Listed below are several terms used throughout martial arts. This list is not exhaustive nor was it meant to be. If you cannot find a term you are looking for please feel free to contact us.

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Abara	Ribs
Age	Rising
Age tsuki	Rising punch
Age uke	Rising block
Age-empi-uchi	Upward elbow strike or rising elbow strike, see tate empi uchi (vertical elbow strike)
Age-haisoku-uchi	Rising instep strike, raising your instep into your attackers groin
Age-te	Hands up (cover position)
Ago	Jaw or chin, as in mouth
Ai	Harmony
Ai-kamae	Harmony posture, when your opponent and you are in matching or mirrored stances
Ai-ki	Harmonious spirit. This is where you integrate all your movements, breathing etc. To exactly match your opponents and you then control him from it. It is also called “spirit meeting” or “harmony meeting”.
Aikido	A martial art meaning the “way of harmony”
Aite	Opponent
Aiuchi	Simultaneous strike
Ai-uchi	Clash; simultaneous scoring technique, no point awarded to either. Referee brings fists together in front of chest.
Aka	Red
Aka	Red
Aka No Kachi	Red Victorious
Akiresu-ken	Achilles tendon
Aoi	Blue
Ashi	Leg
Ashi Yubi	Toes
Ashi-barai	Foot sweep
Ashikubi	Ankle
Atama	Head
Atenai yoni	Warning without penalty; referee raises 1 hand in fist with other hand covering it at chest level and shows it to offender.
Atoshi baraku	A little more time left; an audible signal given by time keeper 30 seconds before actual end of bout.
Awase Shuto Age Uke	Combined rising knife-hand block
Awase tsuki	U punch

Barai	Sweep
Bassai	To Penetrate a Fortress
Bo	The bo, also know as a staff, is a long wooden pole typically about 6 feet in length. The bo was used by farmers in Okinawa to herd animals or placed across the shoulders to carry supplies.
Bokken	Wooden sword
Budo	Way of combat
Bugei	Martial arts
Bunkai	Application (interpretation) of kata techniques
Bushi	Warrior
Bushido	Way of the warrior
Bushi-te	Warrior hands. One of the old names for karate.

Cha	Brown
Chi	Blood
Chikara	Power or strength
Chinto	Fighting to the East
Chito-ryu	A Okinawan style of karate developed by Dr. Tsuyoshi Chitose
Choku	Straight
Choku tsuki	Straight punch
Chowa	The harmonious mental and physical reaction while at practice
Chu	Middle
Chudan	Mid-high level
Chudan-soto uke	iddle-outside block
Chudan-uchi uke	Middle-inside block
Chui	Warning
Chusoku	Ball of the Foot

Dai	Lesser or minor
Dan	Level or degree of black belt rank.
De	Advancing
Do	Way
Doji	Simultaneous
Doji-waza	Techniques are performed simultaneously
Dojo	School or training room
Domo Arigato Gozaimashita	Thank-you very much
Dori	Practice
Doshu	Master of the way
Dozo	Please

Eku	A wooden oar used by the Okinawans that was improvised as a weapon
Embusen	Floor pattern/lines of a kata
Empi (also Hiji)	Elbow
Empi uke (or Hiji uke)	Elbow block
Empi-uchi	Elbow strike
Encho-sen	Extension; after a draw, the match goes into overtime. Referee reopens match with command “shobu hajime”.
Ensho	Back of the heel

Fudo dach	Fighting Stance
Fukushin shugo	Judges conference
Fumikomi geri	Stomping kick
Fusen-gachi	Victory by default

Gan	Eye
Ganmen	Face
Gedan	Low level; Down
Gedan tsuki	Downward punch
Gedan-uke	Down block
Geri	Kick
Geri-waza	Kicking techniques
Gi	Training uniform. Traditionally white.
Go	Five
Godan	Fifth degree black belt
Gohon	Fifth
Gohon kumite	Five-step sparring
Goju	Fifty
Goju-ryu	An Okinawan style of karate meaning “hard, soft way of defense”
Goshi	Hip
Goshin	Self defense
Gyaku	Reverse
Gyaku Haito Uchi	Reverse Backfist Strike
Gyaku tsuki	Reverse punch
Gyaku-zuki	Reverse punch

