Karate: Empty Hand
Dojo: School or training room
Sensei: Teacher (one who has gone before)
Sempai: Senior student
Kyu: Rank (under black belt)
Dan: Rank (of black belt)
Gi: Uniform
Obi: Belt
Wado Kai: Wado “the way” and Kai “of peace and harmony” (our style of karate)
Kiotsuke: Attention (shortened to “Skeet”)
Rei: Bow
Kiai: Spirit shout/focus of spiritual energy
Kata: Practice form
Bunkai: Application (interpretation) of kata techniques
Kumite: Sparring/fighting
Waza: Technique
Dachi: Stance
Zuki (tsuki): Punch
Uchi: Strike
Uke: Block
Geri: Kick
Tai-sabaki: Body shifting or shifting technique
Mokuso: Meditate/Gather Your Thoughts
Zanshin: Awareness; Continuing mind/heart - connotes "following through" a technique while maintaining awareness (Poise and control)
Sun-dome: Stopping a technique just prior to contact (three centimeters)
Kime: Focus – (used in breaking – technique does not stop – goes through)
Hajime: Begin Yame: Stop (shortened to “UP”)
Heian: Peaceful mind (Chinese) Pinan: Peaceful mind (Japanese)
DIRECTION/TECHNIQUE
- Yoko: Side
- Ushiro: Back
- Tate: Vertical
- Mawashi: Round
- Jodan: Head high level
- Chudan: Mid-high level
- Gedan: Low level; Down
- Migi: Right
- Hidari: Left
- Tobi: Jump
- Gyaku: Reverse
- Age: Rising
- Uchi: Inner
- Soto: Outer
- Boseki: Spinning
DACHI WAZA (STANCES)
- Zenkutsu dachi: Front Stance
- Kokutsu dachi: Back Stance
- Kiba dachi: Straddle Stance (HORSE STANCE)
- Fudo dachi: Fighting Stance
- Shizen-tai dachi: Natural Stance
- Neko-ashi dachi:Cat Stance
- Renoji dachi: "L" Stance
- Kosa dachi: Cross-legged Stance
- Migi Ashi Orishiku: Right Leg Kneeling
- Hidari Ashi Orishiku: Left Leg Kneeling
UKE WAZA (BLOCKS)
- (Uchi) ude uke: Inside forearm block
- Gedan barai: Down sweeping (Gedan uke: Down block)
- Age uke: Rising block
- Soto ude uke: Outside forearm block
- Shuto uke: Knife block
- Juji uke: X block
- Morote uke: Augmented or double block
- Haishu uke: Back-hand block
- Empi uke: Elbow block
- Osae uke: Pressing block
GERI WAZA (KICKS)
- 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 kick
- Ushiro geri: Back thrust kick
- Mikazuki geri: Inside crescent kick
- Soto mikazuki geri: Outside crescent kick
- Tobi geri: Jumping kick
- Boseki geri: Spinning kick
- Hiza geri: Knee kick
TSUKI WAZA (PUNCHES)
- Seiken tzuki: knuckle punch
- Oi tsuki: Lunge punch
- Gyaku tsuki: Reverse punch
- Morote tsuki: Parallel (or double) punch
- Sanbon tsuki: Triple punch
- Age tsuki: Rising punch
UCHI WAZA (Strikes)
- Uraken Uchi: Backfist Strike
- Teisho Uchi: Palm Heel Strike
- Nukite Uchi: Finger Strike
- Shuto Uchi: Knife Hand Strike
- Haito Uchi: Inside Hand Strike
- Empi Uchi: Elbow Strike
- Tettsui: Hammer-fist strike
BODY PARTS
- Ken: Fist
- Ippon Ken: Single-point index-finger Fist
- Tate Ken: Vertical Fist
- Te: Hand
- Kaishu: Open hand
- Tekubi: Wrist
- Teisho: Palm heel
- Ude: Forearm
- Empi (also Hiji): Elbow
- Ashi: Leg
- Ashikubi: Ankle
- Hiza (also Hitsui): Knee
- Ensho: Back of the heel
- Heisoku: Top (instep) of the foot
- Teisoku: Bottom of the foot
- Kakato: Heel of the foot
- Koshi: Ball of the foot
- Sokuto: Outer edge (knife) of the foot
- Tsumasaki: Toe tips
- Atama: Head
- Wan: Arm
- Naiwan: Back of Arm
- Kata: Shoulder
- Jiku Ashi: Pivot leg
- Jodan: Head level
- Chudan: Mid-level
- Gedan: Lower level
COUNTING
- Ichi: One
- Ni: Two
- San: Three
- Shi: Four
- Go: Five
- Roku: Six
- Shichi: Seven
- Hachi: Eight
- Ku: Nine
- Ju: Ten
- NiJu: Twenty
- NiJu-Go: Twenty-five
- Hyaku: One Hundred
- Ippon: First
- Yon: Fourth
- Gohon: Fifth
COLORS
- Shiro: White
- Ki: Yellow
- Midori: Green
- Aoi: Blue
- Cha: Brown
- Kuro: Black
WEAPONS (Kobujutsu Training)
- Bo: Long staff
- Jo: Short staff
- Sai: forked knife (Jitte)
- Nunchaku: Thrasher (two sticks joined by a chain)
- Kama: Sickles
- Tonfa: Batons
- Shinai: Bamboo sword
- Bokken: Wooden sword
- Tessun: War fan