Karate Terminology
Age
Rising or upper
Age-empi-uchi
Upward elbow
strike or rising elbow strike, see tate empi uchi (vertical elbow strike)
Age-uke
Rising block
Age-haisoku-uchi
Rising instep strike, raising your instep into your
attackers groin
Age-zuki
Rising punch, see age tsuki
Ago
Jaw or chin, as in mouth
Agura-wo-kaku
Informal seating
position this is sitting with the legs
crossed
Ai
Harmony
Ai-kamae
Harmony posture, when your opponent and you are in matching
or mirrored stances
Ai-ki
Harmonious spirit. This is where you integrate all your
movements, breathing etc. To exactly match your opponents and you then control
him from it. It is also called "spirit meeting" or "harmony
meeting".
Aikido
A martial art meaning the “way of harmony”
Aite
Opponent in a contest
Aite-no-tsukuri
Conditioning of your opponent or partner. This is the preparing or setting up of your opponent in order to execute your technique so that it is most effective. Once you have got him in the most advantageous position for you, you then execute your technique.
Aiuchi
Simultaneous strike
Aka
Red
Akiresu-ken
Achilles tendon
Ananku
An Okinawan Shorin ryu kata meaning “light from the south”
Antei
Balance, stability or equilibrium, see fu-anti
Aoyagi
A kata meaning “green willow tree”
Ashi
Foot or leg, one leg or single leg
Ashi-ate
Foot strikes or leg strikes. These are methods of attacking
with the knee, ball or edge of the foot, heel, etc.
Ashi-barai
Foot or leg sweep, see ashi harai
Ashi-dachi
Single leg stance, a general term for one leg stances, see
sashi ashi dachi, tsuru ashi dachi and sagi ashi dachi
Ashi-fumikae
Changing feet
Ashi-gake
Hooking foot displacement, where you hook your foot behind
your attackers and then pull your foot back towards you, pulling your attackers
foot with you, and pulling him off balance. This is different to an ashi barai
because this is not done in a sweeping motion.
Ashi-harai
Foot or leg sweeping, see ashi barai
Ashi-hishigi
Leg lock or pin, where you apply pressure to your
opponent’s lower calf in order to pin him to the floor
Ashi-sabaki
Foot work or foot movement
Ashi-waza
Name given to all leg and foot techniques
Ashi-yubi
Toes, ashi meaning "of the foot" and yubi being
"the digit"
Ashibo-kake-uke
Leg hooking block, in which the leg is raised to the side
and swung in a circle to deflect an opponent’s side kick to the abdomen
Ashi-kubi
Ankle, ashi means "of the foot" and kubi means
"of the joint"
Ashikubi-kake-uke
Ankle hooking block, normally used to block a front kick,
similar in motion to ashibo-kake uke
Ashizoko
Bottom foot
Atama
Head, or the top of the head
Ate
Strike or striking
Ate-waza
Striking or smashing techniques
Atemi
Body strike or striking
Atemi-waza
Body striking techniques, used in conjunction with
grappling and throwing techniques
Ateru
To place, to put, or to hold
Ato-uchi
Delayed strike or feint
Attate-iru
Contact
Au
To encounter an opponent
Awase
Combined
Awase-age-uke
Crossed two arm upper rising block, both arms coming up
together performing the block
Awase-hiki-tsukami
Combined pulling grasp
Awase-koko-uke
Combined tiger mouth block, as seen in the kata Empi
against a jo or bo attack
Awase-mawashi-kake-uke
Combined round house hooking block. Seen in the kata
nijushiho. This technique can also be used to unbalance or throw your attacker.
Awase-mawashi-uke
Combined roundhouse block, as seen at the start of kata
kankau dai.
