This is a comprehensive list of karate terms in Japanese for beginners that cover over 250 most frequently used terms and phrases for greeting, bowing, stances, techniques, counting, directions, body parts, vital terms, and more.
Table of Contents
- General terms
- Counting
- Direction words in Japanese
- Body Parts Used in Karate in Japanese
- Attacking levels
- Common karate stances in alphabetical order
- Blocking technique terms
- Punching technique terms
- Kicking and other foot technique terms
- Kumite drills
- Vital points
General terms
Karate (空手) means “empty hand”. Kara means “empty” and te means “hand”.
Karate-do (空手 道) means “the way of the empty hand”.
Karateka (空手家) means “karate practitioner”.
Dojo (道場) means the “place of training”. If you want to break the term dojo down: do means “way” or “path” and jo means “place”.
Oosu. There is some dispute as to the origin and meaning of oosu but this term is used widely with many meanings in a Japanese karate dojo.
You may say oosu when bowing upon entering the dojo, when bowing to an instructor or to a partner, when you want to say thank you, when you want to show respect, or when you acknowledge that you’ve heard and understood instructions from your instructor.
Hai (はい) generally means “yes” but is very frequently used in traditional karate dojo to acknowledge that you’ve heard and understood your instructor. Oosu is never used in traditional Okinawan dojos and hai is used instead.
Sensei (先生) means the one who comes before, teacher, instructor, master.
Senpai (先輩) means senior student.
Dojo kun (土壌くん) martial arts ethics, martial arts code.
Rei (れい) means respect or bow.
Onegaishimas (お願いします) means “please”. In traditional karate styles like Goju Ryu, you are expected to say onegaishimasu which is roughly translated as “please teach me” when entering a dojo, bowing to the instructor at the opening ceremony, before using a training tool and before performing a kata.
Arigato (ありがとう) means thank you (informal)
Arigato gozaimashita (ありがとうございました) means thank you very much (past tense).
Gi (ぎ) means karate uniform.
Obi (おび) means belt.
Kamae means ready stance or posture.
Junbi undo (準備運動) means “preparatory exercise” or “warm-up”.
Kihon (きほん) means “basics” or “fundamental”.
Kata (型, かた) means “form”.
Kumite (組手) means “the meeting of hands” or sparring.
Kiotsuke (きおつけ) means “attention”.
Hajime (始め) means to start or to begin.
Yame (止め) means to stop, to cease.
Mou ichi do (もう一度) means one more time.
Zanshin (残心) means the state of being aware and ready.
Mokuso (もくそ) means meditation.
Mushin (むしん) a state of no mind.
Muchimi (もちみ) refers to a flexible, relaxing, and fluid way of generating power.
Chinkuchi (チンクチ) refers to the discharge of explosive power in karate techniques similar to the fa jin (發勁) concept in Chinese martial arts.
Kime (決め) is derived from the verb “kimeru” which means “to decide” and is often translated as to focus the energy or power of a technique.
Seiza (正座) means to sit correctly, a kneeling position assumed at the opening and closing ceremonies.
Otagai-ni rei (お互いに れい) means to bow to each other.
Mawatte (回って) means to turn around.
Ma-ai (間合い) refers to the distance between opponents in combat.
Shomen means the front (of the dojo).
Shomen ni rei means to bow to the front.
Makiwara: ((巻藁) a padded striking post.
Sayonara (さよなら) means goodbye.
Tai sabaki (体捌き) means body movement, body shifting.
Ashi sabaki (足捌き) means footwork.
Te sabaki (手捌き) means handwork.
Tsuri ashi (すり足) means sliding footwork.
Counting
Ichi (一): one
Ni (二): two
San (三): three
Shi/yon (四): four
Go (五): five
Roku (六): six
Shichi/nana (七): seven
Hachi (八): eight
Ku (九): nine
Ju (十): ten
For numbers 11 to 100, you simply combine the numbers from 1 to 10. For example, the number 11 is made up of 10 and 1 and it is ju ichi in Japanese.
Ju ichi (十一): eleven
Ju ni (十二): twelve
Ni ju (二十): twenty
San ju (三十): thirty
Hyaku (百): 100
You rarely ever need to count to a hundred in karate.
