Karate is a Japanese word meaning empty hand. A karate practitioner is called a karateka. It originated in the Okinawa region in Japan. Therefore instructions in karate are always given in Japanese. Ankō Itosu is considered as the father of modern-day karate.
Karate instructions or Terms
- Sensei - Instructor
- Rei (sounds like Ray) - Bow (after bowing you say, Oss)
- Oss - Respectful greeting (you great each other by bowing and saying oss)
- Domo Arigato (sounds like Doe-moe Ah-ree-gah-toe) - Formal Thank You (used at the end of the Class)
- Kihon (sounds like Key-hon) - Basic techniques
- Kamae-te - Move to the ready position (Used by the instructor during sparring session or any session)
- Kumite (sounds like Coo-meh-tay)- Sparring
- Sanbon Kumite - Three step sparring
- Gohon Kumite - Five step sparring
- Kihon Ippon Kumite - Basic one-step sparring
- Jiyu Ippon Kumite Semi-free style sparring
- Kaishi Ippon Kumite - Reaction sparring
- Jiyu Kumite - Free style sparring
- Yame - Finish/stop (used for stoping a fight or kata ...etc)
- Kiai - Martial shout ( You shout Kiai when you punch or kick )
- Kiotsuke (sounds like Key-oh-zoo-kay) - Attention
- Hajime (sounds like Ha-gee-may) - Begin/Start
- Obi (sounds like Oh-bee) - Belt
- Uke (sounds like Oo-kay) - Block
- Gedan Barai - Downward block
- Age Uke - Rising block
- Soto Uke - Outside block
- Uchi Uke - Inside block
- Shuto uke - Knife hand block
- Tate Shuto uke - Vertical knife hand block
- Nagashi uke - Sweeping block
- Haishu uke - Back hand block
- Empi uke - Elbow block
- Juji uke - X block
- Morote uke - Augmented block
- Kakewake uke - Wedge block
- Geri or Keri (sounds like Geh-ree or Keh-ree) - Kick
- Mae geri - Front kick
- Yoko geri keage - Side snap kick
- Yoko geri kekomi - Side thrust kick
- Mawashi geri - Roundhouse kick
- Ushiro geri - Back kick
- Hiza geri - Knee kick
- Ren geri - Kicking combinations stepping between kicks
- Nidan geri - Two kicks with same leg without step between
- Tsuki or Zuki (sounds like Zoo-key) - Punch
- Kara/Choku tsuki - Straight punch
- Oi tsuki - Stepping punch
- Kizami tsuki - Front hand punch
- Gyaku tsuki - Reverse punch
- Kagi tsuki - Hook punch
- Ren tsuki - Two punch combination
- Sanbon tsuki - Three punch combination
- Uchi (sounds like Oo-chee) - Strike
- Age empi uchi - Rising elbow strike
- Yoko empi uchi - Side elbow strike
- Mawashi empi uchi - Round elbow strike
- Ushiro empi uchi - Reverse elbow strike
- Tate empi uchi - Downward elbow strike
- Shuto uchi - Knife hand strike
- Uraken uchi - Back fist strike
- Tetsui uchi - Hammer fist strike
- Nukite - Spear hand thrust
- Teisho uchi - Palm heel strike
- Haito uchi - Ridge hand strike
- Dachi - Stances
- Heiko dachi - Natural stance
- Heisoku dachi - Feet together stance
- Musubi dachi - Informal stance
- Zenkutsu dachi - Front stance
- Kiba dachi - Straddle stance
- Shiko dachi - Open leg/Sumo stance
- Kokutsu dachi - Back stance
- Levels (used to denote punch or kick or blocking level)
- Jodan (sounds like Joe-dan) - Upper (Level)
- Chudan - Middle(Level)
- Gedan - Lower(Level)
- E.g Gedan Tsuki - Lower Punch
- Empi or Enpi (sounds like En-pee or Em-pee) - Elbow
- Empi-Uchi (sounds like Em-pee Oo-chee) - Elbow Strike