Awase-shuto-age-uke
Combined knife hand rising block where the thumbs and index
fingers touch forming a triangle, as seen in the kata rohai nidan and kata
koshokun dai
Awase-uchi
Combined strike, a general term for all combined strikes
Awase-uke
Combined block, a general term for all combined blocks
Awase-waza
Combined techniques
Awase-zuki
U-punch, see morote zuki
Ayumi
Step or pace
Ayumi-ashi
Slide stepping
Ayumi-dachi
A natural walking stance with the weight over the center
B
Barai
Sweep
Bassai-dai
Kata meaning to “penetrate a fortress” (greater of pair),
originally called passai
Bassai-sho
Kata meaning to “penetrate a fortress” (lesser of pair)
Betei
The bones at the base of the spine
Bo
A wooden staff, approximately 6 feet in length
Bo-jutsu
Wooden staff art
Bogu
Body armor
Bogu-kumite
A method of fighting wearing armor
Bokken
Wooden practice sword
Bo-uchi
Bo strike, a general term for any strike using a bo
Bo-uke
Bo block, a block against an attack from a bo, a general
term that covers any block against a bo attack
Bo-waza
Bo techniques
Bo-jutsu
Wooden staff art
Bogu
Protective equipment, body armor
Bogu-kumite
Sparring when wearing protective equipment or armor
Budo
Martial way. In karate, there is an assumption that the best way to prevent violent conflict is to emphasize the cultivation of individual character. The way (do) of karate is thus equivalent to the way of bu, taken in this sense of preventing or avoiding violence so far as possible.
Bugei
Martial arts
Bunkai
Applications of kata movements
Bushi
Warrior
Bushi-te
Warrior hands. One of the old names for
karate.
Bushido
Way of the warrior
Byobudaoshi
To topple a folded screen. This is a throwing technique where you step your leg behind your attackers front leg and at the same time that you sweep his leg you attack his chin withyour open hand pushing his head back in the opposite direction that which his leg is being swept in.
C
Chi
Blood
Chikara
Power or strength
Chinte
Strange hands
Chinto
An Okinawan Shorin ryu kata whose name was changed by
Funakoshi , meaning “fighting to the east”, the old name for the kata Gankaku
meaning "crane on a rock"
Chokkaku
Right angle
Choku
Straight
Choku-zuki
Straight punch from horse stance
Chowa
The harmonious mental and physical reaction while at
practice
Chowasuru
To have harmony with opponent, to harmonize movement
Choyaku-hangeki
Jumping counter attack
Chu
Middle
Chudan
Mid-level, mid-section, or stomach area
Chudan-barai-uke
Middle level sweeping block
Chudan-choku-zuki
A straight punch to the mid-section of the opponent's body
Chudan-no-kamae
Middle level posture, middle level guard, and a freestyle
posture where your hands are held at middle level in a defensive guard
Chudan-teisho-furi-uchi
Middle level palm heel circular strike
Chudan-uchi-ude-uke
Middle level inside forearm block, see uchi ude uke
Chudan-ude-uke
Middle level forearm block
Chudan-uke
Middle level block, a general term for middle level blocks
Chudan-zuki
A punch to the mid-section of the opponent's body
Chusoku
Ball of foot
Counting - 1. Ichi 2. Ni 3. San 4.
Shi 5. Go 6. Roku 7. Shichi 8. Hachi 9. Ku 10.Ju
D
Dachi
Stance or position, see tachi
Dai
Lesser or minor
Dan
Level, rank or degree of black belt rank. Northend Karate-Do
does not participate in the Dan ranking system
Dan-zuki
Consecutive punching (same hand)
Danchu
Summit of breastbone or sternum
De
Advancing
Deai
Encountering, see deai osae uke
Deai-osae-uke
Pressing block
Deashi-barai
Advanced foot sweep, see deashi harai
Denko
The area between the seventh and eighth ribs
Deshi
Trainee, see karate-ka
Do
Way or path. In karate, the connotation is that of a way of
attaining enlightenment or a way of improving one's character through
traditional training.
