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Shotokan Karate Club at the University of Washington

Seattle, Washington

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Glossary

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Hiroko Mori has recorded each term twice – first slowly, then natural speed. Click each Japanese term to hear the recording.
(Glossary courtesy of the SKA website)

Numbers

One ichi (ee-chee)
Two ni (nee)
Three san (sahn)
Four shi (shee)
Five go (goh)
Six roku (roh-koo)
Seven shichi (shee-chee)
Eight hachi (hah-chee)
Nine ku (koo) / kyu (kyoo)
Ten ju (joo)

General

Head instructor/Master instructor (of an organization) * shihan (shee-hahn)
Instructor * sensei (sehn-seh-ee)
Training hall dojo (doh-joh)
Training uniform keiko gi (keh-ee-koh gee)/gi (gee)
Training uniform belt obi (oh-bee)
Vocal expulsion of air kiai (kee-ah-ee)
Black Belt rank dan (dahn)
White/Brown belt rank kyu (kyoo)
Meditation mokuso (moh-koo-soh)
Bow rei (reh-ee)/lei (leh-ee)
Assume stance kamaete (kah-mah-eh-teh)
Get ready yoi (yoh-ee)
Begin hajime (hah-jee-meh)
Pivot/assume opposite direction kaette (kah-eht-teh)
Stop yame (yah-meh)
At ease yasume (yah-soo-meh)
Basic training kihon (kee-hohn)
Formal exercise/forms kata (kah-tah)
Sparring kumite (koo-mee-teh)
Escape techniques torite (toh-ree-teh)
Throwing techniques nagewaza (nah-geh-wah-zah)
Foot sweep ashibarai (ah-shee-bah-rah-ee)
Maximum effectiveness/ focus of techniques kime (kee-meh)
Pulling hand hikite (hee-kee-teh)
Breathing center in lower abdomen tanden (tahn-dehn)
Getting into the opponent irimi (ee-ree-mee)
Elbow Attacks enpi (ehn-pee)/ empi(ehm-pee)
Jumping-in attack tobikomi (toh-bee-koh-mee)
Continuous Techniques renzoku waza (rehn-zoh-koo wah-zah)
Punching board makiwara (mah-kee-wah-rah)
Staff bo (boh)

Standing Forms:

Tachikata (tah-chee-kah-tah) Tachi (tah-chee) changes to dachi (dah-chee) when used after other words.

Front stance zenkutsu-dachi (zehn-koo-tsoo-dah-chee)
Back stance kokutsu-dachi (koh-koo-tsoo-dah-chee)
Horse riding stance kiba-dachi (kee-bah-dah-chee)
Immovable stance fudo-dachi (foo-doh-dah-chee)
Cat stance nekoashi-dachi (neh-koh-ah-shee-dah-chee)
Natural stance shizentai (shee-zehn-tah-ee)
Close-leg stance heisoku-dachi (heh-ee-soh-koo-dah-chee)
Half-facing stance hanmi-dachi (hahn-mee-dah-chee)
Open-leg stance hachiji-dachi (hah-chee-jee-dah-chee)

Blocks

Uke (oo-keh) Harai (hah-rah-ee) changes to barai (bah-rah-ee) when used after other words. Harai is one kind of block.

Downward block gedan-barai (geh-dahn-bah-rah-ee)
Rising block age-uke (ah-geh-oo-keh)
Forearm block ude-uke (oo-deh-oo-keh)
Hammer block tetsui-uke (teh-tsoo-ee-oo-keh)/tettsui-uke (teht-tsoo-ee-oo-keh)
Knife-hand block shuto-uke (shoo-toh-oo-keh)
Cross-arm block juji-uke (joo-jee-oo-keh)
Two-hand block morote-uke (moh-roh-the-oo-keh)
Palm-heel block teisho-uke (teh-ee-shoh-oo-keh)

Hand Techniques

Te Waza (teh-wah-zah) Thrust tsuki (tsoo-kee) changes to zuki (zoo-kee) when used after other words.

Lunge punch oi-zuki (oh-ee-zoo-kee)
Reverse punch gyaku-zuki (gyah-koo-zoo-kee)
Jab maete (mah-eh-teh)
Continuous punches alternating hands bari-bari (bah-ree-bah-ree)
Continuous punching attacks renzoku-zuki (rehn-zoh-koo-zoo-kee)/ren-zuki (rehn-zoo-kee)
Punching with horse riding stance kibadachi-zuki (kee-bah-dah-chee-zoo-kee)
Double punch morote-zuki (moh-roh-teh-zoo-kee)
Hook punch kagi-zuki (kah-gee-zoo-kee)
Palm-heel teisho (teh-ee-shoh)
Rising punch age-zuki (ah-geh-zoo-kee)

Striking Techniques

Uchi Waza (oo-chee-wah-zah)