Ha	Tooth
Hachi	Eight
Hachidan	Eighth degree black belt
Hachiji dachi	Open-legged Stance (Yoi)
Hachiju	Eighty
Hai	Yes
Haishu	Backhand
Haishu Uchi	Back Hand Strike
Haishu uke	Back-hand block
Haisoku	Instep of the foot
Haito	Ridge hand
Haito-uchi	Ridge hand strike
Haiwan Nagashi Uke	Sweeping back-arm block
Hajime	Begin
Hana	Nose
Hanaji	Nosebleed
Hangetsu dachi	Wide Hour-glass Stance
Hanshi	Master, an honorary title given to the highest black belt of an organization, signifying their understanding of their art
Hansoku	Foul; imposed following serious infraction, results in opponents score being raised to sanbon.
Hansoku chui	Warning with an ippon penalty, ippon added to opponents score.
Hansoku-make	Lose by disqualification
Hantei	Judge’s decision/decision; judgment. Referee calls for judgment by blowing his whistle and judges render their decision by flag signal
Hantei kachi	Winner by decision
Hasami-dachi	Scissors stance
Hayai	Quick, fast or rapid
Heisoku	Top (instep) of the foot
Heisoku dachi	Formal Attention Stance (Yoi)
Hidari	Left
Hidari Ashi Orishiku	Left Leg Kneeling
Hikiwake	Draw; referee crosses arms over chest, then uncrosses and holds arms out from the body with the palms showing upwards.
Hiraken Uchi	Foreknuckle Strike
Hiza	Knee
Hiza Age Ate	Rising Knee Strike
Hiza geri	Knee kick/strike
Hizagashira	Knee Cap
Hizo	Spleen
Hombu	Headquarters
Hombu-dojo	A term used to refer to the central dojo of an organization
Hyaku	One Hundred

Iai	Sparring which begins with both the attacker and the defender seated and facing each other or swordplay
Iaido	A martial art meaning way of the sword
Ichi	One
Iie	No
Ikken-hissatsu	To kill with one blow
Ippon	First
Ippon Ken	Single-point index-finger Fist
Ippon Ken tsuki	One-knuckle fist punch
Ippon kumite	One-step sparring
Ippon shobu	One point match; used in tournaments
Ippon-nukite	One-finger spearhand

Jikan	Time
Jiyu-dachi	Free-fighting stance
Jiyyu kumite	Free sparring
Jo	Short staff about 4 to 5 feet in length
Jodan	Head high level
Jodan-uke	Upper block
Jogai	Out of Bounds; Referee points with index finger at a 45° angle to the area boundary on the side of the offender.
Jogai keikoku	Second exit from fighting area. Waza-ari penalty given to opponent.
Ju	Ten
Judan	Tenth degree black belt
Juji-uke	Cross-x block

Ka	Person or practitioner
Kagi	Hook
Kagi tsuki	Hook punch
Kagi-geri	Hook kick
Kai	Style
Kaishu	Open hand
Kakato	Heel of the foot
Kakiwaki uke	Reverse wedge block
Kama	Sickles
Kamae	Attitude, posture
Kami	Hair
Kan	Type of school
Kanji	The symbols of Japanese writing. Karate is made up of two kanji. The first being the symbol for “empty” and the second symbol being for “hand”
Kansetsu	Joint
Karada	Body, Physique
Karate	Open hand, empty hand
Karate-do	the way of the empty hand. This implies not only the physical aspect of karate, but also the mental and social aspects of karate.
Karate-ka	A practitioner of karate
Kata	Formal exercise, figure or shape. In karate, kata is a form or prescribed pattern of movement fighting imaginary opponents.
Katana	The longer of the two swords worn by samurai
Keage	Snapping a kick
Keikoku	Severe warning; warning with waza-ari penalty in sanbon shobu. Penalty added to opponents score. Imposed for minor infractions for which a warning has previously been given in the bout. Referee points index finger to feet of offender at angle of 45°.
Kekomi	Thrust, see kerikomi
Kempo	Fist law, a generic term to describe fighting systems that uses the fist
Ken	Fist
Kendo	Way of the sword
Kentsui-uchi	Fist-hammer strike
Ki	Yellow
Kiai	Spirit shout/focus of spiritual energy
Kiba dachi	Straddle Stance
Kihon	Basic techniques
Kime	Focus
Kizami-zuki	Jab punch
Kobudo	Ancient warrior art, referring to weapons training
Koken	Bent Wrist
Koko Uchi	Tiger Mouth Strike
Kokutsu-dachi	Back stance
Komekani	The temple area of the head
Kosa dachi	Cross-legged Stance
Kosa uke	Cross block
Koshi	Ball of the foot
Koshi	Hip
Ku	Nine
Kubi	Neck
Kuchi	Mouth
Kudan	Ninth degree black belt
Kuju	Ninety
Kumade Uchi	Bear Claw Strike
Kumite	Sparring/fighting
Kuro	Black
Kusanku	Chinese Military Attaché
Kyu	Rank below Shodan (1st degree black belt)

