Karate Terminology – Sensei (Teacher)

 Karate Terms & Commands – English to Japanese

• Ankle – Ashi-Kubi
• Attention – Kiotsuke (sounds like Key-oh-zoo-kay)
• Back – Ushiro (sounds like Oo-she-row)
• Basic Techniques – Kihon (sounds like Key-hon)
• Begin/Start – Hajime (sounds like Ha-gee-may)
• Belt – Obi (sounds like Oh-bee)
• Block – Uke (sounds like Oo-kay)
• Body Movement – Tai Sabaki
• Bow – Rei (sounds like Ray)
• Breathing Exercises – Kokyu Ho
• Cat – Neko (i.e. Neko Ashi Dachi = Cat Foot Stance or Cat Stance)
• Elbow – Empi or Enpi (sounds like En-pee or Em-pee)
• Elbow Strike – Empi-Uchi (sounds like Em-pee Oo-chee)
• Focus – Kime
• Foot – Ashi (sounds like Ah-she)
• Form or Pattern – Kata (sounds like Ka-ta)
• Form (Kata) Technique Application – Bunkai (sounds like Boon-kay)
• Front – Mae
• Goodbye – Sayonara (sounds like Sa-yoh-na-rah)
• Hand – Te (sound like Tay)
• Head – Atama (sounds like Ah-ta-ma)
• Heel – Kakato (sounds like Ka-ka-toe)
• I (Me) – Watashi (sounds like Wa-ta-she)
• Kata Starting Point – Embusen or Enbusen
• Kick – Geri or Keri (sounds like Geh-ree or Keh-ree)
• Knee – Hiza (sounds like He-zah)
• Kneel – Seiza
• Kneeling Techniques – Seiza Waza
• Knife Hand – Shuto (sounds like Shoe-toe)
• Left – Hidari (sounds like Hee-da-ree)
• Low (Level) – Gedan (sounds like Geh-dan)
• Mat (Practice/Training Mat) – Tatami (sounds like Ta-ta-me)
• Meditate – Mokuso
• Middle (Level) – Chudan (sounds like Choo-dan)
• One More Time – Mo Ichi Do (sounds like Moe E-chee Doe)
• No – Iie (sounds like E-ay)
• No Mind (State of “No Mind”) – Mushin
• Please – Dozo (sounds like Doe-zoh)
• Practitioner of Karate – Karateka
• Pulling Hand (brining hand back to ready position) – Hikite
• Punch – Tsuki or Zuki (sounds like Zoo-key)
• Push On Through Difficulties – Oss or Osu. Nevertheless, this term used in many different ways and is often used by non-Japanese Karate students for “Thank you”, “I understand”, etc. Oss (Osu) is a kind of respectful catch-all phrase. The meaning of Oss (Osu) can vary greatly between Karate schools and styles.
• Right – Migi (sounds like Mee-gee)
• School (Martial Arts) – Dojo (sounds like Doe-Joe)
• Senior Student – Senpai or Sempai (sounds like Sen-pie)
• Shout or Yell – Kiai (sounds like Key-eye)
• Side – Yoko (sounds like Yoh-koh)
• Snap – Keage
• Sparring – Kumite (sounds like Coo-meh-tay)
• Stance – Dachi (sounds like Dah-chee)
• Stop – Yame (sounds like Yah-may)
• Strike – Uchi (sounds like Oo-chee)
• Sweep – Barai (sounds like Baa-rye)
• Teacher/Instructor – Sensei (sounds like Sen-say)
• Technique – Waza (sounds like Waa-Zaa)
• Thank You (Formal) – Domo Arigato (sounds like Doe-moe Ah-ree-gah-toe)
• Thank You (Informal) – Domo (sounds like Doe-moe)
• Throat – Nodo (sounds like No-doe)
• Throw – Nage
• Thrust – Kekomi
• Turn Around – Mawatte (sounds like Ma-wa-tay)
• Unarmed Combat – Taijutsu
• Uniform – Gi (sounds like Ghee)
• Upper (Level) – Jodan (sounds like Joe-dan)
• Void or State of No Mind – Mushin
• Yes – Hai (sounds like Hi)
• You – Anata (sounds like Ah-na-ta)

