age-empi

elbow blow upwards

age-uke

block defence from bottom to top

ai

focussing

aka

red; fighter with the red belt (in competition)

ashi-barai

foot sweeper

ashi-geri

kick of the foreleg

budo

the whole of all martial arts

budoka

person practising a martial art

bunkai

practising the kata with partners

bushido

"way of the warrior" (code of honour of the samurai)

chudan

intermediate grade (region of the body: breast, belly)

dachi

position, Stance

dai

large

dan

master degree

deshi

pupil

do

way

dojo

school; place where "the way" is practised

dojo-kun

dojo rules

empi-uchi

elbow blow

fudo-dachi

position of power directed forward

fudokan

"house of stable foundations"

fumi-kiri

cutting kick

fumi-komi

stamping kick

gasshuku

course, seminar ("meeting of all training pupils")

gedan

lower grade (region of the body: legs, genitals)

gedan-barai

block defence from top to bottom

geri

kick

geri waza

the whole of the leg techniques

go

five

goshin

self-defence

gyaku-tsuki

mutual fist punch

hachi

eight

hachiji-dachi

open position of readiness

hai

Yes! OK!

haito-uchi

blow with the inside edge of the hand

hajime

Start!

han

half

hangetsu-dachi

half-moon position (knees inclined inwards)

happo kumité

fight against several attackers from various directions

hara

belly; centre of the body

heiko

balance

heisoku-dachi

closed foot position

hidari

left

hiza-geri

knee kick

hyaku

one hundred

hyoshi

rhythm

ichi

one

ie

no

ippon

whole point, one point (in competition)

jiyu ippon kumité

single attack from free fighting position

jiyu kumité

free fight

jodan

upper grade (region of the body: head, neck)

ju

ten

juji-uke

cross-hand block defence

jutsu

art, skill

kage-tsuki

hook fist punch

kai-ashi

step forward

kakato geri

heel kick (from top to bottom)

kakiwake uke

wedge block

kamae

readiness

kara

empty

karate-do

way of the empty hand

karate-gi

karate dress

karatéka

person practising karate-do

kata

form, defined movement (there are approximately 50 various traditional katas in the style shotokan)

keage

kick executing a quick circular swinging movement forward and backward

kekomi

pushing kick

ken

fist; sword

ki

energy

kiai

fight-cry (by fully tensing the belly muscles); focussing the energy on one single point

kiba-dachi

stable sideward-directed foot position (rider position)

kihon

basic lessons, basic techniques

kihon ippon kumité

single attack from the position according to the basic lessons

kihon kumité

fight according to the basic lessons

kime

focussing the whole physical energy on one single point while performing a karate technique

kizami-tsuki

fist punch of the front fist

ko waza

the whole of the hand-to-hand techniques

kokoro

heart, soul, feeling; inner attitude

kokutsu-dachi

backward-directed foot position

kokyu

breathing

kosa-dachi

crosswise position

koshi-kaiten

rotation of the hip

koshi-sabaki

movement of the hip

ku

nine

kuatsu

revival technique

kumade

bear paw (hand technique)

kumité

partner training, fight training (there are very different kinds of kumité)

kuzushi waza

the whole of the techniques to break the balance

kyu

pupil degree; bow

maai

distance

mae-empi

elbow blow forward

mae-geri

kick forward

makiwara

blowing board (a stable, flexible slat of wood wound round with straw)

mawashi-empi

semi-circular elbow blow

mawashi-geri

semi-circular kick with the instep or the ball of the foot

mawashi-tsuki

curved fist punch

mawate

turn

metsuke

look

migi

right

mikazuki-geri

semi-circular kick with the sole of the foot out of the straight hip

mokusu

phase of concentration

musubi-dachi

closed position of readiness

nagashi-uke

sweeping defence with the hand open

nekoashi-dachi

cat-foot position

ni

two

nihon-tsuki

double-fist punch

nukité

cutting movement with the fingers

obi

belt

oi-tsuki

equilateral fist punch

osaekomi waza

holds

randori

free training fight

rei

greeting (sign of respect)

ren-geri

multiple kick

renmei

union, association

renoji-dachi

L position

sabaki

movement in space; ducking flowingly; stabilizing, turning circular movement of the body maintaining the balance and / or the centre of gravity

samurai

member of the Japanese warrior class

san

three

sanbon-tsuki

triple fist punch

satori

enlightenment in the martial arts

sei-ken

forefist (fist knuckle)

seiza

heel seat (phase of concentration at the beginning and at the end of the training)

sen

initiative

sensei

teacher, master

shi

four

shiai

tournament, competition

shiatsu

Japanese finger-pressure therapy

shichi

seven

shihan

Grand Master

shiko-dachi

moving sideward-directed foot position

shime waza

the whole of the strangling techniques

shin

spirit

shintai

movement of the body

shiro

white; fighter with the white belt (in competition)

shitei

teacher-pupil relation

shito

fight for life and death

sho

beginning; small

shogun

military commander of the feudal Japan; governor of the emperor

shotokan

style of karate

shuto-uchi

blow with the outside edge of the hand

shuto-uke

block of the edge of the hand with the outside edge of the hand

sochin-dachi

position of energy (very deep position)

sonkei

respect

soto-ude-uke

block defence from outside to inside

tai

body; state of waiting

tai-sabaki

movement of the body in space; in a narrow sense "rotary motion"

tameshiwari

breaking test (boards, tiles, etc.)

tate

vertical

tate-tsuki

vertical fist punch

te

hand

te waza

the whole of the hand and arm techniques

teisho-uchi

blow with the ball of the thumb

tettsui

hammer-fist blow

tobi

jump

tori

attacker

tsugi-ashi

gliding movement (beginning with the hind foot)

tsuki

fist punch

uchi

blowing technique; inside

uchi-ude-uke

block defence from inside to outside

uchi waza

the whole of the blowing techniques

ude

arm

uke

defender; defending technique

ukemi

fall, fall training

uke waza

the whole of the defending and block techniques

ura-ken

backhand fist blow

uramawashi-geri

reverse semi-circular kick

ura-tsuki

reverse fist punch

ushiro-empi

elbow blow backward

ushiro-geri

kick backward

ushiro-mawashi-geri

semi-circular kick turned over the back

ushiro-uramawashi-geri

reverse semi-circular kick turned over the back

waza

technique

wazaari

half point (in competition)

yakusoku kumité

arranged fight

yama

mountain

yame

Stop!

yoi

Attention! Be ready!

yoko-empi

elbow blow sideward

yoko-geri

kick sideward

zanshin

attention, presence of mind

zen

absorption, experience of enlightenment

zenkutsu-dachi

forward-directed foot position