Numbers | General | Standing Forms | Blocks | Hand Techniques (punches and other striking techniques) | Kicks | Sparring | Throwing Techniques

• Pronunciation keys of Japanese terms are given in parentheses.
• How to read Japanese in English alphabet (rōmaji):English vowels a=ah, i=ee, u=oo, e=eh and o=oh
• A macron or a line over a vowel indicates that it is pronounced for twice the length of the vowel without a macron or a line. Sometimes an "h" is added instead, as in Mr. Ohshima's name. The first "o" in Mr. Ono's name, on the other hand, is not lengthened. Ohno and Ono are two different names. However, these sounds are just approximations and there are some exceptions.
• Please note that the pronunciation keys given here are only approximations and are primarily designed for the members in the U.S. and Canada. They may not necessarily be helpful for the members of international affiliates.
• Hiroko Mori has recorded each term twice -- first slowly, then natural speed. Click each Japanese term to hear the recording.

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) / kyū (kyoo)
Ten	jū (joo)
General
Head instructor/Master instructor (of an organization) *(see Notes at the end)	shihan (shee-hahn)
Instructor *(see Notes at the end)	sensei (sehn-seh-ee)
Training hall	dōjō (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	kyū (kyoo)
Meditation	mokusō (moh-koo-soh)
Bow	rei (reh-ee)/lei (leh-ee)
Assume stance	kamaete (kah-mah-eh-teh)
Get ready	yōi (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	bō (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	kōkutsu-dachi (koh-koo-tsoo-dah-chee)
Horse riding stance	kiba-dachi (kee-bah-dah-chee)
Immovable stance	fudō -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	shutō-uke (shoo-toh-oo-keh)
Cross-arm block	jūji-uke (joo-jee-oo-keh)
Two-hand block	morote-uke (moh-roh-the-oo-keh)
Palm-heel block	teishō-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	teishō(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	shutō-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	haitō (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	sokutō (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	jiyū-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	jiyū kumite (jee-yoo koo-mee-teh)
Upper body	jōdan (joh-dahn)
Middle body	chūdan(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	shōbu 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	mō 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	Byōbudaoshi(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)

For more information on nagewaza, please refer to Karate-Dō Kyōhan, pages 227-232.

*Notes

When Shihan or Sensei is used as an honorific or a title, there are a few important things one needs to be aware of:

• Shihan or Sensei is attached to the end of the person's family name, e.g., Ohshima Shihan (not Shihan Ohshima), Ohshima Sensei (not Sensei Ohshima)
• According to the Japanese culture, it is not appropriate to call oneself Shihan or Sensei, or introduce oneself with the title Shihan or Sensei, e.g., Instructor John Doe shouldn't call himself Shihan, Sensei, Doe Shihan or Doe Sensei. His students can, but he shouldn't.
• The same thing applies to the honorific san (meaning Mr., Mrs., or Miss). Mr. John Doe shouldn't call himself Doe-san or John Doe-san. San can be attached only to the end of others' names.

Revised and adapted by Hiroko Mori (September 2004, audio added October 2009, updated to HTML5 Sept 2014)Audio voice recordings by Hiroko Mori. Conversion to MP3 and linkages by John Schoneboom & Mike Lyon.