Direction words in Japanese
Mae: Front
Ushiro: Back
Hidari: Left
Migi: Right
Soto: Outside
Yoko: Side
Naka: Inside
Mannaka: Middle
Aida: Between
Shita: Under
Ue: On
Hantai: Reverse or change (direction)
Body Parts Used in Karate in Japanese
Fukubu (ふくぶ): abdomen
Ashikubi (足首; あしくび): ankle
Ude (うで ): arm
Hiji (ひじ): elbow
Ashi (あし): foot, leg
Te (て): hand
Atama (頭; あたま): head
Hiza (膝; ひざ): knee
Nodo (喉; のど): throat
Tekubi (てくび ): wrist
Kakato (かかと): heel
Attacking levels
Jodan (上段): “upper level” (face and neck area)
Chudan (中段): “middle level” (from around the solar plexus to the stomach)
Gedan (下段): “lower level” (groin area)
Common karate stances in alphabetical order
These karate stances are listed in alphabetical order for easy reference.
- Bensoku dachi: Turning cross-leg stance
- Chinto dachi: A stance only used in Chinto kata
- Fudo dachi (sochin dachi): Immovable stance or rooted stance
- Gankaku dachi (or sagi ashi dachi): Crane or heron stance
- Gyaku neko ashi dachi: Reverse cat stance
- Gyaku zuki dachi: Reverse punch stance
- Gyaku zuki tsukkomi dachi: Reverse lunge stance
- Hachiji dachi: Natural or open leg stance, feet shoulder-width apart pointing outward
- Hachinoji dachi: Ready stance
- Han zenkutsu dachi: Half front stance
- Hangetsu dachi: Half moon stance
- Hanmi neko ashi dachi: Half turned cat stance
- Heiko dachi: Feet parallel, shoulder-width stance
- Heisoku dachi: Feet are closed together, heels touching
- Jun zuki dachi: Front punch or jab stance
- Jun zuki tsukkomi dachi: Front lunge punch stance
- Kake ashi dachi: Crossed leg stance
- Kiba dachi: Horse riding stance
- Kokutsu dachi: Back stance
- Kosa dachi: Crossed leg or scissor stance
- Moro ashi dachi: One foot forward stance
- Moto dachi: Foundational Stance
- Musubi dachi: Formal attention stance or V-shape stance, heels together, feet pointing outwards forming an angle of about 60 degrees
- Naihanchi dachi: Modified horse stance. One shin-length plus one to one and a half fist between the heels, feet pointing inwards, knees slightly bent
- Neko ashi dachi: Cat foot stance
- No tsukomi dachi: Forward lunging stance
- Renoji dachi: Letter “Re” stance or the L stance. Heels are on the same line, one foot pointing outward at 45 degree angle and one foot pointing straight forward
- Sagi ashi dachi: Heron leg stance
- Sanchin dachi: Hourglass stance
- Sesan dachi: side facing straddle stance
- Shiko dachi: square stance
- Shizentai dachi (yoi daichi): Natural ready stance. One foot space between the heels, feet pointing outward about 30 degree angle
- Shomen neko ashi dachi: Forward-facing cat stance
- Soto hachiji dachi: Outside figure 8 stance
- Tachi dachi: Standing stance
- Tate seisan dachi: Vertical seisan stance
- Teiji stance: T-shaped stance
- Tsuru ashi dachi: Crane leg stance
- Uchi hachiji dachi: Inside figure 8 stance
- Yoko seisan dachi: Side seisan stance
- Zenkutsu dachi: Front stance
Blocking technique terms
Waza means techniques.
Uke means receiving.
Uke waza means “receiving technique“, however, they are often referred to in English as “blocking technique“.
- Chudan yoko uke: middle-level side block
- Gedan barai: downward sweeping block
- Hiki uke: pulling block
- Hiji uke: elbow block
- Jodan age uke: high-level/head level rising block
- Ko uke: wrist block
- Shotei barai: palm heel sweep
- Shotei uke: palm heel block
- Shuto uke: knife hand block
- Soto ude uke: block from outside inwards with the bottom of the wrist
- Sukui uke: scooping block
- Sune uke: shin block
- Teisho uke: palm heal block
- Tora guchi: tiger mouth block
- Uchi ude uke: block from inside to outside
Punching technique terms
Tsuki is derived from the verb tsuku and means ‘thrusting’.
Tsuki waza are thrusting or punching techniques.
