Japanese Terms

From KodoKai

Pronounciation

Vowels are pronounced as follows:

• a - ah
• e - eh
• i - ee
• o - oh
• u - ooh
• r - l

In general, each syllable in a word is pronounced with the same emphasis. The 'R' sound is usually rolled and sounds very close to an 'L'. Trailing U’s are often silent as in Desu which IS pronounced “Des”.

Terms

Japanese	English		English	Japanese
Age tsuki	Rising punch		Ankle	Ashi kubi
Age uke	Rising block		Application of a kata	Bunkai
Ana ta no catch	"Winner, You are"		Application of the technique	Kake
Arigato	Thank-you		Attention stance	Musubi dachi
Ashi	Leg or shin		Augmented block	morote uke
Ashi kubi	Ankle		Awareness of opponent	Zanshin
Ashi waza	Foot Techniques		Back fist strike	Uraken uchi
Atemi	Striking		Back hand strike	haishu uchi
Atemi waza	Striking techniques		Back kick	Ushiro geri
Budo	Martial arts Way		Back of the hand	Haishu
Bujutsu	Martial arts techniques		back stance	Kokutsudachi
Bunkai	Application of a kata		Ball of the foot	Koshi
Bushi	Warrior class of Japan		Begin	Hajimae
Bushido	Way of the warrior		Belt	Obi
Choku tsuki	Straight punch		Black belt rank	Dan
Chudan	Midsection of the body		Block	Uke
Dachi	Stance		"Board used to toughen hands, feet, knees, and elbows by striking it"	Makiwara
Dan	Black belt rank		Body twisting evasion movements	Taisabaki
De ashi barai	Forward foot sweep		Bow	Rei
Denzook	No count		Buddhist sect or Religious meditation	Zen
Do	The way		Cat stance	Nekoashidachi
Dojo	"Martial arts training hall (literally ""Place of the Way"")"		Close punch	Uratsuki
Empi	Elbow		Colored belt rank	Kyu
Empi uchi	Elbow strike		Contemplation	Mokusu
Fukushin	Judge		Control	Yawara
Fumikomi	Stamping kick		Controlled breathing	Ibuki
Ganmen	Face		Crescent kick	Mikazuki geri
Ganmen shuto	Knife-hand attack to the face		Decision	Hantei
Gatame	"Hold, arm bar"		Disqualification	Shikkaku
Geashi	Reversal		Divine intervention	Tenshin Sho
Gedan	Lower part of the trunk		Double jump kick	Nidan geri
Gedan barai	Low block		Elbow	Empi
Gedan juji uke	Lower X-block		Elbow strike	Empi uchi
Gedan shuto uke	Lower knife-hand block		Empty	Kara
Geri	Kick		Enlightenment	Satori
Gi	Karate Uniform		Face	Ganmen
Gyaku	Reverse or reversal		Focus	Kime
Gyaku tsuki	Reverse punch		Foot sweep	Okuri ashi barai
Hachiji dachi	Open leg stance		Foot Techniques	Ashi waza
Hai	Yes		Forearm	Ude
Haishu	Back of the hand		Forearm block	Ude uki
haishu uchi	Back hand strike		Forward foot sweep	De ashi barai
Haisoku	Instep		Foul	Hansoku
Haisoku geri	Instep kick		Free Fighting stance	Ju Dachi
Haito	"Ridge hand, inner blade of hand"		Freestyle sparring	Jiu Kumite
Haito uchi	Ridge hand strike		Front	Mae
Hajimae	Begin		Front kick	Mae geri
Hansoku	Foul		Front snap kick	Mae geri keage
Hantei	Decision		Front Stance	Zenkutsudachi
Harai	Sweep		Front thrust kick	Mae geri kekomi
Hidari	Left		Grappling	Katame
Honbu	Headquarters		Grappling	Kumiuchi
Ibuki	Controlled breathing		Groin Kick	Kingeri
Ippon	Point (as in scoring)		Hammer fist	Tettsui
Jiu Kumite	Freestyle sparring		Hand	Te
Jodan	Head		Head	Jodan
Jodan juji uke	High X-block		Headquarters	Honbu
Ju Dachi	Free Fighting stance		Heel	Kakato
Kakato	Heel		heel block	Teisho uke Palm
Kake	Application of the technique		High X-block	Jodan juji uke
Kamae	Posture		"Hold, arm bar"	Gatame
Kansetsu	Joint lock		horse stance	Kibadachi
Kara	Empty		Inner	Uchi
Karate	"Literally, ""empty hand"", or weaponless (Meant to signify that karate is begun with no weapons)"		Instep	Haisoku
Karateka	One who practices karate		Instep kick	Haisoku geri
Kata	"Stylized form, pre-arranged techniques"		Joint lock	Kansetsu
Katame	Grappling		Judge	Fukushin
Keri waza	Kicking techniques		Jump side kick	Yoko tobi geri
Ki	Life force		Karate Uniform	Gi
Kiai	The shout a karateka while striking		Kick	Geri
Kibadachi	horse stance		Kicking techniques	Keri waza
Kime	Focus		Kneeling/Sitting position	Seiza
Kingeri	Groin Kick		Knife hand	Shuto
Kokutsudachi	back stance		Knife hand block	Shuto uke