Do-kyaku
Moving leg
Dogu
Tools, equipment, instruments, etc. used in martial arts
practice
Doji
Simultaneous
Doji-waza
Techniques are performed simultaneously
Dojo
Literally, "place of the way" or "place of
enlightenment", the place where we practice karate
Dojo-kun
School oath, or standard of the school, i.e. Northend
Karate-Do has the motto “Persistence is more important than natural ability”
Dokan
The ring of the way; repetition, consistent practice
Dokko
The mastoids, located up behind the base of the ears
Domo-arigato-gozaimashita
Japanese for "thank you very much" at the end of
each class, it is proper to bow and thank the instructor and those with whom
you've trained
Dori
Practice
Doshu
Master of the way
E
Eku
A wooden oar used by the Okinawans that was improvised as a
weapon
Embusen
The floor pattern of a given kata
Empi
or Enpi
Elbow, see hiji. Kata Empi means "flying
swallow", this kata was originally called wanshu. It is named after a
flying swallow because the alternate high and low attacks that are seen in it
are said to resemble a swallow in flight. It is considered to be one of the
oldest kata.
Empi-uchi
Elbow strike, see hiji ate
Empi-uke
Elbow block, a general term for the blocking action using
the elbow
En
Circle
En-sho
Round heel, see kakato
Engetsu-uke
Circular foot block
Relax
Enshin
Center of a circle or circular
Eri
Lapel
Eri-seoi-nage
Lapel shoulder throw
Eri-tsukami
Lapel grab
F
Fu-anti
Instability or lack of balance
Fudo-dachi
Immovable stance or rooted stance, sochin dachi
Fukai
Hold strongly
Fukurahagi
Calf (of the leg)
Fukuto
The outside of the lower part of the thigh
Fumi-waza
Stamping techniques
Fumikiri-geri
Cutting kick, a stamping sidekick using the edge or blade
of the foot to strike
Fumikomi-geri
Stamping kick, usually applied to the knee, shin, or instep
of an opponent
Furi
Swing or circular or round
Furi-kosa-barai
Circular cross sweep block, it is used in the kata
Nijushiho
Furiage
Swing up
Furikaeru
Turn (look) round, rotate and look back
Furisute
Swing
Fuse
Ground defense
Fushi
Joint, knuckle
Fusho
Injury, wound
G
Gaeshi
Counter, see kaeshi
Gai-wan
Outer arm, part of the forearm located on the side opposite
the thumb
Gan
Eye
Ganchu
Area below the nipples
Gankaku
Kata meaning "crane on a rock"
Gankaku-dachi
Crane stance, see tsuru ashi dachi and sagi ashi dachi
Gankaku-kamae
Crane posture
Gasshukua
Special training camp
Gedan
Lower level, lower section of the body
Gedan-barai or Gedan-barai-uke
Lower level sweeping block with a closed fist
Gedan-choku-zuki
A punch to the lower section of the opponent's body,
normally the groin
Gedan-juji-uke
Lower level crossed block, used to block a front kick
Gedan-kake-uke
Lower level hooking block
Gedan-shuto-osae
Lower level knife hand press
Gedan-soto-ude-uke
Lower level outside forearm block
Gedan-sukui-uke
Lower level hooking block
Gedan-ude-uke
Low forearm block
Gedan-uke
Lower level block
Gedan-zuki
Lower level punch, usually directed at the groin area
Gekon
The spot beneath the lower lip
Geri
Kick
Geri-nuke
Best described as slipping through the enemy by kicking
Geri-waza
Kicking techniques
Gerigaeshi
Return kick or kick counter
Gerihanashi
Kick release or retraction. After executing a kick you must
withdraw the leg with the same speed.
Gi
Training uniform. Traditionally in Japanese and Okinawan
karate dojo, the student gi must be white
Go-no-sen
The tactic where one allows the opponent to attack first so
to open up targets for counterattack
Gohon-kumite
Five step basic sparring. The attacker steps in five
consecutive times with a striking technique with each step. The defender steps
back five times, blocking each technique. After the fifth block, the defender
executes a counter- strike and kiai.
