Common Japanese Words and Phrases

If you’re ever unsure about a word or phrase, just ask your instructor or a senior student. Everyone is happy to help!

Beginning and Finishing The lesson

• HAJIME MASU - let's begin
• OWARI MASU - let's finish
• SEIZA - kneel
• MOKUSOU - close your eyes, meditate and breathe deeply, in through nose out through mouth
• KAI MOKU - open your eyes
• SHOMEN NI REI - bow to the front
• SENSEI NI REI - bow to the sensei
• OTAGAI NI REI - bow to each other

General

• KARATE - empty hand
• SHOTOKAN - Pine Waves Hall - SHOTO was Gichin Funakoshi Sensei's (founder of shotokan karate) pen name.
• OSS / OSU - Yes / I agree / I understand / I will try my best
• YAME - stop / finish
• YASUME - relax
• HAJIME - begin
• YOI - read
• HIDARI - left
• MIGI - right
• MAWATTE - turn
• KIHON - basics
• KUMITE - sparring
• KATA - forms

Counting

• ICHI / SHO - 1
• NI - 2
• SAN - 3
• SHI / YON - 4
• GO - 5
• ROKU - 6
• SHICHI / NANA - 7
• HACHI - 8
• KU - 9
• JYU - 10
• HYAKU - 100

Concepts

• HARA / TANDEN - center of mass / belly. True nature / energy center
• SASAE ASHI - supporting leg
• KOSHI KAITEN - hip rotation

Techniques

Punches - TSUKI

• CHOKU ZUKI - straight punch
• OI ZUKI - stepping punch
• GYAKU ZUKI - reverse punch

Blocks - UKE

• AGE UKE - rising block
• SOTO UKE - outside block
• GEDAN BARAI - lower sweep
• UCHI UKE - inside block
• SHUTO UKE - sword hand block

Kicks - KERI

• MAE GERI - front kick
• YOKO GERI KEGAGE - side snap kick
• YOKO GERI KEKOMI - side thrust kick
• MAWASHI GERI - roundhouse kick

Fists - KEN

• URAKEN - back fist
• TETTSUI / KENTSUI - hammer / iron fist

Strikes - UCHI

• NUKITE - spear hand
• EMPI - elbow
• HIZA - knee

Stances - DACHI

• ZENKUTSU DACHI - front stance
• KOKUTSU DACHI - back stance
• KIBA DACHI - horse riding stance
• HACHIJI DACHI - natural stance (feet turned out)
• HEISOKU DACHI - feet together stance
• SHIZENTAI - natural position