50 Japanese WordsKarate Terms & Commands – Japanese to English

• Anata – You
• Anza – Sitting position, cross legged
• Ashi – Foot
• Ashi-Kubi – Ankle
• Atama – Head
• Barai – Sweep
• Bunkai – Kata Technique Application
• Chudan – Middle (Level)
• Dachi – Stance
• Dojo – School (Karate)
• Domo – Thank You (Informal)
• Domo Arigato – Thank You (Formal)
• Dozo – Please
• Embusen or Enbusen – This is the term used to refer to the spot where a kata begins. In addition, nearly all kata start and end on exactly the same Embusen point.
• Empi or Enpi – Elbow
• Empi-Uchi or Enpi-Uchi – Elbow Strike
• Gedan – Low (Level)
• Geri or Keri – Kick
• Gi – Uniform
• Hai – Yes
• Hajime – Begin/Start
• Harau – Sweeping Techniques
• Hidari – Left
• Hikite – Pulling Hand (bringing hand back to ready position)
• Hiza – Knee
• Iie – No
• Jodan – Upper (Level)
• Kakato – Heel
• Karateka – Practitioner of Karate
• Kata – Form or Pattern
• Keage – Snap
• Kekomi – Thrust
• Keri or Geri – Kick
• Ki – Type of intrinsic energy. Known as Qi or Chi in Chinese martial arts.
• Kiai – Shout
• Kihon – Basic Techniques
• Kime – Focus
• Kiotsuke – Attention
• Kokyu Ho – Breathing exercises
• Kumite – Sparring
• Mae – Front
• Mawatte – Turn Around
• Migi – Right
• Mo Ichi Do – One More Time
• Mokuso – Meditate
• Mushin – Void or State of No Mind
• Nage – Throw
• Neko – Cat (i.e. Neko Ashi Dachi = Cat Foot Stance or Cat Stance)
• Nodo – Throat
• Obi – Belt
• Oss or Osu – Push On Through Difficulties. Nevertheless, this term used in many different ways and is often used by non-Japanese Karate students for “Thank you”, “I Osu-understand”, etc. Oss (Osu) is a kind of respectful catch-all phrase. The meaning of  Oss (Osu) can vary greatly between Karate schools and styles.
• Rei – Bow
• Sayonara – Goodbye
• Senpai or Sempai – Senior Student
• Sensei – Teacher/Instructor
• Seiza – Kneel
• Seiza Waza – Kneeling Techniques
• Shuto – Knife Hand
• Tatami – Practice/Training Mat
• Te – Hand
• Tsuki or Zuki – Punch
• Uke – Block
• Ushiro – Back
• Watashi – I (Me)
• Waza – Technique
• Yame – Stop
• Yoko – Side
• Zuki or Tsuki – Punch

Counting in Japanese 

• One – Ichi
• Two – Ni
• Three – San
• Four – Shi
• Five – Go
• Six – Roku
• Seven – Nana
• Eight – Hachi
• Nine – Kyu
• Ten – Juu
• Eleven – Juu Ichi
• Twelve – Juu Ni
• Thirteen – Juu San
• Fourteen – Juu Shi
• Fifteen – Juu Go
• Sixteen – Juu Roku
• Seventeen – Juu Nana
• Eighteen – Juu Hachi
• Nineteen – Juu Kyu
• Twenty – Ni Juu
• Twenty One – Ni Juu Ichi
• Twenty Two – Ni Juu Ni
• Twenty Three – Ni Juu San
• Twenty Four – Ni Juu Shi
• Twenty Five – Ni Juu Go
• Twenty Six – Ni Juu Roku
• Twenty Seven – Ni Juu Nana
• Twenty Eight – Ni Juu Hachi
• Twenty Nine – Ni Juu Kyu
• Thirty – San Juu
• Forty – Shi Juu
• Fifty – Go Juu
• Sixty – Roku Juu
• Seventy – Shichi Juu
• Eighty – Hachi Juu
• Ninety – Kyu Juu
• Hundred – Hyaku
• Two Hundred – Ni-Hyaku
• Three Hundred – San-Byaku
• Four Hundred – Yon-Hyaku
• Five Hundred – Go-Hyaku
• Six Hundred – Rop-Pyaku
• Seven Hundred – Nana-Hyaku
• Eight Hundred – Hap-Pyaku
• Nine Hundred – Kyu-Hyaku
• Thousand – Sen