Back-fist strike uraken-uchi (oo-rah-kehn-oo-chee)
Bottom-fist strike tetsui-uchi (teh-tsoo-ee-oo-chee)/ tettsui-uchi (teht-tsoo-ee-oo-chee)
Knife-hand strike shut-uchi (shoo-toh-oo-chee)
Spear-hand nukite (noo-kee-teh)
Two-finger spear-hand nihon-nukite (nee-hohn-noo-kee-teh)
Fore-fist seiken (seh-ee-kehn)
Fore-knuckle fist hiraken (hee-rah-kehn)
One-knuckle fist ippon-ken (eep-pohn-kehn)
Middle finger/knuckle fist nakadaka-ken (nah-kah-dah-kah-kehn)
Ridge-hand haito (hah-ee-toh)

Kicks

Keri (keh-ree) Keri (keh-ree) changes to geri (geh-ree) when used after other words.
Front kick mae-geri (mah-eh-geh-ree)
Round kick mawashi-geri (mah-wah-shee-geh-ree)
Side-thrust kick yokogeri-kekomi (yoh-koh-geh-ree-keh-koh-mee)
Side-up kick yokogeri-keage (yoh-koh-geh-ree-keh-ah-geh)
Crescent kick mikazuki-geri (mee-kah-zoo-kee-geh-ree)
Stamping kick fumikomi (foo-mee-koh-mee)
Rear kick ushiro-geri hiro_geri.mp3″> (oo-shee-roh-geh-ree)
Double front kick nidan-geri (nee-dahn-geh-ree)
Flying front kick tobi-geri (toh-bee-geh-ree)
Flying side-thrust kick tobi-yokogeri (toh-bee-yoh-koh-geh-ree)
Front kick with front leg maeashi-geri (mah-eh-ah-shee-geh-ree)
Front-thrust kick maeashi-kekomi (mah-eh-ah-shee-keh-koh-mee)
Continuous kicks renzoku-geri (rehn-zoh-koo-geh-ree)
Foot edge sokuto (soh-koo-toh)
Heel kakato (kah-kah-toh)
Kneecap hizagashira (hee-zah-gah-shee-rah)

Sparring:

Kumite (koo-mee-teh) Kumite (koo-mee-teh) often becomes gumite (goo-mee-teh) when used after other words.

Basic one-time sparring kihon ippon gumite (kee-hohn eep-pohn goo-mee-teh)
Free one-time sparring jiyu-ippon gumite (jee-yoo-eep-pohn goo-mee-teh)
Three-time sparring sanbon gumite (sahn-bohn goo-mee-teh)
Five-time sparring gohon gumite (goh-hohn goo-mee-teh)
Free-style jiyu kumite (jee-yoo koo-mee-teh)
Upper body jodan (joh-dahn)
Middle body chudan (choo-dahn)
Lower body gedan (geh-dahn)
Distance, timing, and other things between opponents ma (mah)
Match shiai (shee-ah-ee)
Bow rei (reh-ee) / lei (leh-ee)
One point match shobu ippon (shoh-boo eep-pohn)
Begin hajime (hah-jee-meh)
Stop yame (yah-meh)
Clash aiuchi (ah-ee-oo-chee)
I award no point torimasen (toh-ree-mah-sehn)
Continue tsuzukete (tsoo-zoo-keh-teh)
One more time mo ichido (moh ee-chee-doh)
End of match soko made (soh-koh mah-deh) / sore made (soh-reh mah-deh)
Half-point waza ari (wah-zah ah-ree)
Point ippon (eep-pohn)
Two half-points equal one point waza ari awasete ippon (wah-zah ah-ree ah-wah-seh-teh eep-pohn)
Draw hikiwake (hee-kee-wah-keh)
Red aka (ah-kah)
White shiro (shee-roh)
Red is the winner aka no kachi (ah-kah noh kah-chee)
Referee shinpan (sheen-pahn) / shimpan (sheem-pahn)

Throwing Techniques

Nagewaza (nah-geh-wah-zah)

to topple a folding screen Byobudaoshi (byoh-boo-dah-oh-shee)
spinning top Komanage (koh-mah-nah-geh)
encircle the neck Kubiwa (koo-bee-wah)
half wheel Katawaguruma (kah-tah-wah-goo-roo-mah)
‘v’ turning swallow Tsubamegaeshi (tsoo-bah-meh-gah-eh-shee)
to spear a ball Yaridama (yah-ree-dah-mah)
to push off a cliff Taniotoshi (tah-nee-oh-toh-shee)
to encircle with the arm Udewa (oo-deh-wah)
to hammer upside down Sakatsuchi (sah-kah-tsoo-chee)
Performer of the technique tori (toh-ree)
Receiver of the technique uke (oo-keh)
Falling techniques ukemi (oo-keh-mee)

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Shotokan Karate Club at the UW
Studio 111
Intramural Activities Building (IMA)
3924 Montlake Blvd NE
Seattle, WA 98195
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