"Japanese Karate Terminology and Genealogical Map"

From: Jason Stanley, 3rd Dan Shitoryu
2nd September, 2002.

Do you know your Japanese Karate Terminology? It is important if you practice a traditional style of karate, that you are aware of at least some of the more frequent terminology used in class. You do not have to be fluent in Japanese to understand the basic terminology. With a little practice you'll be surprised how easy your karate terminology is to learn once you get the basics under your belt. This article introduces the basics of Japanese karate terminology

I've also included a Karate Geneological Map for you. This displays the major karate organization and shows their points of origin.

One of the first things you will learn in traditional karate is to count in Japanese. So here are the Japanese and English translations.

Japanese	English Translation
The basics
Soke	founder
Shihan	master
Sensei	teacher
Sempai	senior student
Kohai	student
dojo	karate school
tatami	training area
makiwara	punching board
gi	karate uniform
hara	abdominal tension
kime	focus
kihon	basics
kumite	sparring
kata	pre arranged form of movements
koshi	ball of foot
ma-ai	distancing
sanchin	awareness
zuki or tsuki	punch
geri	kick
uchi	strike
uke	block
dachi	stance
ken	knuckle
kage	hook
mawashi	roundhouse
ushiro	back
The basic stances
heiko dachi	heels together toes apart with straight legs
gankaku dachi	crane stance
kake dachi	one knee pressed in the back of the bent front leg
kiba dachi	horse stance similar to shiko dachi but feet face forward
kokutsu dachi	back stance
musubi dachi	heels together, toes apart at 90 deg
neko ashi dachi	cat stance
sanchin dachi	hour glass stance
shiko dachi	sumo stance
shizen dachi	open leg stance before "yoi"
shizen dachi heiko	"yoi dachi" feet shoulder width apart facing forward
sochin dachi	diagonal straddle leg stance
yoi dachi	ready stance feet shoulder width apart
zenkutsu dach	forward stance
The levels
jodan	above shoulder level
chudan	middle area between hips and shoulder
gedan	lower area below hips
The commands
hajime	begin / start
kamae te	on guard
mawate	turn around / change direction
seiza	to kneel or sit back on heels
yame	stop
yasame	relax, stand at ease
yoi	ready
The punches
age zuki	rising punch
awase zuki	combined punch
choko zuki	straight punch
gyaku zuki	reverse punch
hiraken zuki	fore knuckle fist straight punch (second joints of fingers)
ippon ken zuki	one knuckle punch
kage zuki	hook punch
kizami zuki	front jab
mae ken zuki	front hand punch (vertical fist)
mawashi zuki	roundhouse punch
morote zuki	double fist punch
oi zuki	lunge punch (step over punch)
tataken zuki	as above
teisho zuki	palm heel straight punch
tettsui	hammer fist
ura zuki	close punch
yama zuki	double handed U punch
The strikes
empi uchi	elbow stike (also called hijiatei)
haishu uchi	backhand strike
keito uchi	chicken head strike
haito uchi	ridge hand strike
hiraken	punch using the second knuckles of the hand (towards throat)
mawashi uke	circular block
nukite	spear hand strike
shotei	palm heel strike towards chin or nose
shuto uchi	knife hand strike towards side of neck - the karate chop!
teisho	palm heel strike towards other areas such as inner bicep
uraken	back knuckle strike
The blocks
jodan age uke	upper rising block
chudan ude uke	mid section across the body block using forearm
chudan uchi uke	mid section inside out block using forearm
gedan barai	lower block
jiyi uke	cross block
kake te	hooking hand (for grabbing)
kake uke	hooking block
mine uke	backhand block with bent wrist
morote uke	two hand forearm block
nami ashi	inside snapping block with foot
nagashi uke	open hand pushing block
osae uke	pressing hands
shuto uke	knife hand block
sukui uke	sweeping block (for mae geri)
The kicks
ashi barai	foot sweep
fumakomi geri	stomping kick
hiza geri	knee strike
kansetsu geri	stomping or joint kick usually to knee joint
kin geri	front snap kick to groin using instep
mae ashi geri	rising shin kick (half way between mae geri and mawashi geri)
mae geri	front kick
mawashi geri	roundhouse kick
mikazuki geri	crescent kick
yoko geri keage	side kick (snapping)
yoko geri kekomi	side kick (thrusting)
yoko tobi geri	flying side kick
ura mawashi geri	hook kick
ushiro geri	back kick

Jason Stanley
www.karatetips.com

References
Kobe Osaka Grading Syllabus and Record

Special thanks to Shihan Tommy Morris for permitting me to reproduce a modified version of the Karate Geneological Map orginally published in the Kobe Osaka Grading Syllabus and Record. Please take the time to visit www.worldkarate.net