Japanese Terminology
Counting
| Ichi | One |
| Ni | Two |
| San | Three |
| Shi or yon | 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 |
Colours
| Shiro | White |
| Ki | Yellow |
| Aoi | Blue |
| Midori | Green |
| Murasaki | Purple |
| Cha | Brown |
| Kuro | Black |
| Aka | Red |
Kata
| Heian | Peaceful mind |
| Tekki | Iron Knight |
| Bassai | Storm the Fortress |
| Sho | Lesser, small |
| Dai | Greater, big |
| Jion | Temple Ground |
| Jiin | Temple Sound |
| Kanku | To look at the sky |
| Hangetsu | Crescent or Half moon |
| Empi | Flying Swallow |
| Chinte | Extraordinary Hands |
| Jitte | Ten Hands |
| Gankaku | Crane on a rock |
| Sochin | To keep the peace; Grand Suppression |
| Nijushiho | Twenty-four steps |
| Shorei Kata | Light and quick; emphasizing agility and speed |
| Shorin Kata | Slow, hard, and strong; emphasizing muscles and strength |
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 |
Tsuki Waza (Punches)
| Oi tsuki | Lunge punch |
| Gyaku tsuki | Reverse punch |
| Kizami tsuki | Jab |
| Choku tsuki | Straight punch |
| Kagi tsuki | Hook punch |
| Oi-gyaku tsuki | Lunging reverse punch |
| Ura tsuki | Close punch |
| Morote tsuki | Parallel punch |
| Ren tsuki | Double punch |
| San tsuki | Triple punch |
| Age tsuki | Rising punch |
| Gedan tsuki | Downward punch |
| Yama tsuki | Wide “U” punch |
| Awase tsuki | “U” punch |
| Otoshi tsuki | Dropping punch (Empi) |
| Ippon Ken tsuki | One-knuckle fist punch (Hangetsu) |
Geri Waza (Kicks)
| Mae geri | Front 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 |
| Fumikomi geri | Stomping kick |
| Uchi mikazuki geri | Inside crescent kick |
| Soto mikazuki geri | Outside crescent kick |
| Tobi geri | Flying kick |
| Name ashi geri | Returning wave kick (Tekki 1) |
| Hiza geri | Knee kick/strike |
| Nidan geri | Double kick (Kanku-Dai) |
General Terms
| Karate | Empty Hands |
| Karate Do | The Way of Karate |
| Karateka | Practitioner of Karate |
| Dojo | School or training room |
| Sensei | Instructor/Teacher |
| Sempai | Senior |
| Kohai | Junior |
| Kyu | Rank |
| Gi | Uniform |
| Obi | Belt |
| Hai | Yes |
| Osu | I understand and will try my best. Also used to show respect, enthusiasm |
| Do | Way |
| Budo | Way of combat |
| Kime | Focus |
| Kihon | Basic technique |
| Kiai | Spirit shout/focus of spiritual energy |
| Kata | Practice form |
| Embusen | Floor pattern/lines of a kata |
| Bunkai | Application of kata techniques |
| Kumite | Sparring/fighting |
| Ippon kumite | One-step sparring |
| Gohon kumite | Five-step sparring |
| Jiyyu kumite | Free sparring |
| Waza | Technique |
| Shotokan | House of Shoto |
Commands
| Narande | Line up |
| Seiretsu | Line up by rank |
| Yoi | Ready |
| Yame | Stop |
| Yasume | Relax (or ready position) |
| Shomen ni | Face towards the front |
| Sensei ni | Face towards the teacher |
| Otaigai ni | Face towards each other |
| Rei | Bow |
| Seiza | Meditation position-kneeling |
| Mawatte | Turn around |
| Hajime | Begin |
| Naore | Return to Shizen-tai |
| Mokuso | Meditate/Gather Your Thoughts |
Directions
| Mae | Front |
| 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 |
| Otoshi | Dropping |
| Sokumen | Side |
Dachi waza (Stances)
| Heisoku dachi | Formal Attention Stance (Yoi) |
| Zenkutsu dachi | Front Stance |
| Kokutsu dachi | Back Stance |
| Kiba dachi | Straddle Stance |
| Fudo dachi | Fighting Stance |
| Musubi dachi | Informal Attention Stance (feet in a ‘V”) |
| Hachiji dachi | Open-legged Stance (Yoi) |
| Shizen-tai dachi | Natural Stance |
| Neko-ashi dachi | Cat Stance |
| Renoji dachi | “L” Stance |
| Kosa dachi | Cross-legged Stance |
| Hangetsu dachi | Wide Hour-glass Stance |
| Migi Ashi Orishiku | Right Leg Kneeling |
| Hidari Ashi Orishiku | Left Leg Kneeling |
Uke Waza (Blocks)
| Age uke | Upper Rising block |
| Gedan uke | Downward block |
| Soto uke | Outside forearm block |
| Uchi uke | Inside forearm block |
| Shuto uke | Knife block |
| Morote uke | Augmented block |
| Kakiwaki uke | Reverse wedge block |
| Juji uke | X block |
| Kosa uke | Cross block |
| Manji uke | Hi/low block |
| Tate shuto uke | Vertical knife-hand block |
| Haishu uke | Back-hand block |
| Empi uke | Elbow block |
| Otoshi uke | Dropping or falling block |
| Nagashi Uke | Sweeping block |
| Haiwan Nagashi Uke | Sweeping back-arm block |
| Te Nagashi Uke | Sweeping hand block |
| Sukui Uke | Scooping block (Bassai, Chinte) |
| Sokumen Awase Uke | Side combined block (Bassai-Dai) |
| Tsukami Uke | Grasping block (Bassai-Dai, Jion) |
| Awase Shuto Age Uke | Combined rising knife-hand block (Kanku-Dai) |
| Ryowan Uchi Uke | Double inside block( Jion, Bassai-Sho) |
Uchi Waza (Strikes)
| Kent-sui | Hammer-fist strike |
| Uraken Uchi | Backfist Strike |
| Hiraken Uchi | Foreknuckle Strike |
| Teisho Uchi | Palm Heel Strike |
| Ippon Nukite Uchi | Single Finger Strike |
| Nihon Nukite Uchi | Two Finger Strike (Fork) |
| Shuto Uchi | Knife Hand Strike |
| Soto Shuto Uchi | Outside Knife Hand Strike |
| Uchi Shuto Uchi | Inside Knife Hand Strike |
| Shihon Nukite Uchi | Spear Hand Strike |
| Gyaku Haito Uchi | Reverse Backfist Strike |
| Empi Uchi | Elbow Strike |
| Mawashi Empi Uchi | Round Elbow Strike |
| Mae Empi Uchi | Front Elbow Strike |
| Otoshi Empi Uchi | Downward Elbow Strike |
| Ushiro Empi Uchi | Back Elbow Strike |
| Yoko Empi Uchi | Side Elbow Strike |
| Yoko Mawashi Empi Uchi | Side Roundhouse Elbow Strike |
| Tate Empi Uchi | Upward Elbow Strike |
| Hiza Age Ate | Rising Knee Strike |
| Washide Uchi | Eagle Beak Strike |
| Koko Uchi | Tiger Mouth Strike |
| Haishu Uchi | Back Hand Strike |
