Terminology – Source Shorin-Ryu, Okinawan Karate Question and Answer Book by William Cummins & Robert Scaglione 3rd 2002
-A-
Achi – Arch of foot
Age – Rising
Anza – Cross-leg sitting
Ashi – Foot
Atama – Head
Atemi-waza: Breaking technique
Ate-waza: Smashing technique
-B-
Barai – Sweep
Bo – Staff
Bubishi – Martial art spirit
Bun-kai – Application of kata. Bun-kai literally means “analysis” or “disassembly”. Bunkai is usually performed with a partner or a group of partners which execute predefined attacks. It may also illustrate how to improve technique by adjusting distances, time moves properly, and adapt a technique depending on the size of an opponent. There are usually many stages of depth of comprehension of bunkai only reached through the passage of time.
Bushido – “The way of the warrior”
-C-
Chudan – Middle
Chudan shotei-uke: Middle palm heel block
Chudan soto-mawashi-uke: Middle sideward round block
Chudan soto-shuto-uke: Middle outward knife-hand block
Chudan soto-uke: Middle outward block
Chudan uchi-uke: Middle inner block
Chudan-uke: Middle block
Chudan-zuki: Middle punch
Chusoku – Ball of foot
-D-
Dan – Grade (Belt)
Dachi – Stance
Do – Way-Spiritual path.
Dojo – Sacred hall of learning
Dozo – Please
-F-
Fudo – Posture and attitude (one of the six virtures of the warrior)
Fukubu-geri: Abdomen kick
Fukyugata – Basic
Fukyugata ichi – The first kata in Shorin-ryu karate
Furitsuki – Roundhouse punch
-G-
Gedan – Lower
Gedan kosa-uke: Lower cross block
Gedan shotei-uke: Lower palm heel block
Gedan shuto-uke: Lower knife hand block
Gedan-uke: Lower block
Gedan-zuki: Lower punch
Genshin – Intuitive ability to anticipate an attack
Geri – Kick
Geri-dachi: Horse Stance Squat position
Gerikata – Kicking techniques
Gi – Karate uniform
Giri – The duty (one of the six virtues of the warrior)
Goju-ryu: “Hard-Soft’ style, one of the major karate styles from Naha, Okinawa
Gyaku – Reverse
-H-
Hachi – Eight
Hachiji-dachi: Open leg stance
Haisoku – Instep
Haito-uchi: Reverse knife-hand strike
Haito-uke: Reverse knife-hand block
Hajime – Begin
Hara – In Japanese culture, the center of a person’s being or consciousness. Located approx two inches below the navel
Heisoku-dachi: Closed-foot stance
Hi – Yes
Hidari – Left
Hiji-ate: Elbow smash
Hiji-uke: Elbow block
Hiza-ate: Knee smash
-I-
Ichi – One
Ippon – One point
-J-
Jigotai-dachi: Wide-open leg stance
Jodan – Upper
Jodan-kosa-uke: Upper cross block
Jodan-uke: Upper block
Jodan-zuki: Upper punch
Ju – Flexibility
Ju – Ten
Jun shizentai-dachi: Quasi-natural stance
-K-
Kaizen – Philosophy of continuous improvement of working practices. “Continuous Improvement”– slow, incremental but constant.
Kakato – Heel
Kara – Empty
Karate – Empty-handed self-defense art
Karate-do: Way of Karate
Karateka – Practitioner of Karate
Kata – Form – an organized series of pre-arranged defensive and offensive movements symbolizing an imaginary fight between several opponents. Handed down by masters of a system of Karate.
Kasane-uchi: Double knife-hand
Keikoken – Forefinger knuckle
Kentsui-uchi: Hammerfist strike
Ki – Vital energy
Kiai – Spirit continuing force or spirit.
Kiba-dachi: Horse stance
Kime – Focus
Kiotsuke – “kee-oh-skay” – attention or stand up straight
Kinteki-geri: Groin kick
Koken – Wrist
Kokuto – Heel of Foot
Kosa – Cross
Kosa-uke: Cross block
Ku – Nine
Kumite – Fight
Kyobu – Chest
Kyobu-geri: Chest kick
Kyu – Rank
-M-
Ma-ai: Distancing, the ability to intuitively establish the correct distance between oneself and one’s opponent.
Mae – Front
Mae-geri
Makiwara – Striking board
Matsubayashi-ryu: “Pine forest” style, Shorin-ryu
Mawashi – Round
Mawate – Turn
Migi – Right
Mushin – No mind
-N-
Naha-te: Karate from Naha, Okinawa
Neko-ashi-dachi: Cat stance
Naihanchi-dachi: Straddle-leg stance
Ni – Two
Nidan-geri: Flying front kick
Ninyo – Magnamanity- (Courageously noble in mind and heart) or (Generous in forgiving); on higher level than doryo – ( rank clearly divided into three categories, sempai) seniors), kohai (juniors) and doryo. (one of the six virtues of the warrior).
