General
Karate Terminology (Counting, Ceremony, Terminology)
Master Funakoshi's 20 Principles of Karate
Shotokan Karate Postures
Shotokan Karate Punches
Shotokan Karate Stances
Shotokan Karate Blocks
Shotokan Karate Kicks
Shotokan Karate Strikes
Shotokan Karate Kata Names
General Karate Terminology
(Counting, Ceremony, Terminology)
|
GISHISKI
|
CEREMONY
|
| Rei | Bow |
| Seiza | Kneel down |
| Mokuso | Meditation |
| Mokuso Yame | Stop meditation |
| Sensei, Onegaishimasu, Rei | Teacher, please train us, bow |
| Sensei, Arigato Gozaimashita, Rei | Teacher, thank you very much, bow |
| Tatte | Stand |
|
KAZU
|
Counting
|
| Ichi | One |
| Ni | Two |
| San | Three |
| Shi (Yon) | Four |
| Go | Five |
| Roku | Six |
| Shichi | Seven |
| Hachi | Eight |
| Kyu | Nine |
| Jyu | Ten |
| Jyu Ichi | Eleven |
| Ni Jyu | Twenty |
| Ni Jyu Ichi | Twenty-one |
| Shodan | First degree |
| Nidan | Second degree |
| Sandan | Third degree |
| Yondan | Fourth Degree |
| Godan | Fifth Degree |
|
Yogo
|
Terminology
|
| Karate | Empty hands |
| Dojo | Training place |
| Shihan | Master |
| Sensei | Teacher |
| Sempai | Senior (Higher belt) |
| Dohai | Equal (Same belt) |
| Kohai | Junior (Lower belt) |
| Obi | Belt |
| Keiotsuke | Attention |
| Hajime | Begin |
| Yame | Stop |
| Karate-Ka | Karate student |
| Karate-Gi | Karate uniform |
| Otagi Ni | Bow to each other |
| Rei | Bow |
| Oss | A word showing respect |
| Mawatte | Turn around |
| Kata | Form (an arranged pattern of attack and defense techniques against multiple imaginary opponents) |
| TAIKYO KYU - First Cause |
| HEIAN SHODAN - Peaceful Mind First Level |
| HEIAN NIDAN - Peaceful Mind Second Level |
| HEIAN SANDAN - Peaceful Mind Third Level |
| HEIAN YONDAN - Peaceful Mind Fourth Level |
| HEIAN GODAN - Peaceful Mind Fifth Level From Heian Ante meaning peace and calmness, taken from the city of Heian |
| TEKKI SHODAN - Horse Riding First Level |
| TEKKI NIDAN - Horse Riding Second Level |
| TEKKI SANDAN - Horse Riding Third Level |
| BASSAI DAI - To penetrate a fortress Major* |
| BASSAI SHO - To penetrate a fortress Minor* |
| KANKU DAI - Viewing the Sky Major* |
| KANKU SHO - Viewing the Sky Minor* |
| HANGESTSU - Half Moon** |
| EMPI - Flying Swallow |
| GANKAKU - Crane on a Rock |
| JITTE - Ten Hands (sometimes spelt JUTTE) |
| JI-ON - From the temple of Jion |
| JI-IN - Temple grounds |
| CHINTE - Strange Hands |
| MEIKYO - Polished Mirror |
| NIJUSHIHO - Twenty Four Steps |
| SOCHIN - Immovable in the face of danger |
| WANKAN - A proper name, King's Crown. |
| UNSU - Hands in the cloud |
| GOJUSHIHO SHO - Fifty Four Steps Minor* |
| GOJUSHIHO DAI - Fifty Four Steps Major* |
Master Funakoshi's 20 Principles of Karate
| 1. In Karate, start with a bow and finish with a bow. |
| 2. There is no first attack in Karate. |
| 3. Karate is a great assistance to justice. |
| 4. Know yourself first and then others. |
| 5. Spirit first: techniques second. |
| 6. Be ready to release your mind. |
| 7. Accidents come out of idleness. |
| 8. Do not think that you can learn Karate only in the Dojo. |
| 9. It will take your entire life to learn Karate. |
| 10. Karate-is everything. |
| 11. Karate is just like hot water. If you do not give heat constantly, it will again become cold water. |
| 12. Do not think you have to win. Think, rather, that you do not have to lose. |
| 13. Victory depends on your ability to tell vulnerable points from invulnerable ones. |
| 14. Move according to your opponent. |
| 15. Consider your opponent's hands and legs as you would sharp swords. |
| 16. As soon as you leave home for work, think that millions of opponents are waiting for you. |
| 17. Low stance for beginners; natural stance for advanced students. |
| 18. Practicing a Kata is one thing and engaging in a real fight is another. |
| 19. Do not forget (a) light and heavy application of power, (b) expansion and contraction of the body, (c) slowness and speed of techniques. |
| 20. Devise at all times. |
| HIDARI KAMAE | Left Posture. Used to describe when your left side is forward in a stance |
