General Karate Terms & Glossary

Karate is usually taught using the original Japanese terms. This page is a glossary where you find a collection of generic terms that occur in a variety of contexts in Karate.

Karate Glossary

Age	Rising
Ashi o kaete	Change legs (stance)
Ashi tanden	Leg conditioning
Atemi	Art of striking vital points
Budo	Martial way or Path (Tao in chinese)
Bushi	Martial man, warrior
Bushido	Way of the warrior (Code of conduct)
Bunkai	Applications of kata
Chudan	Middle area
Dojo	Martial arts training place
Gasshuku	Training camp
Gedan	Lower area
Gi or Dogi	Karate uniform
Go	Hard, rigid
Goju-ryu	Hard and soft style
Gyaku	Reverse
Hara	Central point of body
Hari kiri	Ritual suicide
Hajime	Begin
Hai	Yes
Hidari	Left
Hojo undo	Supplementary exercises
Honbu dojo	Main dojo
Ie	No
Ju	Soft, flexible
Junbi undo	Warm up exercises
Junbi owarimasu	End of warm up
Kakie	Strength exercise
Kamaete	On guard
Kame	Fighting stance
Karate	Empty hand
Karate-do	The way of karate
Karateka	One who practises karate
Kata	A set of pre-arranged techniques
Ki	Spirit,life energy (Chi in Chinese)
Ki ai	Shout to focus energy
Kihon	Basic techniques
Kime	Focus
Kohai	Junior student
Mai-ai	Fighting distance
Mawatte	Turn around
Migi	Right
Mokuso	Meditation
Morote	Double or both hands together
Muchimi	Heavy sticky feeling
Obi	Belt
Ritsurei	Standing bow
Ryu	School or tradition
Samurai	Japanese warrior class of feudal era
Seiken	Fist with focus on first two knuckles
Seiza	Kneeling position
Sempai	Lower dan grade, senior student
Sensei	Instructor/Teacher
Shihan	Master instructor
Shime	Sanchin kata testing
Soto	Outside (inside to outside)
Tanden	Strength centre of body
Te	Hand
Te o kaete	Change hands
Uchi	Inside (outside to inside)
Ude Tanden	Forearm conditioning
Yame	Stop or fininsh
Yoi	Ready position
Zanshin	Awareness in defence or attack