English Shotokan Karate Independent Association

ESKIA

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Karate Terminology

Common Terminology used in Karate 

Numbers

ichi - one

ni - two

san - three

shi - four

go - five

roku - six

shichi - seven

hachi - eight

kyu - nine

ju - ten

Levels and directions

jodan - upper level (head height)

chudan - middle level (stomach height)

gedan - lower level (groin height)

hiza shita - below the knee

hidari - left

migi - right

mae - forward

yoko - sidewards

ushiro - backwards

uchi - inside

soto - outside

Hand Techniques

ken - fist

seiken - fore fist

ippon ken - one knuckle fist

uraken - back fist

tettsui - iron hammer fist

shuto - sword hand

haito - sword ridge (opposite of shuto)

nukite - spear hand

teisho - palm heel  

tsuki, zuki = a punch

age zuki - rising punch

awase zuki - 'U' punch

choku zuki - straight punch

gyaku zuki - reverse punch

kizami zuki - jab

kagi zuki - hook punch

oi zuki (jun zuki) - lunge punch

Foot Techniques  

keri, geri = a kick

hiza = knee

ashi = foot

soku = foot (you guessed it, two different pronunciations of the same character)

mae geri - front kick

mawashi geri - roundhouse kick

fumi komi - stamping kick

ashi barai - foot sweep

hiza geri - knee kick

kakato geri - heel kick

ushiro geri - back kick

yoko geri keage - sside snap kick

yoko gero kekomi - side thrust kick

Miscellaneous

kyu = class (as in "first class")

dan = level (as you know, this comes after the word it applies to, so "jodan" is "upper level", "nidan" is "second level" or "two levels", and so on)

kata = form, shape

 

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