Karate Terminology

Learn the japanese terms used in karate. If you wanna learn karate techniques, goto karate main, and select a technique. Follow the animated instructions and watch the videos.

Terminology: Karate Terminology

  • Technical Terminology Karate
    • Karate
    • Karate do
    • Karateka
    • Waza
    • Kamae
    • Dachi
    • Heisoku dachi
    • Zenkutsu dachi
    • Kokutsu dachi
    • Kiba dachi
    • Neko ashi dachi
    • Kosa dachi
    • Renoji dachi
    • Fudo dachi
    • Musubi dachi
      -
    • Hachiji dachi
    • Shizen tai dachi
    • Hangetsu dachi
    • Migi ashi orishiku
    • Hidari ashi orishiku
    • Uke
    • Age uke
    • Gedan uke
    • Soto ude uke
    • uchi ude uke
    • Shuto uke
    • Morote uke
    • Kakiwaki uke
    • Juji uke
    • Kosa uke
    • Manji uke
    • Tate shuto uke
    • Haishu uke
    • Empi uke / Hiji uke
    • Osae uke
    • Otoshi uke
    • Nagashi uke
    • Haiwan nagashi uke
    • Te nagashi uke
    • Sukui uke
    • Sokumen awase uke
    • Tsukami uke
    • Awase shuto age uke
    • Ryowan uchi uke
    • Seiryuto uke
    • Tsuki
    • Oi tsuki
    • Gyaku tsuki
    • Kizami tsuki
    • Choku tsuki
    • Kagi tsuki
    • Oi gyaku tsuki
    • Ura tsuki
    • Morote tsuki
    • Ren tsuki
    • San tsuki
    • Age tsuki
    • Gedan tsuki
    • Yama tsuki
    • Awase tsuki
    • Otoshi tsuki
    • Ippon ken tsuki
    • Geri
    • Mae geri keage
    • Mae geri kekomi
    • Yoko geri keage
    • Yoko geri kekomi
    • Mawashi geri
    • Ushiro geri
    • Fumikomi geri
    • uchi mikazuki geri
    • Soto mikazuki geri
    • Tobi geri
    • Name ashi geri
    • Hiza geri
    • Nidan geri
    • Uchi
    • Tettsui
    • Kumade uchi
    • Uraken uchi
    • Hiraken uchi
    • Teisho uchi
    • Ippon nukite uchi
    • Nihon nukite uchi
    • Shuto uchi
    • Soto shuto uchi
    • uchi shuto uchi
    • Shihon nukite uchi
    • Gyaku haito uchi
    • Haito uchi
    • Empi uchi
    • Mawashi empi uchi
    • Mae empi uchi
    • Otoshi empi uchi
    • Ushiro empi uchi
    • Yoko empi uchi
    • Yoko mawashi empi uchi
    • Tate empi uchi
    • Hiza age ate
    • Washide uchi
    • Koko uchi
    • Haishu uchi
    • Kata
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  • Competition Terminology
    Karate
    • Shiai
    • Shiaijo
    • Shinpan
    • Ki o tsuke
    • Hajime
    • Maai
    • Kogeki seyo
    • Osaekomi toketa
    • Osaekomi
    • Jikan
    • Hantei
    • Ippon
    • Waza ari
    • Yuko
    • Koka
    • Hiki wake
    • Yusei gachi
    • Fusen Gachi
    • Shido
    • Keikoku
    • Chui
    • Matte
    • Sono mama
    • Sore made
    • Hansoku make
      -
  • Gi / Bodyparts Terminology Karate
    • Gi
    • Jodan
    • Chudan
    • Gedan
    • Sode
    • Atama
    • Kubi
    • Eri
    • Kata
    • Wan
    • Naiwan
    • Empi or Hiji
    • Ude
    • Tekubi
    • Te
    • Ken
    • Ippon ken
    • Kaishu
    • Yubi
    • Mune
    • Hara
    • Seika Tanden
      -
    • Zubon
    • Koshi
    • Hiza / Hitsui
    • Heisoku
    • Teisoku
    • Ashikubi
    • Ashi
    • Jiku ashi
    • Kakato
    • Koshi
    • Sokuto
      -
    • Tsumasaki
      -
  • More words - japanese
    martial arts
    • Sensei
    • Kyoshi
    • Okuden
    • Soke
      -
    • Randori
    • Judo ichidai
    • Kiai
    • Waza
    • Shisei
    • Nage
    • Nagekomi
    • Kata
    • Katame no kata
    • Nage no kata
    • Randori no kata
    • Ju no kata
    • Seiryoku
    • Ju no ri
    • Jujutsu
    • Bujutsu
    • Budo
    • Bu
    • Bushido
    • Goshin Jutsu
    • Jita Kyoei
    • Joseki
    • Dojo
    • Tatami
    • Tori
    • Kake
    • Tokuri waza
    • Rei
    • Reiho
    • Zarei
    • Seiza
    • Obi
    • Kyu
    • Dan
    • Yudansha
    • Yudanshakai
    • Ichi
    • Ni
    • San
    • Shi
    • Go
    • Roku
    • Shichi
    • Hachi
    • Ku
    • Ju
    • Juichi
    • Juni
    • Jusan
    • Niju
    • Nijuichi
    • Sanju
    • Kujuku
    • Hyaku
    • Sen
    • Man
    • juman
    • Hyakuman
    • Senman
    • Oku
    • Yoko
    • Hidari
    • Migi
    • Mae
    • Ushiro
    • Tate
    • Mawashi
    • Jodan
    • Chudan
    • Gedan
    • Tobi
    • Gyaku
    • Age
    • Uchi
    • Soto
    • Otoshi
    • Sokumen
      -
  • Other japanese
    phrases & words
    • Ohayo gozaimasu
    • Konnichiwa
    • Konbanwa
    • Sayonara
    • O genki desu ka
    • Hai, genki desu
    • Domo arigato gozaimashu
    • Do itashi mashite
    • Misete kudasai
    • Anata wa eigo o
      hanashimasu ka?
    • Iie, wakarimasen
    • Anata no namae wa?
    • Watashi no namae...
    • Yukkuri hanashi te kudasai