Nukite-zuki: Spear-hand thrust
-O-
Obi – Belt or sash
Oi-zuki: Chasing, lunge punch
Onegai-shimasu: Please teach us
Onsha – Generosity, tolerance (one of the six virtues of the warrior)
Otoshi-uke: Dropping downward block
Oyo-tan-ren: All basic technique
-P-
Pinan – Intermediate
-R-
Rei – Bow
Ren-ma: Polishing, continuous improvement of chararacter, patience, and confidence.
Roku – Six
Rokushakubo – Six foot staff
Ryu – Martial tradition
Ryu-no-shita no kamae – Dragon-tongue fighting posture
-S-
Sagurite no kamae – Searching-hand fighting posture
Sai – Ancient weapon used to defend against sword attacks
Samurai – Japanese warrior
San – Three
Sasae-uke: Supported forearm block
Sashi – Iron hand grip
Sayu-barai-uke: Double lower side block
Sayu-zuki: Double side punch
Seiken – Fist
Seiken-ude-uke: Forearm block
Seiken-waza: Fist technique
Seiza – Sit, kneeling
Semekata – Attacking techniques
Sempai – Senior
Sensei – Master or Teacher
Sensei-ni-rei: All bow to sensei
Shiai – Contest
Shi – Three
Shichi – Seven
Shiki – Resolution (one of the six virtues of the warrior)
Shinden-ni-rei: All bow to those who came before us
Shinpan – Judge, referee
Shinsa – Examination
Shizentai-dachi: Natural stance
Shi-zuki – Beak thrust
Shobayashi-ryu: “Small forest” style, Shorin-ryu
Shorei-ryu: Naha-te Karate
Shorin-ryu: “Shao-lin” style, Shuri-te karate
Shotei-ate: Palm-heel smash
Shotei-uke: Palm-heel block
Shotu-mate: Stop
Shuri-te: Karate from Shuri, Okinawa
Shuto – Open (knife hand)
Shuto-uchi: Knife-hand strike
Shuto-uke: Knife-hand block
Sokko – Instep
Sokuto-geri: Foot edge kick
Soto – Outward
Soto-hachiji: Open leg
Suki – Opening
-T-
Tameshiwari – Breaking technique
Tanren kumite – Arm training
Tanden – Source of vital energy
Tate hiji-ate: Upward elbow smash
Te – Hand
Tenshin – Body shifting
Tobi yoko-geri: Flying side kick
Tode – Ancient Okinawan fighting art
Tomari-te: Karate from Tomari, Okinawa
Tomoe – Circular
Tomoe shotei-ate: Circular palm-heel smash
Tomoe-zuki: Circular block and punch
Torite-uke: Grasping hand block
Toshokai – Meeting to encourage discussion
Tsuki – Punch
Tsuki-uke: Punching block
Tsuki-waza: Punching technique
Tsumasaki – Tips of toes
-U-
Uchi-waza: Striking technique
Ude – Forearm
Uechi-ryu: One of the major karate styles from Naha, Okinawa
Uke – Block
Ukekata – Blocking techniques
Uraken – Backfist
Uraken-uchi: Backfist strike
Ushiro – Back
Ushiro-geri – Back kick
Ushiro-Kokuto-geri – Back heel kick
Ushiro hiji-ate: Backward elbow smash
-W-
Wari-uki-zuki: Split-block punch
Waza – Technique, skill
-Y-
Yama-zuki: U-punch
Yame – Stop
Yoko – Side
Yoko-geri: Side kick
Yoko hiji-ate: Foward elbow smash
Yubi-waza: Finger technique
-Z-
Zanshin – Ready mind
Zazen – Sitting meditation
Zenkutsu-dachi: Front leg bent stance
Zenkutsu-dachi-gedan-barai-uke: Front leg bent stance lower block
Zuki – Punching
Miscellaneous:
Left Horse Stance for practicing Blocks and Strikes = Left San-Chen (find a straight line on a floor. Place left foot in front of the line, with toes pointed inward. Place right foot with toes touching the line with toes pointed inward. Feet should be at shoulder’s width. Right San-Chen will the opposite.
Application of fighting techniques = Bun-Kai
Commentary by S.N. – Bunkai is an important aspect of our training because in prepares the mind/body for physical confrontation, which many are not routinely exposed to. People can freeze-up when a physical confrontation occurs. A current theory names this Behavioral In-action – “as your frontal lobes process the sight of the situation, your brain can’t find a match and gets stuck in a loop of trying and failing to come up with the right response – Hence: Immobility” (1). The military calls this process the “Dislocation of Expectation”. The Aviation Industry calls this “Negative Panic”.
(1) Information from “The Survivors Club by Ben Sherwood” 2010.
Another Source for Japanese Karate Terminology is a Penn State Website:
