Karate Terminology in Japanese

Numbers:

  • Ichi - one

  • Ni - two

  • San - three

  • Shi* / yon - four

  • Go - five

  • Roku - six

  • Shichi* / nana - seven

  • Hachi - eight

  • Kyu - nine

  • Jyu - ten

*Note: ‘four’ and ‘seven’ both have two pronunciations. This is because the sound ‘shi’, which is found in both ‘shi’ (4) and ‘shichi’ (7), means “death” in Japanese, and thus has negative connotations.

Starting/ending the class:

  • Shugo -  line up

  • Ki o tsuke - attention

  • Seiza - kneel

  • Mokuso - close your eyes

  • Mokuso yame - finish meditation open your eyes

  • Shomen ni - face front

  • Rei - bow

  • Sensei ni - face Sensei

  • Rei - bow

  • Otagai ni - face your partner

  • Rei - bow

  • “Onegai shimasu” - Please (teach me); OR “Arigato gozaimashita” - Thank you (for teaching me)

  • Tatte - stand up

Other useful terms:

  • Sensei - teacher

  • Senpai - senior

  • Yoi - ready

  • Kamae - combative posture

  • Hajime - begin

  • Yame - stop

  • Kihon - basic

  • Junbi-undo - preparatory exercises (warm ups)

  • Hojo-undo - supplementary exercises (training tools, body conditioning)

  • Kata - prescribed forms/patterns

  • Bunkai - application/analysis (of the techniques in the kata)

  • Migi - right

  • Hidari - left

  • Mae - front

  • Ushiro - back

  • Yoko - side

  • Kiai - shout/yell (with spirit)

  • Waza - technique

  • Mawatte - turn around

  • Hai - yes

  • Iie - no

  • Dan - black belt grade

  • Kyu - Colour belt grade

  • Gi / Do-gi - training uniform

  • Obi - belt

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