Japanese Karate Words

Japanese Karate Words

Counting

  1. One - Ichi
  2. Two - Ni
  3. Three - San
  4. Four - Shi
  5. Five - Go
  6. Six - Roku
  7. Seven - Shichi
  8. Eight - Hachi
  9. Nine - Ku
  10. Ten - Ju
  11. Twenty - Niju
  12. Thirty - Sanju
  13. Forty - Yonju
  14. Fifty - Goju
  15. Sixty - Rokuju
  16. Seventy - Nanaju
  17. Eighty - Hachiju
  18. Ninety - Kuju
  19. One Hundred - Hyaku
  20. Dans (Black Belt levels)
  21. First Dan - Shodan
  22. Second dan - Nidan
  23. Third Dan - Sandan
  24. Forth Dan - Yondan

Stances

  • Heisoku Dachi - Closed foot stance (feet together)
  • Musubi Dachi - Formal attention stance (heels together, feet at an angle)
  • Heiko Dachi - Parallel stance (feet shoulder width apart)
  • Migi Heiko Dachi - Right foot forward Heiko Dachi
  • Hachiji Dachi - Natural stance (feet shoulder width apart, toes pointed slightly out)
  • Uchi Hachiji Dachi - Natural stance with heels out and toes in
  • Shiko Dachi - Straddle leg stance
  • Naname Shiko Dachi - Diagonal straddle leg stance
  • Kiba Dachi - Horse riding stance
  • Sanchin Dachi - Hourglass stance
  • Zenkutsu Dachi - Front stance
  • Han Zenkutsu Dachi - Half front stance
  • Fudo Dachi - Free stance
  • Kokutsu Dachi - Back stance
  • Neko Ashi Dachi - Cat foot stance
  • Renoji Dachi - The letter "Re" stance (or "L" stance)
  • Sesan Dachi - Side facing straddle stance
  • Sagiashi Dachi - Heron stance
  • Bensoku Dachi. - Cross - legged stance (also known as female horse stance or Kosa Dachi)
  • Naihanchi Dachi - Kiba Dachi with the heels out and toes in

Blocks

  • Gedan Barai - Downward block
  • Uchi Uke. - Inside forearm block
  • Soto Uke - Outside forearm block
  • Chudan Uke - Inside circular block
  • Jodan Uke - Upward block
  • Age Uke - Rising block
  • Shuto Uke - Knife hand block
  • Shotei Uke - Palm heel block
  • Shotei Otoshi Uke - Open hand dropping block
  • Yoko Uke - Circular block
  • Hiki Uke - Pulling/grasping block
  • Ko Uke - Wrist block
  • Gedan Uchi Barai - Outside downward block (open hand)
  • Ura Uke - Back hand block
  • Hiji Uke - Elbow block
  • Mawashi Uke - Round house block
  • Morote Uke - Augmented block
  • Sukui Uke - Scooping block
  • Nagashi Uke - Sweeping block
  • Kosa Uke - Cross block
  • Hiza Uke. - Knee block
  • Sokutei Osae Uke - Pressing block with the sole of the foot
  • Sokutei Harai Uke - Sole of the foot block
  • Haisoku Barai - Instep block
  • Hand Techniques (strikes and punches)
  • Seiken Tsuki - Fore fist strike
  • Oi Tsuki - Lunge punch
  • Gyaku Tsuki - Reverse punch
  • Age Tsuki - Rising punch
  • Nihon Tsuki - Double punch
  • Sanbon Tsuki - Triple punch
  • Kagi Tsuki - Hook punch
  • Yama Tsuki - Mountain punch
  • Awase Tsuki - U - punch
  • Heiko Tsuki - Parallel punch
  • Hasami Tsuki - Scissors punch
  • Nagashi Tsuki - Flowing punch
  • Nakadaka Ken - Middle finger knuckle fist
  • Ko Uchi - Bent wrist strike
  • Kote Uchi - Forearm strike
  • Kama - De - Bear hand
  • Washi - De - Eagle hand
  • Empi - Elbow strike
  • Choku Tsuki - Straight punch
  • Ura Tsuki - Short punch (palm side up)
  • Uraken Uchi - Back fist strike
  • Shuto Uchi - Knife hand strike
  • Haito Uchi - Ridge hand strike
  • Hiji Uchi - Elbow strike
  • Tettsui Uchi - Bottom fist strike (or hammer fist strike)
  • Nukite Tsuki - Finger thrust
  • Shotei Uchi - Palm heel strike
  • Shotei Tsuki - Palm heel thrust
  • Keikoken Tsuki - One knuckle fist
  • Kaikoken Tsuki - Crab shell fist
  • Boshiken Tsuki - Thumb fist
  • Furi Tsuki - Circular punch
  • Mawashi Tsuki - Round hook punch
  • Tate Tsuki - Vertical punch
  • Kizami Tsuki - Leading punch, or jab

