Terminology
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Ankle – Ashi-Kubi
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Attention – Kiotsuke (sounds like Key-oh-zoo-kay)
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Back – Ushiro (sounds like Oo-she-row)
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Basic Techniques – Kihon (sounds like Key-hon)
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Begin/Start – Hajime (sounds like Ha-gee-may)
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Belt – Obi (sounds like Oh-bee)
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Block – Uke (sounds like Oo-kay)
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Body Movement – Tai Sabaki
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Bow – Rei (sounds like Ray)
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Breathing Exercises – Kokyu Ho
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Cat – Neko (i.e. Neko Ashi Dachi = Cat Foot Stance or Cat Stance)
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Elbow – Empi or Enpi (sounds like En-pee or Em-pee)
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Elbow Strike – Empi-Uchi (sounds like Em-pee Oo-chee)
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Focus – Kime
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Foot – Ashi (sounds like Ah-she)
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Form or Pattern – Kata (sounds like Ka-ta)
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Form (Kata) Technique Application – Bunkai (sounds like Boon-kay)
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Front – Mae
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Goodbye – Sayonara (sounds like Sa-yoh-na-rah)
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Hand – Te (sound like Tay)
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Head – Atama (sounds like Ah-ta-ma)
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Heel – Kakato (sounds like Ka-ka-toe)
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I (Me) – Watashi (sounds like Wa-ta-she)
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Kata Starting Point – Embusen or Enbusen
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Kick – Geri or Keri (sounds like Geh-ree or Keh-ree)
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Knee – Hiza (sounds like He-zah)
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Kneel – Seiza
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Kneeling Techniques – Seiza Waza
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Knife Hand – Shuto (sounds like Shoe-toe)
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Left – Hidari (sounds like Hee-da-ree)
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Low (Level) – Gedan (sounds like Geh-dan)
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Mat (Practice/Training Mat) – Tatami (sounds like Ta-ta-me)
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Meditate – Mokuso
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Middle (Level) – Chudan (sounds like Choo-dan)
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One More Time – Mo Ichi Do (sounds like Moe E-chee Doe)
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No – Iie (sounds like E-ay)
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No Mind (State of “No Mind”) – Mushin
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Please – Dozo (sounds like Doe-zoh)
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Practitioner of Karate – Karateka
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Pulling Hand (brining hand back to ready position) – Hikite
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Punch – Tsuki or Zuki (sounds like Zoo-key)
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Push On Through Difficulties – Oss or Osu. Nevertheless, this term used in many different ways and is often used by non-Japanese Karate students for “Thank you”, “I understand”, etc. Oss (Osu) is a kind of respectful catch-all phrase.
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Right – Migi (sounds like Mee-gee)
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School (Martial Arts) – Dojo (sounds like Doe-Joe)
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Senior Student – Senpai or Sempai (sounds like Sen-pie)
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Shout or Yell – Kiai (sounds like Key-eye)
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Side – Yoko (sounds like Yoh-koh)
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Snap – Keage
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Sparring – Kumite (sounds like Coo-meh-tay)
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Stance – Dachi (sounds like Dah-chee)
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Stop – Yame (sounds like Yah-may)
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Strike – Uchi (sounds like Oo-chee)
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Sweep – Barai (sounds like Baa-rye)
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Teacher/Instructor – Sensei (sounds like Sen-say)
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Technique – Waza (sounds like Waa-Zaa)
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Thank You (Formal) – Domo Arigato (sounds like Doe-moe Ah-ree-gah-toe)
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Thank You (Informal) – Domo (sounds like Doe-moe)
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Throat – Nodo (sounds like No-doe)
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Throw – Nage
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Thrust – Kekomi
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Turn Around – Mawatte (sounds like Ma-wa-tay)
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Unarmed Combat – Taijutsu
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Uniform – Gi (sounds like Ghee)
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Upper (Level) – Jodan (sounds like Joe-dan)
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Void or State of No Mind – Mushin
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Yes – Hai (sounds like Hi)
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You – Anata (sounds like Ah-na-ta)
Karate Terms & Commands – Japanese to English
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Anata – You
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Anza – Sitting position, cross legged
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Ashi – Foot
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Ashi-Kubi – Ankle
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Atama – Head
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Barai – Sweep
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Bunkai – Kata Technique Application
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Chudan – Middle (Level)
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Dachi – Stance
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Dojo – School (Karate)
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Domo – Thank You (Informal)
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Domo Arigato – Thank You (Formal)
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Dozo – Please
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Embusen or Enbusen – This is the term used to refer to the spot where a kata begins. In addition, nearly all kata start and end on exactly the same Embusen point.
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Empi or Enpi – Elbow
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Empi-Uchi or Enpi-Uchi – Elbow Strike
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Gedan – Low (Level)
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Geri or Keri – Kick
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Gi – Uniform
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Hai – Yes
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Hajime – Begin/Start
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Harau – Sweeping Techniques
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Hidari – Left
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Hikite – Pulling Hand (bringing hand back to ready position)
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Hiza – Knee
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Iie – No
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Jodan – Upper (Level)
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Kakato – Heel
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Karateka – Practitioner of Karate
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Kata – Form or Pattern
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Keage – Snap
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Kekomi – Thrust
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Keri or Geri – Kick
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Ki – Type of intrinsic energy. Known as Qi or Chi in Chinese martial arts.
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Kiai – Shout
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Kihon – Basic Techniques
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Kime – Focus
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Kiotsuke – Attention
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Kokyu Ho – Breathing exercises
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Kumite – Sparring
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Mae – Front
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Mawatte – Turn Around
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Migi – Right
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Mo Ichi Do – One More Time
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Mokuso – Meditate
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Mushin – Void or State of No Mind
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Nage – Throw
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Neko – Cat (i.e. Neko Ashi Dachi = Cat Foot Stance or Cat Stance)
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Nodo – Throat
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Obi – Belt
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Oss or Osu – Push On Through Difficulties. Nevertheless, this term used in many different ways and is often used by non-Japanese Karate students for “Thank you”, “I understand”, etc. Oss (Osu) is a kind of respectful catch-all phrase.
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Rei – Bow
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Sayonara – Goodbye
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Senpai or Sempai – Senior Student
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Sensei – Teacher/Instructor
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Seiza – Kneel
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Seiza Waza – Kneeling Techniques
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Shuto – Knife Hand
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Tatami – Practice/Training Mat
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Te – Hand
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Tsuki or Zuki – Punch
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Uke – Block
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Ushiro – Back
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Watashi – I (Me)
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Waza – Technique
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Yame – Stop
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Yoko – Side
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Zuki or Tsuki – Punch