While we use English in class for ease of learning, it can be interesting to learn some Japanese terms. Here’s a list of commonly used words in Karate.
General Terms
Karate: empty hand
Karteka: Karate practitioner
Karategi: karate wear (uniform)
Obi: belt
Dojo: training hall
Dojo kun: training hall rules
Sensei: one who came before, teacher
Seiza: kneeling position
Mokuso: silent thought (meditation, clearing the mind)
Hajime: begin
Yame: stop
Kumite: crossing hands (sparring)
Kata: form
Bunkai: breakdown or dissection (of kata movements)
Oyo: application (of kata techniques)
Zanshin: remaining mind (focused awareness)
Mushin: no mind (clear from though the Karateka acts on pure instinct/flow state)
Kyu: rank level (below black belt)
Shodan: beginning level (1st degree black belt)
Kuro Obi: black belt
Kiai: energy join (a shout summoning all of your energy on a technique)
Kata
Sanchin: three batttles (mind, body, spirit)
Tensho: turning palms/hands
Saifa: smash and tear
Kusanku: named after a Chinese martial artist
Rohai: image of the heron
Pinan: free from harm
Stances
Zenkutsu dachi: forward or front stance
Shikodachi: square stance
Nekoashi dachi: cat stance
Sanchin dachi: three battles stance
Target areas
Jodan: high level, head and neck
Chudan: mid level, torso
Gedan: low level, below belt, legs
Strikes
Tsuki: thrust/punch
Oi zuki: step-over/lunge punch
Kizami zuki: snap/jab punch
Mae ken zuki: front fist thrust/ front hand punch
Gyaku zuki: reverse thrust/ back hand punch
Shuto uchi: knife hand strike
Nukite zuki: spear hand thrust
Tettsui uchi: hammer fist strike
Empi uchi: elbow strike
Kicks
Keri: kick
Mae geri: front kick
Mawashi geri: roundhouse kick
Gedan mawashi geri: low/leg roundhouse kick
Yoko geri: side kick
Ura mawashi geri: hook kick
Ushiro geri: spinning back kick
Mae tobi geri: front jump kick
Yoko tobi geri: side jump kick
Hiza geri: knee strike
Kin geri: groin kick
Defence
Uke: receive (commonly called block but it’s more than that)
Age uke: rising receive/block
Soto uke: from outside receive/block
Uchi uke: from inside receive/block
Gedan barai: downward sweep/block
Shuto uke: knife hand receive/block
Mawashi uke: roundhouse receive/ circling hands
Numbers
1: ichi
2: ni
3: san
4: yon/shi
5: go
6: roku
7: nana/shichi
8: hachi
9: kyu
10: ju
It is not required to learn all of this but I may occasionally use these terms in class. The list ended up a lot longer than planned!
Side note: Karate originally developed in Okinawa, which has its own language, Uchinaguchi. Karate later became popularised in Japan and spread to the world from there, hence the common use of Japanese terminology.
Enso Karate 