This is the fourth post in a series of posts on karate terms which covers all karate technique words in Japanese. This extensive list will probably be sufficient for you to go from a beginner to a very advanced level.
For previous posts in this series, please click the links below:
- Karate Terms Part 1 – Counting in Japanese
- Karate Terms Part 2 – Directions and Body Parts
- Karate Terms Part 3 – Stances
Content
- Blocking technique terms
- Punching technique terms
- Kicking and other foot technique terms
- Karate technique videos
- Goju ryu karate blocking techniques by Master Morino Higaonna
- Goju ryu karate basic striking, blocking and kicking techniques
- Shotokan karate blocking techniques
- More Shotokan basic blocking techniques
- Shotokan karate basic techniques with Sensei Masao Kagawa
- Shotokan moving basics (ido kihon)
- Shotokan moving basics (ido kihon) with Sensei Masao Kagawa
- Kyokushin basic strikes and blocks
Blocking technique terms
Waza means techniques.
Uke means receiving.
Uke waza means ‘receiving techniques‘, however, they are often referred to in English as ‘blocking techniques‘.
- 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
Karate technique videos
Below are some videos that demonstrate basic karate techniques.
As always, it’s better to learn from good instructors but these videos could help with home training and fine-tuning your techniques that you may not always have time to do at the dojo.
They may not be the same karate style as the one you are currently practicing, but the fundamentals remain the same across styles.
Goju ryu karate blocking techniques by Master Morino Higaonna
Goju ryu karate basic striking, blocking and kicking techniques
Shotokan karate blocking techniques
More Shotokan basic blocking techniques
This is part one and it covers the following blocks:
- Age uke
- Soto uke
- Uchi uke
- Gedan barai
- Shuto uke
This is part two and it demonstrates the above five basic blocks moving forward.
Shotokan karate basic techniques with Sensei Masao Kagawa
Shotokan moving basics (ido kihon)
- Oi Zuki
- Age uke
- Soto Uke
- Uchi Uke
- Shuto Uke
- Gyaku Zuki
- Mae Geri
- Yoko Geri Keage
- Mawashi Geri