Karate Terminology
First of all, don’t panic! you don’t need to be fluent in Japanese.
Here you will find the terminology use in our club on your way to becoming a black belt with the KUGB
| Japanese | English |
| Dojo | Training Hall |
| Sensei | Instructor |
| Rei | Bow |
| Migi | Right |
| Kamae-te | Move to ready position |
| Mawatte | Turn |
| Gi | Karate suit |
| Kime | Focus |
| Kihon | Basic techniques |
| Kumite | Sparring |
| Jodan | Head |
| Chudan | Middle body |
| Gedan | Lower body |
| Dojo Kun | Dojo code |
| Seiza | Kneel |
| Yoi | Ready |
| Hidari | Left |
| Hajime | Start/begin |
| Yame | Finish/stop |
| Obi | Belt |
| Kiai | Martial shout |
| Kata | Formal exercises |
| Zanshin | Martial state of mind or awareness |
| Oss | Respectful greeting or acknowledgment or understanding of a command |
| Japanese | English |
| Heiko dachi | Natural stance |
| Musubi dachi | Informal stance |
| Kiba dachi | Straddle stance |
| Kokutsu dachi | Back stance |
| Heisoku dachi | Feet together stance |
| Zenkutsu dachi | Front stance |
| Shiko dachi | Open leg/Sumo stance |
| Japanese | English |
| Gedan Barai | Downward block |
| Soto Uke | Outside block |
| Shuto uke | Knife hand block |
| Nagashi uke | Sweeping block |
| Empi uke | Elbow block |
| Morote uke | Augmented block |
| Age Uke | Rising block |
| Uchi Uke | Inside block |
| Tate Shuto uke | Vertical knife hand block |
| Haishu uke | Back hand block |
| Juji uke | X block |
| Kakewake uke | Wedge block |
| Japanese | English |
| Kara/Choku tsuki | Straight punch |
| Kizami tsuki | Front hand punch |
| Kagi tsuki | Hook punch |
| Sanbon tsuki | Three punch combination |
| Oi tsuki | Stepping punch |
| Gyaku tsuki | Reverse punch |
| Ren tsuki | Two punch combination |
| Japanese | English |
| Age empi uchi | Rising elbow strike |
| Mawashi empi uchi | Round elbow strike |
| Tate empi uchi | Downward elbow strike |
| Uraken uchi | Back fist strike |
| Nukite | Spear hand thrust |
| Haito uchi | Ridge hand strike |
| Yoko empi uchi | Side elbow strike |
| Ushiro empi uchi | Reverse elbow strike |
| Shuto uchi | Knife hand strike |
| Tetsui uchi | Hammer fist strike |
| Teisho uchi | Palm heel strike |
| Japanese | English |
| Mae geri | Front kick |
| Yoko geri kekomi | Side thrust kick |
| Ushiro geri | Back kick |
| Ren geri | Kicking combinations stepping between kicks |
| Yoko geri keage | Side snap kick |
| Mawashi geri | Roundhouse kick |
| Hiza geri | Knee kick |
| Nidan geri | Two kicks with same leg without step between |
| Japanese | English |
| Sanbon Kumite | Three step sparring |
| Kihon Ippon Kumite | Basic one-step sparring |
| Kaishi Ippon Kumite | Reaction sparring |
| Gohon Kumite | Five step sparring |
| Jiyu Ippon Kumite | Semi-free style sparring |
| Jiyu Kumite | Free style sparring |
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