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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

 

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