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 | 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
| Choku zuki | Straight punch |
| Oi zuki | Stepping 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 Positioning
| 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 |
Karate Sparring - 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 |
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 |
| Mokoso Yame | Open your eyes |
| Shomen ni rei | Bow to front of dojo |
| Sensei ni rei | Bow to Teacher |
| Otagai ni rei | Bow to other students |
| Tate | 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 |