- Age tsuki: rising punch (uppercut)
- Choku tsuki: straight punch
- Chudan tsuki: punch to the chest
- Furi tsuki: circular punch (hook)
- Gedan tsuki: punch to the groin
- Gyaku tsuki: reverse punch
- Haito uchi: ridge hand strike
- Heiken uchi: fore knuckle fist strike
- Hijiate: elbow strike
- Jodan tsuki: punch to the face
- Kage tsuki: hook punch
- Kizami tsuki: jab punch, leading hand punch
- Koken: wrist strike
- Mawashi tsuki: roundhouse punch
- Morote tsuki: double punch
- Nukite uchi: spear hand strike
- Oi tsuki: lunge punch
- Sanbon tsuki: three punch combination
- Seiken tsuki: forefist punch (standard punch)
- Shuto uchi: knife-edge hand strike
- Sokuto uchi: knife-edge foot strike
- Tate-tsuki: vertical punch
- Teisho uchi: palm heel strike (sometimes called shotei uchi)
- Tetsui uchi: hammer fist strike
- Ura tsuki: half punch used at close range
- Uraken uchi: back fist strike
- Yama tsuki: over the mountain double punch
Kicking and other foot technique terms
Keri means kick.
Keri waza means kicking techniques.
If there is another word in front of ‘keri‘, the pronunciation changes to ‘geri‘ therefore the kicking techniques are often called ‘geri‘ as seen below.
- Ashi barai: foot sweep
- Fumikomi geri: heel kick
- Gedan mawashi geri: low roundhouse kick
- Hiza geri: knee strike
- Kakato otoshi geri: axe kick, sometimes only referred to as kakato geri
- Kansetsu geri: joint kick, usually aiming for an opponent’s knee
- Kin geri: groin kick
- Mae ashi geri: front leg kick
- Mae geri: front kick
- Mae geri keage: front snap kick
- Mae geri kekomi: front thrust kick
- Mae tobi geri: jumping front kick
- Mawashi geri: roundhouse kick
- Mikazuki geri: crescent kick
- Nidan tobi geri: jumping double front kick
- Otoshi mawashi geri: downward roundhouse kick
- Tatsumaki senpuu kyaku: tonato kick
- Tobi geri: jumping kick
- Tobi hiza geri: jumping knee strike
- Tobi mae geri or mae tobi geri: jumping front kick
- Tobi mawashi geri: jumping roundhouse kick
- Tobi ushiro geri: jumping back kick
- Tobi yoko geri: jumping side kick or flying side kick
- Tsumasaki geri: toe kick
- Uchi haisoku geri: twist kick, instep kick
- Uchi mikazuki geri: inside crescent kick
- Ura mawashi geri: reverse roundhouse kick or hook kick
- Ura ushiro mawashi geri: spinning reverse roundhouse kick
- Ushiro geri: back kick
- Ushiro geri keage: back snap kick
- Ushiro geri kekomi: back thrust kick
- Yoko geri: side kick
- Yoko geri keage: side snap kick
- Yoko geri kekomi: side thrust kick
- Yoko tobi geri: jumping side kick or flying side kick
Kumite drills
Gohon kumite: five-step sparring
Sanbon kumite: three-step sparring
San dan gi: three-level sparring or three-level moving
Kihon ippon kumite: basic one-step sparring
Jyu ippon kumite: one-step sparring (block and counter-attack and then reset)
Jyu kumite: freestyle sparring
Randori kumite: soft freestyle sparring
Yakusoku kumite: pre-arranged sparring drills
Bunkai: breaking down the movements of a kata and applying them in self-defense situations
Kakie: sticking hand practice
Iri kumi ju: continuous freestyle sparring with little contact or soft contact and focus on techniques
Iri kumi go: continuous freestyle sparring with full contact
Shiai kumite: competition sparring
Oyo kumite: application sparring
Semete: attacker
Ukete: defender
Vital points

Other posts you might be interested in:
How to Do Seiza Properly in Karate?
A Comprehensive Guide to Karate Etiquette
What Is the Philosophy of Karate?
Shotokan Karate’s Dojo Kun and Their Philosophical Meanings
Goju Ryu Karate’s Dojo Kun and Their Philosophical Meanings
References:
Martial Arts Vocabulary in Japanese
Shotokan Karate Academy – Kumite
ARIGATŌ GOZAIMASU or ARIGATŌ GOZAIMASHITA?
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