Karate Dictionary
Block (Uke – pronounced “oo-kay”)
- Gedan barai (sweeping low block)
- Kakiwake gendan barai
- Age uke (rising block)
- Uchi uke (inside forearm block)
- Soto uke (outside forearm block)
- Shuto uke (knife-hand block)
- Haishu-uke (back sight block)
- Gedan morote barai (double sweeping low block)
- Morote uke (double forearm block)
- Juji uke (x block)
- Empi uke (elbow block)
- Nagashi uke (rising arm side block)
- Osae uke (palm block)
- Othoshi uke (dropping forearm block)
- Shuto Age uke (rising knife-hand block)
- Shuto Gedan Barai (knife-hand sweeping low block)
- Sukui uke (scooping block)
- Haiwan uke (square side block)
- Kaisho haiwan uke (knife hand square side block)
- Kakiwake uke (floating x block)
- Tate Shuto uke (half knife-hand block)
Punch (Zuki – pronounced “zoo-key”)
- Chudan-zuki (Middle area punch)
- Jodan-zuki (face level punch)
- Gedan-zuki (lower abdomen area punch)
- Ura Zuki (close short punch, with inverted fist)
- Tate Zuki (half reverse punch, with a vertical fist)
- Mawashi Zuki (roundhouse punch)
- Yama zuki (wide double fisted strike)
- Kage Zuki (hook punch)
- Hasami Zuki (scissor strike)
- Morote / Heiko Zuki (parallel punch)
Kick (Geri – pronounced “geh-rhee”)
- Hiza Geri (knee strike)
- Kin Geri (kick in the groin with feet)
- Mae Geri (front kick)
- Mawashi Geri (round kick)
- Yoku geri (side kick)
- Ushiro geri (back kick)
- Kakato geri (heel kick)
- Ura mawashi geri (hook kick)
- Ushiro mawashi geri (reverse roundhouse kick)
- Mikazuki geri (crescent kick)
- Tobi geri (jump kick)
- Hasami geri (scissor kick)
- Keage (Snap kick)
- Kekomi (Thrust kick)
- Ashi-Barai (Foot sweep)
- Fumikomi (Stamping kick)
Strike (Uchi – pronounced “oo-chee”)
- Shuto uchi (knife-hand strike)
- Tettsui uchi (hammer-fist strike)
- Tettsui hasami uchi (hammer-fist scissor strike)
- Uraken uchi (back-fist strike)
- Nukite (spear-hand strike)
- Hiraken uchi (fore-knuckle fist)
- Haito uchi (ridge hand strike)
- Teisho uchi (palm-heel strike)
- Kumade uchi (bear hand strike)
- Washide uchi (eagle hand)
Stance (Dachi – pronounced “dah-chee”)
- Heisoku Dachi (Informal Attention Stance)
- Musubi Dachi (Joining Stance)
- Heiko Dachi (Basic Stance)
- Hachiji Dachi (Natural Stance)
- Uchi Hachiji Dachi (Inverted Natural Stance)
- Kiba Dachi (Horse Stance)
- Shiko Dachi (Square Stance)
- Kokutsu Dachi (Back Stance)
- Nekoashi Dachi (Cat Stance)
- Renoji Dachi (L-Stance)
- Teiji Dachi (T Stance)
- Zenkutsu Dachi (Front Stance)
- Fudo Dachi (Rooted Stance)
- Hangetsu Dachi (Half-Moon Stance)
- Kosa Dachi (Cross-Legged Stance)
- Tsuruashi Dachi (Crane Stance)
- Shizentai (Natural Position)
Numbers
- Ichi (ih-chee): One
- Ni (nee): Two
- San (sahn): Three
- Shi (she): Four
- Go (go): Five
- Roku (roo-koo): Six
- Shichi (Shih-chee): Seven
- Hachi (Hah-chee): Eight
- Ku (koo): Nine
- Ju (joo): Ten
General Terms
- Budo (boo-doh): Martial way
- Bunkai (bun-kye): Applications
- Chudan (chew-dahn): Chest area
- Dan (dahn): Black belt rank
- Do (doh): Way/path
- Dojo (doh-joh): Training area
- Domo Arigato Gozai-mashita (doh-moh ah-ree-gah-toe go-zye-mah-she-tah) Thank you very much (past)
- Gasshuku (gas-shoe-koo) Summer camp
- Gedan (geh-dahn): Lower body area
- Gi (ghee): Uniform
- Gohan-kumite (goh-hon koo-mih-tay): Five step sparring
- Hai (hi): Yes
- Hajime (hah-zhim-ay): Begin
- Hidari (he-dah-rhee): Left
- Hombu-Dojo (hohm-boo doh-joh): Dojo headquarter
- Ippon kumite (eep-pohn koo-me-teh): One step sparring
- Jiyu ippon (jye-oo ih-pon): Free one step sparring
- Jiyu-kumite (gee-you koo-me-teh): Free sparring
- Jodan (joh-dahn): Face area
- Kamae (kah-mah-eh): Sparring posture
- Karate (kah-rah-teh): Empty hand
- KarateKa (kah-rah-teh-kah): Karate student
- Kata (kah-tah): Form
- Ki (key): Mind, Spirit, Energy
- Kiai (key-aye): Focusing shout
- Kihon (key-hohn): Basic technique
- Kihon kumite (key-hohn koo-me-teh): Basic sparring
- Kime (key-may): Focus of power
- Kumite (koo-me-teh): Sparring
- Kyu (kyoo): White/Brown belt Rank
- Mae (mah-eh): Front
- Makiwara (mah-key-wha-rha): Punching board
- Mawate-te (mah-wha-tay): Turn around
- Migi (me-ghee): Right
- Ohayo Gozaimasu (oh-ha-yoh go-zye-mah-soo): Good morning
- Onegai-shimasu (oh-nih-guy-she-mah-soo): Please teach me
- Osu (oh-soo): Greeting
- Oyasumi nasai (oh-yah-soo-me nah-sigh): Good night
- Rei (rey): Bow
- Sanbon kumite (san-bohn koo-me-teh): Three step sparring
- Seiza (say-zah): Sitting position
- Sempai (sehm-pye): Senior student
- Sensei (sehn-seh-ee): Instructor
- Shizen-tai (she-zen tah-ee): Natural position
- Tai sabaki (tye sah-bah-key): Body movement
- Waza (wah-zah): Technique
- Yame (yah-may): Stop
- Yoi (yoy): Ready
- Zanshin (zahn-shin): Following through technique
