by Jason Stanley
14. September 2011 07:51
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 it. With a little practice you'll be surprised how easy your karate terminology is to learn once you get the basics under your belt. The list below is by no means exhaustive, but it will get you pointed in the right direction.
I've also included a Karate Genealogical Map for you. This displays the major karate styles/organizations and shows their points of origin.
So let's get started...
One of the first things you will learn in traditional karate is to count in Japanese. So here are the Japanese and English translations.
|
| ichi |
one |
| ni |
two |
| san |
three |
| shi |
four |
| go |
five |
| roku |
six |
| shichi |
seven |
| hachi |
eight |
| gu |
nine |
| ju |
ten |
|
| ichi ban |
first |
| ni ban |
second |
| san ban |
third |
| yon ban |
fourth |
| go ban |
fifth |
| roku ban |
sixth |
| nan ban |
seven |
| hachi ban |
eight |
| kyu ban |
nine |
| ju ban |
ten |
|
| Just to make it more confusing! |
| shodan ho |
first dan (probationary) |
| shodan |
first dan |
| nidan |
second dan |
| sandan |
third dan |
| yondan |
fourth dan |
| godan |
fifth dan |
Now let's move forward to some of the more common terms...
| |
| 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 |
| |
|
|
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Below is a simple karate genealogical map showing the lineage of the major karate organizations from 1830 until about the 1960s. Many new organizations have formed since then but this map will give you a basic understanding of your karate roots.
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Special thanks to Shihan Tommy Morris for allowing me to reproduce a modified version of the Karate Genealogical Map originally published in the Kobe Osaka Grading Syllabus and Record. Please take the time to visit www.worldkarate.net