Foot Techniques

  • Mae Geri Keage - Front snap kick
  • Mae Geri Kekomi - Front thrust kick
  • Yoko Geri Keage - Side snap kick
  • Yoko Geri Kekomi - Side thrust kick
  • Mawashi Geri - Round house kick
  • Ushiro Mawashi Geri - Round house to the rear kick
  • Gyaku Mawashi Geri - Reverse round house kick
  • Ushiro Geri - Back thrust kick
  • Kanketsu Geri - Stamping kick, joint kick
  • Hiza Geri - Knee kick (also called Hiza Ate)
  • Nidan Geri - Double front snap kick (back leg first)
  • Ren Geri - Double front snap kick (front leg first)
  • Ashi Barai - Foot sweep
  • Mae Tobi Geri - Jumping front kick
  • Tobi Nidan Geri - Jumping double kick
  • Yoko Tobi Geri - Jumping side thrust kick
  • Kakato Geri - Heel kick
  • Fumikomi Geri - Stamping kick
  • Tsumasaki Geri - Kicking with the tips of the toes
  • Haisoku Geri - Kicking with the instep
  • Sokuto Geri - Kicking with the foot edge

Alphabetic

  • Age Tsuki - Rising punch -
  • Age Uke - Rising block -
  • Ashi Barai - Foot sweep -
  • Awase Tsuki - U - punch -
  • Bensoku Dachi. - Cross - legged stance (also female horse stance or Kosa Dachi)
  • Boshiken Tsuki - Thumb fist -
  • Choku Tsuki - Straight punch -
  • Chudan - Middle area -
  • Chudan Uke - Inside circular block -
  • Empi - Elbow strike -
  • Fudo Dachi - Free stance
  • Fumikomi Geri - Stamping kick -
  • Furi Tsuki - Circular punch -
  • Gedan - Lower area -
  • Gedan Barai - Downward block -
  • Gedan Uchi Barai - Outside downward block (open hand) -
  • Go - Five -
  • Goju - Fifty -
  • Gyaku Mawashi Geri - Reverse round house kick -
  • Gyaku Tsuki - Reverse punch -
  • Hachi - Eight -
  • Hachiji Dachi - Natural stance (feet shoulder width apart, toes pointed slightly out)
  • Hachiju - Eighty -
  • Haisoku Barai - Instep block -
  • Haisoku Geri - Kicking with the instep -
  • Haito Uchi - Ridge hand strike -
  • Hajime - Begin -
  • Han Zenkutsu Dachi - Half front stance
  • Hasami Tsuki - Scissors punch -
  • Heiko Dachi - Parallel stance (feet shoulder width apart)
  • Heiko Tsuki - Parallel punch -
  • Heisoku Dachi - Closed foot stance (feet together)
  • Hidari - Left -
  • Hiji Uchi - Elbow strike -
  • Hiji Uke - Elbow block -
  • Hiki Uke - Pulling/grasping block -
  • Hiza Geri - Knee kick (also called Hiza Ate) -
  • Hiza Uke. - Knee block -
  • Hyaku - One Hundred -
  • Ichi - One -
  • Jodan - Upper area -
  • Jodan Uke - Upward block -
  • Ju - Ten -
  • Kagi Tsuki - Hook punch -
  • Kaikoken Tsuki - Crab shell fist -
  • Kakato Geri - Heel kick -
  • Kama - De - Bear hand -
  • Kamae - Ready and alert -
  • Kanketsu Geri - Stamping kick, joint kick -
  • Keikoken Tsuki - One knuckle fist -
  • Kiba Dachi - Horse riding stance
  • Kime - Focus -
  • Kizami Tsuki - Leading punch, or jab -
  • Ko Uchi - Bent wrist strike -
  • Ko Uke - Wrist block -
  • Kokutsu Dachi - Back stance
  • Kosa Uke - Cross block -
