Karate Glossary

Index

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BlocksKicksNumbersStancesStrikes

Glossary Terms

ASHIBARAIFoot sweep made by sweeping the opponent's foot out from under him.
AWASEZUKICombined punch made with one hand punching Urazuki and the other punching Seizuki.
AYUMI ASHIOne step
BENSOKU DACHITurning cross leg stance
BUNKAI'Real-world' applications of movements in a kata.
BUSHIDOThe Way of the Warrior
CHINTOKata named after a Chinese sailor. Also a stance (see above).
CHINTO DACHIChinto stance. The toes of both feet are on a line towards the opponent. Both feet are angled in roughly the same direction with the front foot turned in slightly more than the rear foot. Weight is even.
CHUDANMiddle or middle level. For example, a middle level punch is generally aimed at the solar plexus but can be anywhere below the shoulders and above the waist.
-DACHIFrom tachi meaning stance.
DANOne who has attained the Black belt ranking. Also known as yudansha.
DOWay. Indicates a path to be followed in life as in Karatedo, the Way of the empty hand.
DOJOPlace for studying the Way.
EMPIElbow strike made upwards, downwards, sideways, inwards, outwards, forwards, or backwards.
EMPIElbow. Also known as hiji.
FUDO DACHIFree stance
FUMIKOMIGERIStamping kick made downwards with the side or heel of the foot.
FURIKENUCHESwinging or roundhouse punch
GAIWANOutside of the forearm. Used for blocking as in Sotouke.
GEDANLow or lower level. Generally means below the waist.
GEDANUKE/GEDANBARAILow block or low parry made with the forearm. Fist starts palm up at the opposite shoulder and sweeps down and across the body, twisting on contact. Can also be made with shuto or shotei.
GERIFrom keri meaning kick as in maegeri. See list of kicks above.
GOFive
GYAKU NEKOASHI-DACHIReverse cat stance. Feet are roughly in the same position as in Nekodachi but the rear heel is up while the front heel is down. The rear knee generally points inward. Weight is more on the front foot.
GYAKUZUKIReverse hand punch made with Seizuki.
GYAKUZUKI DACHIReverse punch stance. Front foot is one foot length wider and one foot length shorter than Junzukidachi. Front foot points in slightly. Weight is more on the front foot.
GYAKUZUKI TSUKKOMIReverse hand lunge punch.
GYAKUZUKI TSUKKOMI-DACHIReverse lunge punch stance. Front foot heel is even with rear foot toes on a line perpendicular to the attack line. Both feet point slightly inward. Distance between feet is roughly two and one half shoulder widths. Body leans slightly forward. Weight is more on the front foot.
HACHIEight
HACHIJI DACHINatural stance (feet shoulder width apart toes slightly pointed out)
HAISHUBack hand strike.
HAISHUUKEBack hand block. Block made with the back of the hand moving from inside to outside.
HAITORidge hand strike or inner knife hand strike made with the side of the first knuckle of the index finger.
HAJIMEBegin
HANMI NO NEKOASHI-DACHIHalf side-facing cat stance. Feet are in the same position as Mashomen No Nekoashidachi but the body is facing 45 degrees instead of facing the opponent. Weight is 2/3 on the rear foot.
HAN ZENKUTSU DACHIHalf front stance (Short Zenkutsu dachi)
HASAMIUCHIScissor strike made with both hands striking Tettsui inwards.
HEIKO DACHIParallel stance or ready stance. Feet are one foot length apart. Feet are pointed straight ahead and the weight is even.
HEIKOZUKIParallel punch made with both fists punching side by side.
HEISOKU DACHIClosed foot stance. Feet point straight ahead and are together with the heels and toes touching. Weight is even.
HIDARILeft.
HIDARISHIZENTAILeft natural stance. Feet are roughly shoulder width apart with the left foot moved forward roughly one to two foot lengths. The left foot faces forward and the right foot faces 45 degrees to the right. The body also faces 45 degrees to the right. Weight is even.
HIJIElbow. Also known as empi.
HIJIUKEElbow block. Block made with the back or side of the elbow joint area.
HIKITEPulling hand. Action taken by the non-striking hand to add power to a technique. May also be used to block or pull an opponent off balance.
