Japanese Terminology
Commands / Phrases
Arigato gozaimasu (ah-ree-gah-toh goh-zai-mas): Thank you very much
Hajime (hah-zhim-ay): Begin
Kamae-te (kah-mah-eh-teh): Assume stance
Mawaru (mah-wha-roo): Turn around
Matte (mah-tay): Wait
O Negai Itashimasu: Please let me train with you (formal)
Rei (rey): Respect; i.e. bow with respect
Sensei ni rei (sen-say nee ray): Bow to the teacher
Yasume (yah-soo-me): At ease
Yame (yah-may): Stop
Yoi (yoy): Attention/Ready
Miscellaneous
Bunkai (boon-kai): to break down; i.e. to examine application of kata techniques
Dojo (doe-joe): Place to learn the way
Gi (ghee): Jacket
Hai (hi): Yes
Hidari (hee-dah-ree): Left
Iie (E-eh): No
Karate-do (kah-rah-tay-doh): the Way of the Empty Hand
Kata (kah-tah): Forms
Kiai (key-aye): Focusing shout, spirit yell
Kihon (key-hohn): Basic techniques
Kihon kumite (key-hon koo-me-teh): Basic "entangled hands" (sparring)
Kumite (koo-me-teh): Entangled hands
Migi (mee-gee): Right
Ryu (roo): a school or style; school of thought or discipline
Uke (oo-kay): to receive
Numbers
Rei (ray): Zero
Ichi (eech): One
Ni (nee): Two
San (san): Three
Shi (she): Four
Go (go): Five
Roku (roke): Six
Shichi (seech): Seven
Hachi (hach): Eight
Ku (koo): Nine
Ju (joo): Ten
Stances
Kamae (kah-mah-eh): Fighting posture, take a ready stance
Kiba-dachi (key-bah dah-chee): Horse stance/Straddle-leg
Kokutsu-dachi (koe-koo-tsu dah-chee): Back stance
Kosa-dachi (koe-sah dah-chee): Cross-leg stance
Naname Zenkutsu-dachi (nahn-ah-mae zen-koo-tsue dah-chee): Slanted front-leg-bent stance
Zenkutsu-dachi (zen-koo-tsue dah-chee): Forward stance
Blocks
Age-uke (ah-geh oo-kay): Rising block
Gedan-barai (geh-dahn bah-rye): Lower sweeping block
Gedan-uke (geh-dahn oo-kay): Low level block
Kosa-uke (koe-sah oo-kay): Cross block
Morote-uke (moh-row-teh oo-kay): Double forearm assisted block, wedge block
Morote-barai-uke (moh-row-teh bah-rye oo-kay): Augmented lower block
Shuto-uke (shoe-toh oo-kay): Knife hand block
Soto-uke (so-toh oo-kay): Block from outside
Uchi-uke (oo-chee oo-kay): Block from inside
Punches
Choku-zuki (cho-koo zoo-key): Straight punch
Chudan-zuki (choo-dahn zoo-key): Middle level punch
Gedan-zuki (geh-dahn zoo-key): Low level punch
Gyaku-zuki (gya-koo zoo-key): Reverse punch
Jodan-zuki ( joe-dahn zoo-key): Upper level punch
Maete (mah-eh-te): Jab
Oi-zuki (oh-ee zoo-key): Lunge punch
Uraken-uchi (oo-rah-ken oo-chee): Back-fist strike
Shuto-uchi (shoo-tow oo-chee): Knife-hand strike
Kicks
Mae-ashi-geri (mah-eh ah-she geh-rhee): Front leg kick
Mae-geri (mah-eh geh-rhee): Front snap kick
Mae-tobi-geri (mah-eh toe-be geh-ree): Jumping front kick
Mawashi-geri (mah-wah-she-geh-ree): Roundhouse kick with top of foot
Ura mawashi-geri (oo-rah mah-wah-she geh-ree): Back roundhouse kick
Ushiro-geri (oo-she-row geh-rhee): Back kick
