Terminology

To review a section, simply "click" on one of the following words.

Blocks
Age uke - Rising block
Gedan uke - Down block
Soto ude uke - Outside forearm block
Uchi ude uke - Inside forearm block
Shuto uke - Knife block
Morote uke - Augmented block
Kakiwaki uke - Reverse wedge block (Heian 4)
Juji uke - X block
Kosa uke - Cross block (Uchi/gedan uke-Heian 3)
Manji uke - Hi/low block (Heian 5)
Tate shuto uke - Vertical knife-hand block (Heian 3)
Haishu uke - Back-hand block (Heian 5)
Empi uke (or Hiji uke) - Elbow block (Heian 3)
Osae uke - Pressing block (Heian 2, 3)
Otoshi uke - Dropping or falling block (Heian 2, 3)
Nagashi Uke - Sweeping block (Tekk, Jion)
Haiwan Nagashi Uke - Sweeping back-arm block
Te Nagashi Uke - Sweeping hand block (parry) (Heian 5)
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)

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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

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Commands
Narande - Line up
Seiretsu - Line up by rank
Yoi - Ready
Yame - Stop
Yasume - Relax (or ready position)
Sensei ni - Face towards the teacher
Otaigai ni - Face towards each other
Shomen ni - Face towards the front
Rei - Bow
Seiza - Meditation position-kneeling
Age-te - Hands up (cover position)
Mawatte - Turn around
Hajime - Begin
Naore - Return to Shizen-tai

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Counting
Ichi - One
Ni - Two
San - Three
Shi - Four
Go - Five
Roku - Six
Shichi - Seven
Hachi - Eight
Ku - Nine
Ju - Ten

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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

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General Terms
Karate - Empty Hands
Karate Do - The Way of Karate
Karateka - Practitioner of Karate
Dojo - School or training room
Sensei - 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 not use outside of the dojo!
Do - Way
Budo - Way of combat
Zanshin - Poise and control
Kime - Focus
Kihon - Fundamentals
Kiai - Spirit shout/focus of spiritual energy
Kata - Practice form
Embusen - Floor pattern/lines of a kata
Maai - Distance
Bunkai - Application (interpretation) of kata techniques
Kumite - Sparring/fighting
Ippon kumite - One-step sparring
Yakusoku kumite - "Promise" premeditated sparring
Gohon kumite - Five-step sparring
Jiyyu kumite - Free sparring
Waza - Technique
Dachi - Stance
Tsuki (Zuki) - Punch
Uchi - Strike
Uke - Block
Geri - Kick
Ashi-barai - Foot sweep
Kamae - Posture
Yori-ashi - Sliding the feet
Tai-sabaki - Body shifting
Shotokan - "House of Shoto" ; "pine sea"; pen name of Funakoshi.
DomoArigato Gozaimashita - "Thank-you very much"
Onegai Shimasu - "I welcome you to train with me" Literally: " I make a request." Said to one's partner when initiating practice.

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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
Fumikomi geri - Stomping kick (Heian 3, 5)
Uchi mikazuki geri - Inside crescent kick>
Soto mikazuki geri - Outside crescent kick
Tobi geri - Flying kick
A ashi geri - Returning wave kick (Tekki 1)
Hiza geri - Knee kick/strike
Nidan geri - Double kick (Kanku-Dai)
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)

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Major Concepts
Zanshin - Awareness; Continuing mind/heart - connotes "following through" a technique while maintaining awareness
Sen - Initiative
Sen no sen - Seizing the initiative earlier; Attacking at the same moment your opponent attacks.
Go no sen - Seizing the initiative later; Allowing your opponent to attack first so as to open up target for counter-attacks.
Sen sen no sen - Seizing the opponents sen no sen; Attacking before your opponent attacks-a preemptive attack.
Ikken Hissatsu" - To kill with one blow"
Karate ni sente nashi - Karate does not include the first move.
Karate wa sente nari - Karate is the first move.
Shorin (kata) - Quick movement, emphasizing speed
Shorei (kata) - Slow, strong movement, emphasizing strength
Sun-dome - Stopping a technique just prior to contact (three centimeters)

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Stances
Kamae - Posture (Yoi)
Heisoku dachi - Formal Attention StanceYoi)
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
Tournament Terms
Sanbon Shobu - hree point Match
Ippon shobu - One point match; used in tournaments
Sanbon Shobu Hajime - Start the Match
Shobu hajime - Start the Match
Tsuzukete hajime - Resume fighting (begin). Referee standing on his line steps back into zenkutsu dachi and brings palms of hands toward each other
Shiai-jo - Ring (size = 8-10 meters square)
Wazari - Half point
Ippon - Full point
Toranai - No point
Jogai - Out of Bounds; Referee points with index finger at a 45° angle to the area boundary on the side of the offender.
Jogai keikoku - Second exit from fighting area. Waza-ari penalty given to opponent.
Jogai keikoku - 4th and final exit from the fighting area. 4th exit causes victory to the opponent.
Ai-uchi - Clash; simultaneous scoring technique, no point awarded to either. Referee brings fists together in front of chest.
Atoshi baraku - A little more time left; an audible signal given by time keeper 30 seconds before actual end of bout.
Jikan - Time
Encho-sen - Extension; after a draw, the match goes into overtime. Referee reopens match with command "shobu hajime".
Aka/Shiro) No Kachi - R/W) Victorious
Fusen-gachi - Victory by default
Hansoku-make - Lose by disqualification
Hikiwake - Draw; referee crosses arms over chest, then uncrosses and holds arms out from the body with the palms showing upwards.
Hansoku - Foul; imposed following serious infraction, results in opponents score being raised to sanbon.
Shugo - Judges called. Referee beckons with arms to the judges.
Fukushin shugo - Judges conference Hantei - Judges decision/decision; judgement. Referee calls for judgement by blowing his whistle and judges render their decision by flag signal
Hantei kachi - Winner by decision
Chui - Warning
Shido - Light warning
Atenai yoni - Warning without penalty; referee raises 1 hand in fist with other hand covering it at chest level and shows it to offender.
Hansoku chui - Warning with an ippon penalty, ippon added to opponents score.
Keikoku - Severe warning; warning with waza-ari penalty in sanbon shobu. Penalty added to opponents score. Imposed for minor infractions for which a warning has previously been given in the bout. Referee points index finger to feet of offender at angle of 45°.

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