HIRAKENFlat fist punch made with the second knuckles of all four fingers
HIRATEOpen hand
HITSUIKnee. Also known as hiza.
HIZAGERIForward knee strike.
HIZAMAWASHIGERIRoundhouse knee strike.
ICHIOne
IPPONOne or one step
IPPON KENOne finger fist punch made with the second knuckle of the index finger.
IPPON NUKITEOne finger spear hand thrust made with the tip of the extended index finger.
JIGOTAI-DACHIWide open-leg stance. Feet are placed slightly farther than shoulder width apart, pointing out at 45 degree angles. Weight is low and even so knees are bent.
JODANUpper or upper level. Generally indicates the area above the shoulders.
JODANUKEUpper block or high block made with the forearm. Fist starts palm up on the opposite shoulder and moves straight up, twisting on contact. Forearm ends at an angle with the fist higher than the elbow. Can also be made with shuto or shotei.
JUTen
JUJIUKECross block or "X" block made with both forearms. Can be made upwards or downwards.
JUNZUKIFront hand punch made with Seizuki.
JUNZUKI-DACHIFront punch stance. Distance between the feet is roughly two shoulder widths. Front foot points straight ahead and is one foot length wider than Musubidachi. Weight is more on the front foot.
JUNZUKI TSUKKOMIFront hand lunge punch.
JUNZUKI TSUKKOMI-DACHIFront lunge punch stance. Front foot points straight ahead. Rear foot points 90 degrees to the side with the heel on the same line as the inside of the front foot. Back leg is straight but not locked. Body is leaning and lined up with the rear leg. Distance between the feet is roughly two and one half shoulder widths. Weight is mostly on the front foot.
KAGIZUKIHook punch made with the forearm parallel to your chest.
KAKEUKEHook block made with the wrist bent towards the little finger side in a hook shape.
KAMAEFrom gamae meaning posture.
KATAPrearranged sequence of techniques making up the foundation of a particular style of karate.
KEKAEASHIBrick back leg after attack.
KERIKick. See list of kicks above.
KIThis term does not translate easily. Ki is the same as the Chinese word chi which some believe is a bioelectric force that flows through the body along pathways called meridians in the same manner as the blood flows through the arteries and veins. Some believe it is your spirit or mental intention.
KIAILiterally "spirit harmony." This is the brief moment in executing waza that the body, mind and spirit are in perfect harmony often demonstrated by tensing the abdominal muscles forcing air over the vocal cords resulting in the "karate shout."
KIBA DACHIHorse riding stance (feet parallel)
KIHONBasic or standard.
KINGERIGroin kick made with the top of the foot.
KIOTSUKEAttention. Command to stand in the attention stance, musubi dachi.
KOGO-NIAlternately.
KOHAIJunior. One who is less senior to another. Opposite of sempai.
KOKENUCHIBent wrist strike made with the back of the bent wrist.
KOKENUKEBlock made with the back of the bent wrist. Can be made sideways or upwards.
KOKUTSU DACHIBack stance. Front foot is pointed straight ahead or slightly inward. Rear foot is pointed roughly 120 degrees from the front. Feet are roughly two shoulder widths apart with both heels on a line toward the opponent. The front leg is straight but not locked. The body is leaning, aligned with the front leg. Weight is more on the back foot.
KOSA-DACHICrossed stance. Front foot is pointed out 90 degrees. Rear foot is pointed straight ahead. The inside of the rear foot in on the same line as the front heel. Feet are roughly one and one half to two shoulder widths apart. Body faces forward. Weight is even.
KOSHIPelvic carriage. The pelvis and surrounding structures. Indicates the hip area.
KUMITEFighting as in ippon kumite (one-step fighting) or jiyu kumite (free fighting).
KUSHANKUKata named after a Chinese government official.
KUZUSHIThe unbalancing of an opponent either physically (as in a foot sweep), mentally (as in stepping on an opponent's foot before punching to distract him), or spiritually (as in a fierce kiai just before an opponent attacks to "drain" his fighting spirit).
KYUIndicates a student who is not ranked as a black belt (dan). Also known as mudansha.
KYUU/KUNine
MAAICombative engagement distance. Distance between opponents.