Yoko-geri (yoh-koh geh-rhee): Side kick
Arigato gozaimasu (ah-ree-gah-toh goh-zai-mas): Thank you very much
Hajime (hah-zhim-ay): Begin
Kamae-te (kah-mah-eh-teh): Assume stance
Mawaru (mah-wha-roo): Turn around
Matte (mah-tay): Wait
O Negai Itashimasu: Please let me train with you (formal)
Rei (rey): Respect; i.e. bow with respect
Sensei ni rei (sen-say nee ray): Bow to the teacher
Yasume (yah-soo-me): At ease
Yame (yah-may): Stop
Yoi (yoy): Attention/Ready
Miscellaneous
Bunkai (boon-kai): to break down; i.e. to examine application of kata techniques
Dojo (doe-joe): Place to learn the way
Gi (ghee): Jacket
Hai (hi): Yes
Hidari (hee-dah-ree): Left
Iie (E-eh): No
Karate-do (kah-rah-tay-doh): the Way of the Empty Hand
Kata (kah-tah): Forms
Kiai (key-aye): Focusing shout, spirit yell
Kihon (key-hohn): Basic techniques
Kihon kumite (key-hon koo-me-teh): Basic "entangled hands" (sparring)
Kumite (koo-me-teh): Entangled hands
Migi (mee-gee): Right
Ryu (roo): a school or style; school of thought or discipline
Uke (oo-kay): to receive
Numbers
Rei (ray): Zero
Ichi (eech): One
Ni (nee): Two
San (san): Three
Shi (she): Four
Go (go): Five
Roku (roke): Six
Shichi (seech): Seven
Hachi (hach): Eight
Ku (koo): Nine
Ju (joo): Ten
Stances
Kamae (kah-mah-eh): Fighting posture, take a ready stance
Kiba-dachi (key-bah dah-chee): Horse stance/Straddle-leg
Kokutsu-dachi (koe-koo-tsu dah-chee): Back stance
Kosa-dachi (koe-sah dah-chee): Cross-leg stance
Naname Zenkutsu-dachi (nahn-ah-mae zen-koo-tsue dah-chee): Slanted front-leg-bent stance
Zenkutsu-dachi (zen-koo-tsue dah-chee): Forward stance
Blocks
Age-uke (ah-geh oo-kay): Rising block
Gedan-barai (geh-dahn bah-rye): Lower sweeping block
Gedan-uke (geh-dahn oo-kay): Low level block
Kosa-uke (koe-sah oo-kay): Cross block
Morote-uke (moh-row-teh oo-kay): Double forearm assisted block, wedge block
Morote-barai-uke (moh-row-teh bah-rye oo-kay): Augmented lower block
Shuto-uke (shoe-toh oo-kay): Knife hand block
Soto-uke (so-toh oo-kay): Block from outside
Uchi-uke (oo-chee oo-kay): Block from inside
Punches
Choku-zuki (cho-koo zoo-key): Straight punch
Chudan-zuki (choo-dahn zoo-key): Middle level punch
Gedan-zuki (geh-dahn zoo-key): Low level punch
Gyaku-zuki (gya-koo zoo-key): Reverse punch
Jodan-zuki ( joe-dahn zoo-key): Upper level punch
Maete (mah-eh-te): Jab
Oi-zuki (oh-ee zoo-key): Lunge punch
Uraken-uchi (oo-rah-ken oo-chee): Back-fist strike
Shuto-uchi (shoo-tow oo-chee): Knife-hand strike
Kicks
Mae-ashi-geri (mah-eh ah-she geh-rhee): Front leg kick
Mae-geri (mah-eh geh-rhee): Front snap kick
Mae-tobi-geri (mah-eh toe-be geh-ree): Jumping front kick
Mawashi-geri (mah-wah-she-geh-ree): Roundhouse kick with top of foot
Ura mawashi-geri (oo-rah mah-wah-she geh-ree): Back roundhouse kick
Ushiro-geri (oo-she-row geh-rhee): Back kick
Yoko-geri (yoh-koh geh-rhee): Side kick