Goju-ryu
An Okinawan style of karate meaning “hard, soft way of
defense”
Gojushiho
An Okinawan kata meaning “54 steps”
Goshi
Hip
Goshin
Self defense
Gyaku
Reverse or opposite
Gyaku-ashi
Reverse foot or reverse leg
Gyaku-hanmi
Reversed side-on, half front facing position.
Gyaku-mawashi-geri
Reverse roundhouse kick or hook kick, see ura mawashi geri
Gyaku-mawashi-empi-uchi
Reverse roundhouse elbow strike
Gyaku-mikazuki-geri
Back or reverse crescent kick (inside to outside), see ura
mikazuki geri
Gyaku-te
Reverse hand
Gyaku-zuki
Reverse punch
H
Ha
Tooth
Hachiji-dachi
A natural stance, feet positioned about shoulder width
apart, and pointed slightly outward
Hada
Skin, see hifu
Hadashi
Bare feet
Haguki
Gums
Hai
Yes or lung
Hai-wan
Back arm
Hai-wan-nagashi-uke
Back arm sweeping block
Hai-wan-uke
Back arm block
Haishu
Backhand
Haimen
Back or rear side
Haishu
Backhand or back of the hand
Haishu-age-uchi
Back hand rising strike, as seen in kata Nijushiho
Haishu-awase-uke
Backhand combined block, the opening block in the kata
Gankaku and as seen in kata Bassai sho
Haishu-juji-uke
Backhand cross block
Haishu-uchi
Back hand strike with the back of the hand where the hand
and fingers are straight
Haishu-uke
Back hand block using the back of the hand
Haisoku
Instep of the foot
Haito
Ridge hand
Haito-koshi-kamae
Ridge-hand hip posture, the bottom hand is held as seiken
and the top hand is held in haito with the palm facing up
Haito-sukui-nage
Ridge-hand scooping throw used to counter a front kick. As
you scoop the leg you sink in stance, then raising to a shortened stance and
raising the leg taking your attacker off balance and throwing him to the floor
Haito-uchi
Ridge hand strike
Haito-uke
Ridge hand block
Hajime
Begin, a command given to start a given drill, kata, or
kumite
Han
Half
Han-zenkutsu-dachi
A shortened front stance, see moto dachi
Hana
Nose
Hanaji
Nosebleed
Hangetsu
or Hungetsu
A breathing kata meaning “half moon”
Hangetsu-dachi
Half moon stance, or a wide hour glass stance
Hanmi
Side on, half front facing position
Hanmi-sashi-ashi-dachi
Side on or half front facing stepping across position, as
seen in the kata Hangestsu
Hanmi-kamae
Half facing position
Hanshi
Master, an honorary title given to the highest black belt
of an organization, signifying their understanding of their art
Hara
Abdomen or belly, see tandan
Harai
Sweep or sweeping, see barai
Harai-fumikomi-geri
Sweeping stamping kick, as seen in the kata Bassai dai
Harai-te
Sweeping technique with the hand
Harai-waza
Sweeping technique
Haru
Spread
Hasami
Scissors
Hasami-(ude)-uke-hiza-
kamae
Scissor (forearm) block knee posture. Both forearms perform
a scissor block and at the same time the right knee raises attacking the groin.
Hasami-geri
Scissor kick
Hasami-tettsui-uchi
Scissor bottom fist strike. Both bottom fists perform a
scissor strike in to the sides of your attackers body.
Hasami-zuki
Scissor punch
Hayai
Quick, fast or rapid
Hazushi
Pulling away
Hazushi-te
Pulling away hand, used to describe the action of pulling
your hand away, after it has been grasped
Heian
Kata meaning “peaceful mind or peace or tranquility”. These
five kata were originally called Pinan and renamed by Funakoshi.
Heiko-dachi
Parallel stance, a natural stance, shoulder stance with the
feet positioned about shoulder width apart, pointed straight forward
Heiko-tate-zuki
Parallel vertical fist punch