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.
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
Kamae |
Ready |
Shomen ni |
Full body facing |
Hanmi |
Half body facing |
Irimi |
Turned through 90° |
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 |
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 |
Omote |
Forward Stepping, forward order |
Ura |
Mirror image, forward stepping |
Go |
Backwards Stepping, Forward order |
Shiro |
Forward Stepping, Reverse order |
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 |
Shiro |
White |
Daidaiiro |
Orange |
Aka |
Red |
Ao |
Blue |
Kiiro |
Yellow |
Midori |
Green |
Murasaki |
Purple |
Chairo |
Brown |
Kuro |
Black |
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.