Maai	Distance
Mae	Front or forward
Mae Empi Uchi	Front Elbow Strike
Mae geri keage	Front snap kick
Mae geri kekomi	Front thrust kick
Mae-geri	Front kick
Makiwara	Punching board or post
Manji uke	Hi/low block
Matsukaze	The side of the neck
Mawashi	Round
Mawashi Empi Uchi	Round Elbow Strike
Mawashi-geri	Roundhouse kick
Mawashi-zuki	Roundhouse punch
Mawatte	Turn around
Me	Eye
Midori	Green
Mienai	I could not see. A call by a judge to indicate that a technique was not visible from his/her angle.
Migi	Right
Migi Ashi Orishiku	Right Leg Kneeling
Mika-zuki-geri	Crescent kick
Mimi	Ear
Mokuso	Meditate/Gather Your Thoughts
Momo	Thigh
Morote	Augmented, double or two handed
Morote uke	Augmented block
Morote-zuki	Double-fist punch
Mudansha	Students without black-belt ranking
Mugen	Endless
Mumobi	Warning for lack of regard for one’s own safety. Referee points 1 index finger in the air at a 60° angle on side of offender.
Mumobi keikoku	Warning with waza-ari penalty.
Mune	Chest
Murasaki	Purple
Musube-dachi	Informal attention stance, feet turned out

Nagashi Uke	Sweeping block
Naiwan	Back of Arm
Name ashi geri	Returning wave kick
Nanaju	Seventy
Naore	Return to Shizen-tai
Narande	Line up
Neko-ashi dachi	Cat stance
Ni	Two
Nidan	Second degree black belt
Nidan geri	Double kick
Nidan-mae-geri	Double-jump front kick
Nihon Nukite Uchi	Two Finger Strike (Fork)
Nihon-nukit	Two-finger spearhand
NiJu	Twenty
NiJu-Go	Twenty-five
Niseishi	Twenty-four Movements
Nodo	Throat
Nukite	Spear hand
Nunchaku	A flail like weapon made of two pieces of wood connected by a length of rope or chain.

Obi	Belt
Oi-gyaku tsuki	Lunging reverse punch
Oi-zuki	Lunge punch
Okinawa	One of a group of island south east of Japan where karate was developed
Okinawa-te	An old name for what today is known as karate, see To-de and To-te
Osae uke	Pressing block
Oss	A word peculiar to karate; it is used as a form of respectful greeting, yes”, or I understand
Otaigai ni	Face towards each other
Otoshi	Dropping
Otoshi Empi Uchi	Downward Elbow Strike
Otoshi tsuki	Dropping punch (Empi)
Otoshi uke	Dropping or falling block

Rei	Bow
Ren tsuki	Double punch
Renoji dachi	L Stance
Renshi	Entry Level Master
Rohaidai	Vision of White Crane
Rohaisho	Vision of White Crane
Roku	Six
Rokudan	Sixth degree black belt
Rokuju	Sixty
Ryo	Both
Ryo-ashi	Both feet or legs
Ryo-soku	Both sides
Ryo-te	Both hands
Ryowan Uchi Uke	Double inside block
Ryu	Way or System School or style. The literal translation of ryu is to flow, drift or circulate. The style was “handed down”-“circulated” from master to pupil.
Ryusan	Three Dragons

