Karate Terminology

Understanding Japanese terminology can present a problem for beginners and experience karateka (Karate Practitioner). Here is a selection of translations to help improve your understanding.

 

Stances & Movements			Body Positioning
Japanese	English translation		Japanese	English translation
Dachi	Stance		Kamae	Ready
Yoi dachi	Natural stance		Shomen ni	Full body facing
Zenkutsu dachi	Front stance		Hanmi	Half body facing
Kokutsu dachi	Back stance		Irimi	Turned through 90º
Kiba dachi	Straddle stance
Fudo dachi	Immovable stance		Hand techniques
			Zuki	Punch
Leg techniques			Choku zuki	Straight punch
Geri	Kick		Oi zuki	Stepping punch
Mae geri	Front kick		Gyaku zuki	Reverse punch
Yoko geri	Side kick		Tate zuki	Vertical fist
Mawashi geri	Round house kick		Ura zuki	Close punch
Ushiro geri	Back kick		Mawashi zuki	Round house punch
Ura mawashi geri	Hook kick		Jun zuki	Lunge punch
Ushiro mawashi geri	Spinning back kick		Kagi zuki	Hook punch
Fumikomi geri	Stamping kick		Age zuki	Rising punch
Tobi geri	Jumping kick		Kizami zuki	Front hand punch
Ren geri	Combination kicking		Morote zuki	Double hand punch
Blocking			Hand & feet striking points
Uke	Block		Ippon nukite	One fingered strike
Age uke	Rising block		Nihon nukite	Two fingered strike
Soto uke	Outside block		Shuto	Knife hand strike
Uchi ude uke	Inside block		Tetsui	Hammer fist
Gedan barai	Downward block		Teisho	Outside edge strike
Shuto uke	Knife hand block		Tatai shuto	Palm heal strike
Atoshi uke	Descending block		Sokuto	Knife edge of foot
Nagashi uke	Flowing block		Kakato	Heal strike
			Koshi	Ball of foot
Regions of the body			Hiza geri	Knee strike
Jodan	Face
Chudan	Stomach		Forms of karate sparring
Gedan	Groin		Ippon kumite	One step basic
			Sanbon kumite	Three step basic
Form			Gohon kumite	Five step basic
Kata	Basic form		Jiyu ippon	One free attack
Kihon	Basic movements		Jiyu kumite	Open/free fighting
Kumite	Sparring