| JIYU KAMAE | Free Sparring Posture |
| KAMAE | Posture or Stance. Kamae is sometimes spelt GAMAE |
| KAMAETE | A command given by the instructor for students to get into position. |
| KOSHI KAMAE | A stance where the fists are held one above the other against one of the hips. Seen in the kata Heian Yondan |
| MIGI KAMAE . | Right Posture. Used to describe when your right side is forward in a stance. |
| ZANSHIN KAMAE | Awareness posture. |
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Shotokan Karate Punches
| TSUKI | PUNCHES |
| GYAKU TSUKI | Reverse Punch |
| KIZAMI TSUKI | Jabbing Punch |
| OI-TSUKI | Lunge punch |
| SANBON TSUKI | A series of three punches, generally the first is OI TSUKI JODAN, followed by a slight pause then, CHUDAN GYAKU TSUKI. immediately followed by CHUDAN TSUKI, but it can be performed with three punches to the same target |
| TSUKI | A punch or thrust. |
| ZUKI | A different spelling of TSUKI. You would use the spelling 'Zuki' when you are adding the word to another. You use the spelling 'Tsuki' when it is said by itself |
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Shotokan Karate Stances
| DACHI | STANCES |
| KIBA DACHI | Straddle Stance. Also known as HORSE RIDING STANCE |
| KOKUTSU DACHI | Back Stance |
| ZENKUTSU DACHI | Forward Stance. The actual translation means Front Knee Bent Stance. |
| UKE | Blocks |
| AGE UKE | Upper Rising Block. Used generally to guard against an attack to the face |
| CHUDAN UDE UKE | Middle Level Forearm Block, blocking an attack to the mid-section |
| CHUDAN UKE | Middle Level Block. A general term for middle level blocks |
| GEDAN BARAI | Lower Level Sweep. Normally the first move students make prior to going on to do their combinations, one of the reason's for this is so that the first move in Karate is a block which demonstrates that Karate is for self-defense. When we call Gedan Barai it is really a shortened version of Gedan Barai Uke |
| GEDAN UKE | Lower Level Block |
| JUJI UKE X | Block |
| MOROTE UKE | Augmented Block |
| SHUTO UKE | Knife-hand Block |
| SOTO UDE UKE | Outside Forearm Block or sometimes said as Lower Wrist Block |
| SOTO UKE | Outside Block, normally a shortened version of Soto Ude Uke |
| UCHI UDE UKE | Inside Forearm Block |
| UCHI-UKE | Inside Block generally used as a short version of Uchi Ude Uke |
| UDE UKE | Forearm Block |
| URAKEN UKE | Back Fist Block. For when the Back Fist is used as a block. This application is seen in the Kata Heian Nidan |
| GERI | KICKS & ASHI WAZA - LEG TECHNIQUES |
| ASHI BARAI | Foot/Leg Sweep |
| GERI | Kick When using the spelling of 'geri' it should be added to another word to describe the kick. Geri used by itself would mean diahorrea. Also see KERI and Keru. |
| HIZA GERI (strike) | Knee Kick |
| KEAGE | 'Kick Up' in karate we use this when describing snapping as opposed to thrusting kicks. But see Keriage |
| KEKOMI | Thrust Kick (Literally, Kick Into/Straight). See Kerikomi |
| KERI | Kick, you will see kick spelt this way. Keri by itself is a noun meaning kick coming from the verb Keru "To kick", The normal spelling used on this site is GERI |
| MAE GERI | Front Kick |
| MAE GERI KEAGE | Front Snapping Kick |
| MAE GERI KEKOMI | Front Thrust Kick |
| MAWASHI GERI | Roundhouse Kick. |
| MIKAZUKI GERI | Crescent Kick |
| NIDAN GERI | Double Kick, as seen at the end of the Kata KANKU DA |
| REN-GERI | Consecutive Kicking, alternate kicking i.e. left and then right |
| USHIRO GERI | Back Kick |
| YOKO GERI | Side Kick |
| YOKO GERI KEAGE | Side Snap Kick |
| YOKO GERI KEKOMI | Side Thrust Kick. Also referred to as YOKO KEKOMI |
| UCHI | STRIKES |
| AGE-EMPI UCHI | Upward Elbow Strike. Sometimes called TATE EMPI UCHI. seen in the kata Nijushiho |
| HAITO UCHI | Ridge-hand Strike |
| HIJI-ATE | Elbow strike, also called EMPI UCHI. |
| HIJI ATEMI or HIJI ATE | Elbow Strikes. |
| NUKITE | Spear Hand |
| URAKEN UCHI | Back Fist Strike |
| USHIRO MAWASHI - EMPI UCHI | Back Roundhouse Elbow Strike |
| YOKO EMPI UCHI | Side Elbow Strike |