MAEFront
MAEGERIFront kick made with the ball, heel, or toe tips of the foot.
MAETOBIGERIFlying or jumping front kick.
MAHANMI NO NEKOASHI-DACHI (NEKOASHI-DACHI)Full side facing cat stance. Front foot points towards the opponent. Rear foot faces roughly 120 degrees from the front. The front heel is slightly raised. Body faces 90 degrees sideways to the opponent. Feet are roughly two shoulder widths apart. Weight is 2/3 on the rear foot.
MAKIWARAStriking pad, typically a board with the striking area covered with wound twine or straw.
MASHOMEN NO NEKOASHI-DACHI (NEKO-DACHI)Full front facing cat stance. Front foot faces forwards. Rear foot faces out at 45 degrees. From Migishizentai or Hidarishizentai, raise the front heel slightly while settling 2/3 of the weight onto the rear foot. The body faces forward.
MATTEStop. Command to stop.
MAWASHIGERIRoundhouse kick made with the ball or instep of the foot.
MAWASHIUKERound block made with both open hands moving in a circle in the same direction.
MAWASHIZUKIRound punch made by swinging the arm.
MAWATTETurn around. Command to turn around.
MIGIRight.
MIGISHIZENTAIRight natural stance. Opposite of Hidarishizentai.
MIKAZUKIGERICrescent kick made from the outside to the inside using the sole of the foot.
MOKUSOMeditation. Command to meditate.
MUDANSHAKyu ranks
MUSHINNo mind. State of mind where there is no conscious thought.
MUSUBI DACHIAttention stance. Heels are together with the feet pointed out 45 degrees. Weight is even.
NAGASHIUKESweeping block or slip block. Any of the basic blocks (gedan, soto, jodan, haishu) may be made into a nagashi type block by changing the direction in which the block moves from perpendicular to angling back towards your body.
NAGASHIZUKIPunch made by moving forward and twisting the body out of the way of an oncoming attack. The body moves parallel to and just off of the attack line.
NAIHANCHIKata whose name translated can mean "fighting on the dikes between rice paddies" or "inside fighting."
NAIHANCHI-DACHINaihanchi stance or inside fighting stance. Feet are roughly one and one half to two shoulder widths apart and are pointed in slightly. Weight is even.
NAIWANInside of the forearm. Used for blocking as in Uchiuke.
NAKADAKA IPPON KENOne finger fist punch made with the second knuckle of the middle finger.
NAMIGAESHIReturning wave kick made by bringing the foot upwards and inwards striking with the sole or side of the foot as found in Naihanchi kata.
NAOREIReturn to musubi dachi and rei.
NEKO ASHI DACHICat stance
NITwo
NO TSUKOMILeaning
NUKITEFingertip thrust strike as in ippon nukite (index finger thrust) or yonhan nukite (four finger thrust).
OBIBelt. Used to indicate the rank of the wearer. Mudansha (kyu ranks) wear colored belts. Yudansha (dan ranks) wear black belts.
OKURIASHISliding step
OSAEUKEPress block made by softly pressing down with the palm or back of the open hand.
OTOSHIUKEDropping block made by throwing the arm down on top of the opponent's attack. Can be made with shuto, shotei, tettsui, or uraken. Usually accompanied by a dropping of the body weight to add power to the technique.
OYAYUBI IPPON KENOne finger fist strike made with the second knuckle of the thumb.
PINAN"Peace and tranquillity." Name of the group of 5 kata Pinan Shodan, Pinan Nidan, Pinan Sandan, Pinan Yondan, and Pinan Godan.
REIBow
RENOJI DACHIThe letter L stance
RENRAKU WAZACombination techniques
RITSU REIStanding bow
ROKUSix
RYUStyle or school of karate.
SAGIASHI DACHIHeron/Crane stance. Stand on one leg with the toes of the other foot lightly touching the back of the opposite knee. Supporting leg is bent.
SANThree
SANCHIN DACHIHourglass stance
SANDO ZUKIThree punches
SEIKENFist
SEIKEN ZUKIFist punch
SEIRETSULine up. Command to line up.
SEISANLiterally "thirteen." A kata practiced in Wado Ryu.
