenkutsu dachi : forward leaning stance