  • Kote Uchi - Forearm strike -
  • Ku - Nine -
  • Kuju - Ninety -
  • Kumite. - Sparring -
  • Mae Geri Keage - Front snap kick -
  • Mae Geri Kekomi - Front thrust kick -
  • Mae Tobi Geri - Jumping front kick -
  • Mawashi Geri - Round house kick -
  • Mawashi Tsuki - Round hook punch -
  • Mawashi Uke - Round house block -
  • Migi - Right -
  • Migi Heiko Dachi - Right foot forward Heiko Dachi
  • Morote Uke - Augmented block -
  • Musubi Dachi - Formal attention stance (heels together, feet at an angle)
  • Nagashi Tsuki - Flowing punch -
  • Nagashi Uke - Sweeping block -
  • Naihanchi Dachi - Kiba Dachi with the heels out and toes in
  • Nakadaka Ken - Middle finger knuckle fist -
  • Nanaju - Seventy -
  • Naname Shiko Dachi - Diagonal straddle leg stance
  • Neko Ashi Dachi - Cat foot stance
  • Ni - Two -
  • Nidan - Second dan -
  • Nidan Geri - Double front snap kick (back leg first) -
  • Nihon Tsuki - Double punch -
  • Niju - Twenty -
  • Nukite Tsuki - Finger thrust -
  • Oi Tsuki - Lunge punch -
  • Randori - co - operative sparring -
  • Rei - Bow -
  • Ren Geri - Double front snap kick (front leg first) -
  • Renoji Dachi - The letter "Re" stance (or "L" stance)
  • Roku - Six -
  • Rokuju - Sixty -
  • Sagiashi Dachi - Heron stance
  • San - Three -
  • Sanbon Tsuki - Triple punch -
  • Sanchin Dachi - Hourglass stance
  • Sandan - Third Dan -
  • Sanju - Thirty -
  • Seiken Tsuki - Fore fist strike -
  • Sesan Dachi - Side facing straddle stance
  • Shi - Four -
  • Shichi - Seven -
  • Shiko Dachi - Straddle leg stance
  • Shodan - First Dan -
  • Shotei Otoshi Uke - Open hand dropping block -
  • Shotei Tsuki - Palm heel thrust -
  • Shotei Uchi - Palm heel strike -
  • Shotei Uke - Palm heel block -
  • Shuto Uchi - Knife hand strike -
  • Shuto Uke - Knife hand block -
  • Sokutei Harai Uke - Sole of the foot block -
  • Sokutei Osae Uke - Pressing block with the sole of the foot -
  • Sokuto Geri - Kicking with the foot edge -
  • Soto Uke - Outside forearm block -
  • Sukui Uke - Scooping block -
  • Tate Tsuki - Vertical punch -
  • Tettsui Uchi - Bottom fist strike (or hammer fist strike) -
  • Tobi Nidan Geri - Jumping double kick -
  • Tsumasaki Geri - Kicking with the tips of the toes -
  • Uchi Hachiji Dachi - Natural stance with heels out and toes in
  • Uchi Uke. - Inside forearm block -
  • Ura Tsuki - Short punch (palm side up) -
  • Ura Uke - Back hand block -
  • Uraken Uchi - Back fist strike -
  • Ushiro Geri - Back thrust kick -
  • Ushiro Mawashi Geri - Round house to the rear kick -
  • Washi - De - Eagle hand -
  • Yama Tsuki - Mountain punch -
  • Yame - Stop -
  • Yoi - Ready -
  • Yoko Geri Keage - Side snap kick -
  • Yoko Geri Kekomi - Side thrust kick -
  • Yoko Tobi Geri - Jumping side thrust kick -
  • Yoko Uke - Circular block -
  • Yondan - Forth Dan -
  • Yonju - Forty -
  • Zenkutsu Dachi - Front stance