Koshi	Ball of the foot		Knife hand strike	Shuto uchi
Kubodo	Weapons training		Knife-hand attack to the face	Ganmen shuto
Kudasai	Please (if you please)		Left	Hidari
Kudsurogu	Relax or rest		Leg or shin	Ashi
Kumite	Sparring		Life force	Ki
Kumiuchi	Grappling		Line up	Seridsu
Kyu	Colored belt rank		"Literally, ""empty hand"", or weaponless (Meant to signify that karate is begun with no weapons)"	Karate
Mae	Front		Low block	Gedan barai
Mae geri	Front kick		Lower knife-hand block	Gedan shuto uke
Mae geri keage	Front snap kick		Lower part of the trunk	Gedan
Mae geri kekomi	Front thrust kick		Lower X-block	Gedan juji uke
Makiwara	"Board used to toughen hands, feet, knees, and elbows by striking it"		Lunge punch	Oi tsuki
Mawashi	tsuki Roundhouse punch		Martial arts techniques	Bujutsu
Mawashi geri	Roundhouse kick		"Martial arts training hall (literally ""Place of the Way"")"	Dojo
Mawatte	Turn		Martial arts Way	Budo
Migi	Right (side)		Midsection of the body	Chudan
Mikazuki geri	Crescent kick		Mountain	Yama
Mokusu	Contemplation		Mountain warriors	Yamabushi
morote uke	Augmented block		No count	Denzook
Musubi Dachi	Attention stance		Okinawa	Ryukyu
Namiashi	Sweep avoidance		One who is a black belt	Yodansha
Nekoashidachi	Cat stance		One who practices karate	Karateka
Nidan geri	Double jump kick		Open leg stance	Hachiji dachi
Nukite	spear hand		Outer crescent kick	Soto mikazui geri
Obi	Belt		Outside (of opponent's stance)	Soto
Oi tsuki	Lunge punch		Outside forearm block	Soto ude uke
Okuri ashi barai	Foot sweep		Outside knife-hand block	Soto shuto
Rei	Bow		Palm heel	Teisho
Ryu	School of martial arts		Palm heel punch	Teisho tsuki
Ryukyu	Okinawa		Palm heel strike	Teisho uchi
Satori	Enlightenment		Please (if you please)	Kudasai
Seiza	Kneeling/Sitting position		Point (as in scoring)	Ippon
Sempai	Senior		Posture	Kamae
Sensei	Teacher		Punch (using first two knuckles only)	Tsuki
Seridsu	Line up		Ready	Yoi
Shikkaku	Disqualification		Rear	Ushiro
Shuto	Knife hand		Relax or rest	Kudsurogu
Shuto uchi	Knife hand strike		Reversal	Geashi
Shuto uke	Knife hand block		Reverse or reversal	Gyaku
Soru	Sit down (or kneel)		Reverse punch	Gyaku tsuki
Soto	Outside (of opponent's stance)		Ridge hand strike	Haito uchi
Soto mikazui geri	Outer crescent kick		"Ridge hand, inner blade of hand"	Haito
Soto shuto	Outside knife-hand block		Right (side)	Migi
Soto ude uke	Outside forearm block		Rising block	Age uke
Suwari	Sit		Rising punch	Age tsuki
Taisabaki	Body twisting evasion movements		Roundhouse kick	Mawashi geri
Tatte	Stand up		School of martial arts	Ryu
Te	Hand		Senior	Sempai
Teisho	Palm heel		Side	Yoko
Teisho tsuki	Palm heel punch		Side kick	Yoko geri
Teisho uchi	Palm heel strike		Side knife-hand	Yoko shuto
Teisho uke Palm	heel block		Side ridge-hand	Yoko haito
Tenshin Sho	Divine intervention		Side thrust kick	Yoko kekome
Tettsui	Hammer fist		Sit	Suwari
Tsuki	Punch (using first two knuckles only)		Sit down (or kneel)	Soru
Uchi	Inner		Sitting meditation	Zazen
Ude	Forearm		Sparring	Kumite
Ude uki	Forearm block		spear hand	Nukite
Uke	Block		Stamping kick	Fumikomi
Uraken uchi	Back fist strike		Stance	Dachi
Uratsuki	Close punch		Stand up	Tatte
Ushiro	Rear		Stop	Yamei
Ushiro geri	Back kick		Straight punch	Choku tsuki
Yama	Mountain		Striking	Atemi
Yamabushi	Mountain warriors		Striking techniques	Atemi waza
Yamei	Stop		"Stylized form, pre-arranged techniques"	Kata
Yawara	Control		Sweep	Harai
Yodansha	One who is a black belt		Sweep avoidance	Namiashi
Yoi	Ready		Teacher	Sensei
Yoko	Side		Thank-you	Arigato
Yoko geri	Side kick		The shout a karateka while striking	Kiai
Yoko haito	Side ridge-hand		The way	Do
Yoko kekome	Side thrust kick		tsuki Roundhouse punch	Mawashi
Yoko shuto	Side knife-hand		Turn	Mawatte
Yoko tobi geri	Jump side kick		Warrior class of Japan	Bushi
Zanshin	Awareness of opponent		Way of the warrior	Bushido
Zazen	Sitting meditation		Weapons training	Kubodo
Zen	Buddhist sect or Religious meditation		"Winner, You are"	Ana ta no catch
Zenkutsudachi	Front Stance		Yes	Hai