Glossary of Terms and Japanese to English Translation
COUNTING TO TEN IN JAPANESE
| ONE | ICH |
| TWO | NI |
| THREE | SAN |
| FOUR | SHI |
| FIVE | GO |
| SIX | ROKU |
| SEVEN | SHICHI |
| EIGHT | HACHI |
| NINE | KU |
| TEN | JU |
GLOSSORY OF TERMS AND PHRASES
| A | sounds like "A" in cat |
| E | sounds like "A" in say |
| I | sounds like "EE" in flee |
| O | sounds like "OW" in show |
| U | sounds like "UE" in glue |
| AI | sounds like "I" in glide |
| EI | sounds like "AY" in hay |
| UI | sounds like "EWY" in chewy |
A
AGE TSUKI – uppercut punch
AKA – red
ARIGATO GOZAI MASHITA – a very polite form of “thank-you”
ASHI – foot
ATAMA – head
B
BO – wooden staff about mid chest in length
BOGU- protective armor used in full contact fighting
BOKKEN – wooden sword used primarily for Iaido training
BUDO- the Way of the martial arts
C
CHISAI – small
CHOTTO MATE – “just one moment”
CHUDAN – center area from the waist, to the shoulders
D
DAME – no good; must not
DAN – level; black belt rank and above
DO (1) – the way
DO (2) – in armor, the body protection
DOJO – training hall or place devoted to the martial arts
DOGI – proper name for training uniform
DO ITASHIMASHITE – “you’re welcome”
DOZO – please take (while offering something)
E
EGATA – the first kata series; contains four different forms
EMPI UCHI – elbow strike
F
FUDO DACHI – immovable stance
FURI TSUKI – flare punch
G
GEDAN BARAI – lower area block; inside to out
GI – familiar name for training uniform
GOKYU – yellow belt
GOMEN NASAI – “I am sorry”
GYAKU TSUKI – reverse punch
H
HAI – yes
HAJIME – begin
HAMBUN – half
HANGETSU GERI – half moon kick
HIDARI – left
HIZA GERI – to strike with the knee
HOMBU DOJO – the head dojo, or office of a style or organization
HYAKU – one hundred
I
IKKYU – brown belt
IPPON – in sparring, a full point
IUCHI – in sparring, a clash of techniques at the same time
J
JIYU KUMITE – free sparring
JO – wooden staff about shoulder height in length
JODAN – upper area from shoulders to above the head
JODAN UKE – upper area block
K
KAMAI TE – the ready position
KANTO SHO – in tournaments, the “fighting spirit” award
KARATE – empty hand; empty fist
KATA (1) – a set of movements, or pattern
KATA (2) – shoulder
KATANA – traditional long sword of the samurai
KI – spirit or heart
KIAI – the shout used to help focus techniques
KIBA DACHI – horse stance
KIHON – basic techniques
KOHAI – student
KOKUTSU DACHI – back stance
KOTAI – switch or change
KOTE – in armor, the hand protection or gloves
KUMITE – generic term for fighting
KYOTSUKE – attention
M
MAE GERI – front thrust kick
MAKIWARA – canvas bag or wooden block used to condition hands
MATA ASHITA – “see you tomorrow”
MAWASHI GERI – round house kick
MAWATE – turn on the spot; face the opposite direction
MEN – in armor, the face protection or head gear
MIGI – right
MIKIZUKI GERI – flaring front kick
MOKU SO – “close your eyes”
N
NANJI DESU KA? – “What time is it?”
NEKO ASHI DACHI – cat’s foot stance
NIKYU – blue belt
NUKITE – knife hand strike
O
OBI – belt
OHAYO GOZAIMASU – “good morning”
OI TSUKI – forward punch
OKI – large
ONAGAI SHIMASU – polite form of “please”
ONAJI – “the same”
OSHIRO – reverse, or behind
OYASUMI NASAI – “good night”
P
PINAN the second kata series; contains five different forms
R
REI (1) – respect
REI (2) – to bow
REIGI – etiquette or courtesy
RENBUKAI – “to forge the martial way association”
RENSHU – to train or practice
RENZOKU DOSA – “in continuos motion”
S
SAGATE – backwards
SAIGO – “last one” or “last set in a series”
SANBON – set of three
SANKYU – green belt
SASAAI UKE – double block; augmented block
SAWATE – “sit down”
SEIZA – formal style of sitting
SEMPAI – assistant instructor; green belt to brown belt level
SEMPAI NI REI – “bow to the assistant instructor(s)”
SEN – one thousand
SENSEI – instructor above black belt level
SENSEI NI REI – “bow to the instructor(s)”
SHINAI – bamboo training sword, primarily used in Kendo
SHINZEN NI REI – “bow towards the shrine”
SHIRO – white
SHITSURE SHIMASU – “please excuse my leaving(the dojo)”
SHODAN – black belt; specifically first degree
SHOMEN – front of the dojo
SHOMEN NI REI – “bow to the front of the dojo”
SHUTO UKE – knife hand block
SOJI – the act of washing the dojo floor
SOKUTO GERI – side thrust kick: edge of the heel kick
SONO BA – “on the spot, without moving”
SONO MAMA SAGATE – “the same as before, backwards”
SOTO UKE – center area block, inside to out
SUKUI UKE – lower area sweeping block, outside to in
SUMI MASEN – “excuse me”
SUNDOME – non-contact fighting
T
TAMASHIWARI – the act of breaking wood
TATE – stand up
TETSUI UCHI – back-fist strike
TOBIKOMI – in basics, driving the knee upwards
TSUKOMI TSUKI – dropping lunge reverse punch
TSUKI – punch
U
UCHI UKE – center area block, outside to in
URAKEN – back-hand strike
USHIRO GERI – spinning back kick
USHIRO MAWASHI GERI – spinning reverse wheel kick
UTAGANI REI – “bowing to each other”
W
WAKARI MASEN – “I do not understand”
WAKARI MASU – “I do understand”
WAKARI MASUKA – “Do you understand?”
WAZA – series or set of similar basics
WAZARI – in sparring, one half point
Y
YAME – stop
YONKYU – orange belt
Z
ZENKUTSU DACHI – forward stance
ZEN-NIHON – “All – Japan”
KATA NAMES
- EGATA SHODAN
- EGATA NIDAN
- EGATA SANDAN
- EGATA YONDAN
- SHIHO KIBANASHI
- PINAN SHODAN
- PINAN NIDAN
- PINAN SANDAN
- PINAN YONDAN
- PINAN GODAN
- BASAI DAI
- BASAI SHO
- NIFANCHI SHODAN
- NIFANCHI NIDAN
- NIFANCHI SANDAN
- SESHON
- ROHAI
- CHINTE
- JITTE
- JION
- EMPI
- SOCHIN
- CHIBANAKU SHANKU
- WANKAN
- CHINTO
- MATSUMURA ROHAI
- SEIENCHIN