Terms in Karate

 

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空手用語

 

Courtesy of the JKA of New York / New Jersey

 

 

Pronunciation   Numbers   Stances   Arm Attacks

 

Leg Attacks  Levels of Attacks  Blocks  Dojo Kun

 

Kata  Kumite  General Terms  Tournament Terms

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

Pronunciation

 

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発音  All vowels are short and pronounced as follows:

 

     "a" as in "father"

     "i" as in "teen" except shorter

     "u" as in "boot" except shorter

     "e" as in "bet"

     "o" as in "boat" except shorter and without the off-glide

Longer vowel sounds are the same sounds as above, but given more time.

 

あゝ    "aa," a longer "a"

いゝ    "ii," a longer "i"

うゝ    "uu," a longer "u"

えゝ    "ei," a longer "e"

おゝ    "oh," a longer "o"

Except for the above, if you see two or more vowels in a row, they are each pronounced clearly without becoming a single diphthong. An apostrophe is used where a glottal stop occurs (like between the "n" and the second "a" when pronouncing "an apple").

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Consonants always take their "hard " sounds. So "gi" is pronounced with a hard "g" (i.e., not "ji"). "Ch" is always as in "cheese."

 

The hyphens don't mean anything but serve to distinguish separate syllables when it might be ambiguous, or to separate a word into two semantic parts. There shouldn't be a pause for hyphens.

 

Parentheses are used whenever a word might be omitted by some people, or if the translation could mean more than one thing. For example, "nukite," literally only means "spear hand," which is just the name of the "weapon" you form with your hand, but it is also often used to mean the attack, "spear-hand thrust." So "thrust" is in parentheses.

 

Quotation marks are used on the English side to distinguish between literal translations of the Japanese terms from their more figurative meanings (quotes indicate literal translation).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

Numbers

 

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数字

 

  1  ichi

  2  ni

三  3  san

四  4  shi (yon)

五  5  go

六  6  roku

七  7  shichi (nana)

八  8  hachi

九  9  ku (kyuu) (Q)

十  10   juu

 

When counting for class, just pronounce the first syllable of bisyllabic numbers (i.e., ich, rok, shich, hach), for shorter, sharper counting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

Stances

 

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立ち方

 

八字立ち                  hachiji-dachi (hachinoji-dachi) -- ready stance

前屈立ち                  zenkutsu-dachi -- front stance

後屈立ち                  koh-kutsu-dachi -- back stance

騎馬立ち                  kiba-dachi -- horse stance / saddle stance

猫足立ち                  neko-ashi-dachi -- cat stance

壮鎮立ち                  sochin-dachi / fudoh-dachi -- "immovable" stance

三戦立ち                  sanchin-dachi -- "hourglass" stance

半月立ち                  hangetsu-dachi -- "half moon" stance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arm Attacks

 

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手技

 

突 き                   tsuki -- punch

順突き                   oi-zuki -- lunge punch

逆突き                   gyaku-zuki -- reverse punch

刻突き                   kizami-zuki -- jab punch

抜き手                   nukite -- spear-hand (thrust)

裏 拳                   ura-ken -- back hand (strike)

猿 臂                   empi -- elbow (strike)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leg Attacks

 

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足技

 

蹴 り                   keri -- kick

前蹴り                   mae-geri -- front (snap) kick

廻蹴り                   mawashi-geri -- round house kick

蹴込み                   (yoko-geri) kekomi -- side thrust kick

蹴上げ                   (yoko-geri) keage -- side snap kick

後蹴り                   ushiro-geri -- back (thrust) kick

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Levels of Attack

 

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標的

 

上段                    joh-dan    "upper level" / face

中段                    chuudan   "middle level" / stomach / solar plexus

下段                    gedan       "lower level" / groin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blocks: Uke Waza

 

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受技

 

挙げ受け   age-uke         rising block

腕 受け   ude-uke         "arm block", outside block

外 受け   soto-uke         outside block (see above)

内 受け   uchi-uke         inside block

下段払い   gedan barai    down block / "lower level sweep"

猿臂受け   empi-uke       elbow block

手刀受け   shuto-uke       knife-hand block

流し受け   nagashi-uke    "flushing block" / deflecting block

掻き分け   kakiwake-uke  two-handed "separating" block

諸手受け   morote-uke      double forearm block

十字受け   juuji-uke          two-handed "cross" block,

               (heian godan)

背腕受け   haiwan-uke      (two-handed) "back arm" block,

                (heian nidan)

背手受け   haisyu-uke      (two-handed) "back knife-hand" block,

                (heian yondan)

縦手刀受け  tate-shuto-uke  half knife-hand block,

                (chinte)

押さえ受け  osae-uke         dropping palm block,