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Empty hand
Way of the empty hand
Karate practicioner
Stance / Stances
Posture
Stance or step
Attention stance - a formal position
Front stance or bow stance
Back stance
Straddle stance or horse stance
Cat stance with most weight on the backleg
Cross legged stance - rest stance
L-stance
Fighting stance
Informal attention stance where the feet
are in a "v" position
Open legged Stance
Natural stance
Wide hour - class stance
Right knee down stance
Left knee down stance
Block / blocking
Rising block
Downward block
Outside forearm block
Inside forearm block
Knife block
Augmented block
Reverse wedge block (Heian 4)
X block
Cross block
Hi/low block
Vertical knifehand block
Backhand block
Elbow block
Press block
Dropping block / falling block
Sweeping block
Sweeping backarm block
Sweeping hand block
Scooping block
Side combined block
Grasping block
Combined rising knife-hand block
Double inside block
Ox-Jaw block
Punch / punches
Oi tsuki: Lunge punch
Reverse punch
Jab
Straight punch
Hook punch
Lunging reverse punch
Close punch
Parallel punch
Double punch
Triple punch
Rising punch
Downward punch
Wide U-punch
U-punch
Dropping punch
1 knuckle fist punch
Kick / kicks
Front snap kick
Front thrust kick
Side snap kick
Side thrust kick
Round kick
Back thrust kick
Stomping kick
Inside crescent kick
Outside crescent kick
Flying kick
Returning wave kick
Knee kick/strike
Double kick
Strikes / strike
Hammerfist strike
Bearclaw strike
Backfist strike
Foreknuckle strike
Palm - heel strike
Single Finger strike
Two finger strike
Knife handstrike
Outside knifehand strike
Inside knifehand strike
Spear hand strike
Reverse backfist strike
Backfist strike
Elbowstrike
Round elbowstrike
Front elbowstrike
Downward elbow strike
Back elbow strike
Side elbow strike
Side roundhouse elbow strike
Upward elbow strike
Rising Knee strike
Eaglebeak strike
Tigermouth strike
Backhand strike
Form
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Competition / contest
Competition area (..jo like in dojo)
referee
Attention
Begin
Space (distance between judoka)
Order to attack
Escape - stop timing of hold
Referee calls to begin the timing
Referee calls to stop the watch
Referee calls the judges for a decision
Victory with one single technique. (10 points)
Score half an ippon (5 points)
Score less than waza - ari (3 points)
Score less than a yuko (2 points)
Draw - no decision
Wind by judges decision
Win by default
Penalty (equal to koka score)
Penalty (ancient term)
Penalty (ancient term)
Stop
Stop current action (freeze)
Time over, time up, finished
Disqualification - most serious penalty in the sport of judo
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Uniform
Head level
Mid level (trunk)
Low level (waist and legs)
Sleeve
Head
Neck
Collar
Shoulder
Arm
Backside of the arm
Elbow
Forearm
Wrist
Hand
Fist
Finger / singel point fist
Open hand
Finger
Chest
Stomach
The center of gravity (like dan tian in Chinese)
part of the abdomen
Pants
Hip
Knee
Instep
Bottom of the foot
Ankle
Foot, leg
Pivot leg
Heels / heel
Ball of the foot
Outer edge of the foot (what you hit with,
when you do a snapped sidekick)
Toe (tip of the toes)
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Master / trainer / instructor
Instructor / trainer
Secret teachings
The founder of a martial art
(like Kano Jigoro for judo)
Free practice
The judo lifestyle
To shout. (gather spirit with a shout)
Technique
Posture
Throw
Repetitive throwing training.
Forms
Forms of grappling techniques
Throwing forms
Forms of free practice techniques
Forms of gentleness
Principle of max. efficiency
Principle of gentleness
Gentle art
Martial arts
Martial ways
Martial
Way of the warrior
Art of self defence
Principle of mutual prosperty
Place of honor, upper seat
Training hall - school
Mat
Athlete performing a technique
Execution of a technique
Somebodies #1 technique. Favorite skill.
Bow
Forms of respect and manners
Kneeling salutation
Kneeling posture (formal)
Belt (like judo or karate belt)
Degrees below the first blackbelt
(colored belts) student degrees
A black belt rank (master rank)
Athlete who earned a black belt
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
20
21
30
99
100
1000
10000
100000
1000000
10000000
100000000
Side
Left
Right
Forward
Backward
Vertical
Round
High level
Mid-high level
low level
Jump
Reverse
Rising
Inner
Outer
Dropping or falling
Side
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Good morning
Good afternoon
Good evening
Good bye
How are you?
I am fine
Thank you very much
You are welcome
Please show me
Do you speak english
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No, I don't understand
What is your name?
My name is ...
Please speak slowly?

Videos: Karate Terminology

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