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.
• 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)