Glossary

Students with the Hara Shotokan Karate Academy are encouraged to learn and use traditional japanese words during each karate lesson.

Below are a number of phrases used within Karate and their meanings.

Stances - Dachi

Dachi

Stance

Yoi dachi

Natural stance

Zenkutsu dachi

Front stance

Kokutsu dachi

Back stance

Kiba dachi

Straddle stance

Fudo dachi

Immovable stance

Heiko dachi

Feet shoulder width and straight

Hachiji dachi

Feet shoulder width and pointed in

Musubi dachi

Heels together, each foot turned out at 45 degrees

Heisoku dachi

Feet and toes together

Hangetsu dachi

Half Moon stance

Neko Ashi dachi

Cats Foot stance

Kicking Techniques - Geri Waza

Geri

Kick

Mae geri

Front kick

Yoko geri

Side kick

Mawashi geri

Round house kick

Ushiro geri

Back kick

Ura mawashi geri

Hook kick

Ushiro ura mawashi geri

Spinning hook kick

Fumikomi geri

Stamping kick

Tobi geri

Jumping kick

Ren geri

Combination kicking

Punching Techniques - Zuki Waza

Oi zuki

Stepping punch

Choku zuki

Straight punch

Gyaku zuki

Reverse punch

Tate zuki

Vertical fist

Ura zuki

Close punch

Mawashi zuki

Round house punch

Jun zuki

Lunge punch

Kagi zuki

Hook punch

Age zuki

Rising punch

Kizami zuki

Front hand punch

Morote zuki

Double hand punch

Blocking Techniques - Uke Waza

Uke

Block

Age uke

Rising block

Soto uke

Outside block

Uchi ude uke

Inside block

Gedan barai

Downward block

Shuto uke

Knife hand block

Atoshi uke

Descending block

Nagashi uke

Flowing block

Striking Techniques - Uchi Waza

Ippon nukite

One fingered strike

Nihon nukite

Two fingered strike

Shuto

Knife hand strike

Tetsui

Hammer fist

Teisho

Outside edge strike

Tatai shuto

Palm heal strike

Sokuto

Knife edge of foot

Kakato

Heal strike

Koshi

Ball of foot

Hiza geri

Knee strike

Haito Uchi

Ridge-hand strike

Keito Uchi

Chicken head strike

Nukite

Spear Hand

Shuto Uchi

Knife Hand strike

Uraken Uchi

Back Fist strike

Empi Uchi

Elbow strike

Body Positions

Kamae

Ready

Shomen ni

Full body facing

Hanmi

Half body facing

Irimi

Turned through 90°

Regions of the body - Karada

Jodan

Face Level

Chudan

Stomach Level

Gedan

Lower Level

Kao

Face

Atama

Head

Hitai

Forehead

Me

Eye

Hana

Nose

Mimi

Ear

Kuchi

Mouth

Nodo

Throat

Ago

Jaw

Kubi

Neck

Kata

Shoulder

Ude

Arm

Empi

Elbow

Te

Hand

Mune

Chest

Senaka

Back

Hiza

Knee

Ashikubi

Ankle

Kakato

Heel

Kumite

Ippon kumite

One step basic

Sanbon kumite

Three step basic

Gohon kumite

Five step basic

Jiyu ippon kumite

One step free fighting

Jiyu kumite

Open/free fighting

Shobu Hajime

Start the bout

Yame

Stop the bout

Tsuzukete Hajime

Restart the bout

Hikiwake

Draw

Encho Sen

Extra Time

Hantei

Decision

Aka

Red

Ao

Blue

Kata

Omote

Forward Stepping, forward order

Ura

Mirror image, forward stepping

Go

Backwards  Stepping, Forward order

Shiro

Forward Stepping, Reverse order

Etiquette

Shihan

Master

Sensei

Teacher

Sempai

Senior Student

Dojo

Training Hall

Shihai

Tournament

Hajimae

Begin

Yamae

Finish

Enorae

Relax

Seiza

Kneeling

Mokuso

Close your eyes and Meditate

Mokuso Yame

Open your eyes

Sensei ni rei

Bow to Teacher

Otagai ni rei

Bow to other students

Shomen ni rei

Bow to front of dojo

Kuritsu

Stand after seiza

Dan

Senior Grade

Kyu

Junior Grade

Norie

Feet together

Rei

Bow

Yoi

Natural Stance

Colours

Shiro

White

Daidaiiro

Orange

Aka

Red

Ao

Blue

Kiiro

Yellow

Midori

Green

Murasaki

Purple

Chairo

Brown

Kuro

Black

Numbers

ichi

one

ni

two

san

three

shi/yon

four

go

five

roku

six

shi/nana

seven

hachi

eight

ku/kyuu

nine

juu

ten

juu ichi

eleven

juu ni

twelve

juu san

thirteen

juu shi

fourteen

juu go

fifteen

juu roku

sixteen

juu shi

seventeen

juu hachi

eighteen

juu ku

nineteen

ni juu

twenty

ni juu ichi

twenty one

san juu

thirty

san juu ichi

thirty one

yon juu

forty

yon juu ichi

forty one

go juu

fifty

go juu ich

fifty one

roku juu

sixty

roku juu ichi

sixty one

nana juu

seventy

nana juu ichi

seventy one

hachi juu

eighty

hachi juu ichi

eighty one

kyuu juu

ninety

kyuu juu ichi

ninety one

hyaku

one hundred

hyaku go juu

one hundred & fifty

ni hyaku

two hundred

san hyaku

three hundred

sen

one thousand

For further glossary of terms used within Kumite and Kata please view the rules.