SEIZAKneeling posture. Command to kneel.
SEIZUKINormal punch made with the first knuckles of the index and middle fingers.
SEMPAISenior. One who is senior to another. Opposite of kohai.
SENSEILiterally "one who has gone before." Refers to the teacher of a class. Also used as a title for one who has attained Sandan rank (third degree black belt).
SESAN DACHISide facing straddle stance
SHICHISeven
SHIKO DACHIOuter circular stance. Feet are roughly two shoulder widths apart and pointed out 45 degrees. Weight is even.
SHIZENTAINatural stance. Feet are shoulder width apart and are pointed out 45 degrees. Weight is even.
SHOTEIPalm heel strike.
SHUTOKnife hand strike.
SHUTOUKEKnife hand block made with the little finger die of the open hand or forearm. Can be made moving inwards, outwards, or downwards.
SONOBAOn-the-spot
SOTO MIKAZUKIGERIOutside crescent kick using the side of the foot moving from inside to outside.
SOTOUKEOutside block. Basic middle block made with the outside of the forearm moving from inside to outside. Can be made blocking jodan or chudan.
SUKUIUKEScooping block made with the forearm moving in the same direction of an attack sliding under it and lifting.
SURIKOMIStep through
TACHIStance. See list of stances above.
TACHI REIStanding bow.
TAE UKEPosition of the arms where one arm is across the chest, palm down and parallel to the ground and the other arm is pulled back beside the chest palm up.
TAISABAKIBody movement or shifting. Method of moving the body to a more advantageous position for a counter attack. Used in conjunction with ashisabaki (foot movement) and koshisabaki (hip movement).
TATEVertical as in tate zuki (vertical fist punch).
TATE SEISAN-DACHIVertical Seisan stance. Front foot toes and rear foot heel are on a line towards the opponent. Both feet are pointed in roughly the same direction with the front foot slightly more turned. Feet are roughly one and one half to two shoulder widths apart. Weight is even.
TATEZUKIVertical fist punch made with the little finger side of the fist towards the ground.
TETTSUIHammer fist strike made with the little finger side of the closed fist.
TOBIJump or leap.
TOBIKOMIZUKIJumping lunge punch. Lunge punch made by jumping the body forward into the technique.
TORREAttacker
TSUGI ASHIHalf step
TSUKIThrust or punch. See above.
TSUKURICreating an opening in your defense to draw the opponent into attacking this "weakness." This allows you to respond with a specific counterattack.
UCHIUKEInside block. Block made with the inside of the forearm moving from outside to inside. Can be made jodan or chudan.
UKEReceiver, defender or block. See list of blocking techniques above.
URABack or reverse, e.g. ura-mawashigeri.
URAKENBack fist strike made with the back of the first knuckles of the index and middle fingers.
URAZUKIInverted punch made with the back of the fist pointed towards the ground.
USHIROBackwards.
USHIROGERIBack kick made backwards using the heel of the foot.
USHIROKINGERIBackward groin kick made by bringing the heel upward.
WADO RYU"Way of Peace" style or "Way of Harmony" style. Emblem is the Kanji character Wa (peace or harmony) surrounded by the wings of a dove (also a peace symbol).
WAZATechnique. For example, keriwaza are kicking techniques
YAMAZUKIMountain punch. Similar to Awasezuki but made with the arms bent and the body leaning forward.
YAMEStop. Command to return to ready position.
YOIPrepare. Command to move to ready position.
YOKOGERISide kick made to the side using the side of the foot.
YOKO SEISAN DACHISide Seisan stance. From Naihanchidachi, move one foot forward one foot length. Weight is even.
YON/SHIFour
YONHAN NUKITEFour finger spear hand thrust made with the tips of the four extended fingers.
YUDANSHABlack belts
ZANSHINState of mind where one is fully aware and alert.
ZAREIKneeling bow
ZENKUTSU DACHIFront stance, forward stance or fighting stance. From Heikodachi, one foot moves forward roughly one and one half shoulder widths. The front foot faces forward. The rear foot faces out 45 degrees. Weight is even or slightly more on the front foot.
ZUKIFrom tsuki meaning punch or thrust. See list of punches above.

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