Japanese Translations

It is important to understand the techniques and meanings of the Shotokan style in the Japanese language as they are commonly used in the instruction at Daypuck Karate, and at some point your grading will be done in complete Japanese.  Some of the higher levels of the JKA belt system can only be reached by traveling to the JKA headquarter in Tokyo, Japan to complete your grading examination.  Therefore it is imperative to study and learn the Japanese language to be able to understand effectively the training and teachings from some of the elite instructors that visit occasionally from the JKA organization.
counting
  • One – Ichi
  • Two – Ni
  • Three – San
  • Four – Shi
  • Five – Go
  • Six – Roku
  • Seven – Shichi
  • 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 Shichi
  • Eighteen – Juu Hachi
  • Nineteen – Juu Kyu
  • Twenty – Ni Juu
  • Thirty – San Juu
  • Forty – Shi Juu
  • Fifty – Go Juu
  • Hundred – Hyaku
  • Two Hundred – Ni Hyaku
  • Thousand – Sen
terms & commands
  1. Ankle – Ashi-Kubi
  2. Attention – Kiotsuke (sounds like Key-oh-zoo-kay)
  3. Back – Ushiro (sounds like Oo-she-row)
  4. Basic Techniques – Kihon (sounds like Key-hon)
  5. Begin/Start – Hajime (sounds like Ha-gee-may)
  6. Belt – Obi (sounds like Oh-bee)
  7. Block – Uke (sounds like Oo-kay)
  8. Body Movement – Tai Sabaki
  9. Bow – Rei (sounds like Ray)
  10. Breathing Exercises – Kokyu Ho
  11. Cat – Neko (i.e. Neko Ashi Dachi = Cat Foot Stance or Cat Stance)
  12. Elbow – Empi or Enpi (sounds like En-pee or Em-pee)
  13. Elbow Strike – Empi-Uchi (sounds like Em-pee Oo-chee)
  14. Focus – Kime
  15. Foot – Ashi (sounds like Ah-she)
  16. Form or Pattern – Kata (sounds like Ka-ta)
  17. Form (Kata) Technique Application – Bunkai (sounds like Boon-kay)
  18. Front – Mae
  19. Goodbye – Sayonara (sounds like Sa-yoh-na-rah)
  20. Hand – Te (sound like Tay)
  21. Head – Atama (sounds like Ah-ta-ma)
  22. Heel – Kakato (sounds like Ka-ka-toe)
  23. I (Me) – Watashi (sounds like Wa-ta-she)
  24. Kata Starting Point – Embusen or Enbusen
  25. Kick – Geri or Keri (sounds like Geh-ree or Keh-ree)
  26. Knee – Hiza (sounds like He-zah)
  27. Kneel – Seiza
  28. Kneeling Techniques – Seiza Waza
  29. Knife Hand – Shuto (sounds like Shoe-toe)
  30. Left – Hidari (sounds like Hee-da-ree)
  31. Low (Level) – Gedan (sounds like Geh-dan)
  32. Mat (Practice/Training Mat) – Tatami (sounds like Ta-ta-me)
  33. Meditate – Mokuso
  34. Middle (Level) – Chudan (sounds like Choo-dan)
  35. One More Time – Mo Ichi Do (sounds like Moe E-chee Doe)
  36. No – Iie (sounds like E-ay)
  37. No Mind (State of “No Mind”) – Mushin
  38. Please – Dozo (sounds like Doe-zoh)
  39. Practitioner of Karate – Karateka
  40. Pulling Hand (brining hand back to ready position) – Hikite
  41. Punch – Tsuki or Zuki (sounds like Zoo-key)
  42. 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.
  43. Right – Migi (sounds like Mee-gee)
  44. School (Martial Arts) – Dojo (sounds like Doe-Joe)
  45. Senior Student – Senpai or Sempai (sounds like Sen-pie)
  46. Shout or Yell – Kiai (sounds like Key-eye)
  47. Side – Yoko (sounds like Yoh-koh)
  48. Snap – Keage
  49. Sparring – Kumite (sounds like Coo-meh-tay)
  50. Stance – Dachi (sounds like Dah-chee)
  51. Stop – Yame (sounds like Yah-may)
  52. Strike – Uchi (sounds like Oo-chee)
  53. Sweep – Barai (sounds like Baa-rye)
  54. Teacher/Instructor – Sensei (sounds like Sen-say)
  55. Technique – Waza (sounds like Waa-Zaa)
  56. Thank You (Formal) – Domo Arigato (sounds like Doe-moe Ah-ree-gah-toe)
  57. Thank You (Informal) – Domo (sounds like Doe-moe)
  58. Throat – Nodo (sounds like No-doe)
  59. Throw – Nage
  60. Thrust – Kekomi
  61. Turn Around – Mawatte (sounds like Ma-wa-tay)
  62. Unarmed Combat – Taijutsu
  63. Uniform – Gi (sounds like Ghee)
  64. Upper (Level) – Jodan (sounds like Joe-dan)
  65. Void or State of No Mind – Mushin
  66. Yes – Hai (sounds like Hi)
  67. You – Anata (sounds like Ah-na-ta)
kicks
punches
Related Punch & Strike Terminology
  • Zuki or Tsuki – Punch
  • Uchi – Strike
  • Jodan – High Section (i.e. High Punch – Jodan Zuki)
  • Chudan – Middle Section
  • Gedan – Low Section
stances
body parts
  • Abdomen (Belly) – Hara
  • Ankle – Ashikubi
  • Arm – Wan
  • Body – Tai/Karada
  • Collar Bone – Sakotsu
  • Ear – Mimi
  • Elbow – Empi or Enpi (sounds like En-pee or Em-pee)
  • Eye – Me
  • Face – Kao
  • Finger – Yubi
  • Fist – Ken
  • Foot – Ashi (sounds like Ah-she)
  • Groin (Testicles) – Kinteki
  • Hair – Kami
  • Hand – Te (sound like Tay)
  • Head – Atama (sounds like Ah-ta-ma)
  • Heel – Kakato (sounds like Ka-ka-toe)
  • Jaw – Ago
  • Kidney – Jinzo
  • Knee – Hiza (sounds like He-zah)
  • Mouth – Kuchi
  • Nose – Hana
  • Palm of Hand – Shute
  • Rib – Rokkotsu
  • Shoulder – Kata
  • Spine – Sebone
  • Thigh – Mata
  • Throat – Nodo (sounds like No-doe)
  • Thumb – Oyayubi
  • Toe – Tsumasaki
  • Tooth – Ha
  • Wrist – Tekubi