Karate Terms & Commands
English to Japanese
50 Japanese Words Karate Terms & Commands – Japanese to English
50 Japanese Words Karate Terms & Commands – Japanese to English
- 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 Words Karate Terms & Commands – Japanese to English
50 Japanese Words Karate Terms & Commands – Japanese to English
50 Japanese Words Karate 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
50 Japanese Words Karate Terms & Commands – Japanese to English
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
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