Saho	Etiquette
Sai	An Okinawan weapon resembling a handheld pitchfork.
Sakotsu	Collarbone
San	Three
San tsuki	Triple punch
Sanbon Shobu	Three point Match
Sanbon Shobu Hajime	Start the Match
Sanchin	Three Conflicts
Sanchin-dachi	Hour-glass stance
Sandan	Third degree black belt
Sanju	Thirty
Sankaku	Triangular meaning “three angles”
Sanshiryu	Thirty-six Hands
Sei	Tranquility or inactivity
Seiken	Forefist, Okinawan style punch using the two largest knuckles to strike
Seiken-zuki	Fore fist punch
Seiretsu	Line up by rank
Seiryuto Uke	Ox-Jaw block
Seisan	Crescent Moon
Seishin	Mind and spirit
Seiza	Proper sitting position, kneeling. It is used for the formal opening and closing of the class.
Sekaku	Accuracy
Sempai	A senior student
Senaka	Back
Sensei	Teacher
Sensei ni	Face towards the teacher
Shi	Four
Shiai-jo	Ring (size = 8-10 meters square)
Shichi	Seven
Shichidan	Seventh degree black belt
Shido	Light warning
Shihan	A formal title meaning master or master instructor, a teacher of teachers
Shihohai	Four Directions
Shihon Nukite Uchi	Spear Hand Strike
Shikkaku	Disqualification; opponents score raised to sanbon.
Shiko-dachi	Square or wide stance
Shin	Core, center
Shinai	Bamboo sword
Shinzo	Heart
Shiro	White
Shiro No Kachi	White Victorious
Shizen-dachi	Natural stance
Shobu hajime	Start the Match
Shodan	First degree black belt
Shomen	Front of the dojo
Shomen ni	Face towards the front
Shomen-ni-rei	Bow to the front
Shorei-ryu	An Okinawan karate system originating in Naha
Shorin-ryu	A major style of Okinawan karate meaning “pine forest” school
Shotei	Palm-Heel
Shotokan	A style of karate derived from the pen name of Gichin Funakoshi . The name is made up of “shoto”, meaning waving pines, which was Funakoshi “s pen name, and “kan” meaning house or school.
Shrui-te	An ancient Okinawan style of karate, the forerunner of Shorin ryu
Shugo	Judges called. Referee beckons with arms to the judges.
Shuto	Knife-Hand
Shuto-uchi	Knife hand strike
Shuto-uke	Knife-hand block
Sochin	The Grand Prize
Sokei	Groin
Sokko	Top Of The Foot
Sokumen	Side
Sokumen Awase Uke	Side combined block
Sokutei	Sole of Foot
Sokutei-osae-uke	Pressing block w/sole
Sokuto	Outer edge (knife) of the foot
Sokuto-osae-uke	Pressing block w/foot edge
Sorashi	Feint
Soto	Outer
Soto mikazuki geri	Outside crescent kick
Soto Shuto Uchi	Outside Knife Hand Strike
Soto ude uke	Outside forearm block
Sukui Uke	Scooping block
Sune	Shin

Tai-sabaki	Body shifting
Tatami	Floor mat
Tate	Vertical
Tate Empi Uchi	Upward Elbow Strike
Tate Ken	Vertical Fist
Tate shuto uke	Vertical knife-hand block
Te	Hand
Te Nagashi Uke	Sweeping hand block
Teisho	Palm heel
Teisho Uchi	Palm Heel Strike
Teisho-zuki	Palm-heel punch
Teisoku	Bottom of the foot
Tekubi	Wrist
Tendo	The crown of the head
Tenshin	Body Turning
Tettsui	Fist-Edge
Tettsui-uchi	Hammer-fist strike
Tobi	Jump or jumping
Tobi geri	Flying kick
Tonfa	A farm tool developed into a weapon by the Okinawans
Tora	Tiger
Toranai	No point
Tsukamai-uke	Grasping block
Tsuki (Zuki)	Punch
Tsumasaki	Toe tips
Tsuzukete hajime	Resume fighting begin. Referee standing on his line steps back into zenkutsu dachi and brings palms of hands toward each other

Uchi	Inner
Uchi	Strike
Uchi mikazuki geri	Inside crescent kick
Uchi Shuto Uchi	Inside Knife Hand Strike
Uchi ude uke	Inside forearm block
Uchi-majiri	Brawl (melee)
Ude	Forearm
Uke	Block
Ura tsuki	Close punch
Uraken-uchi	Back fist strike
Ushiro	Back
Ushiro Empi Uchi	Back Elbow Strike
Ushiro-geri	Back kick

Wan	Arm
Washide Uchi	Eagle Beak Strike
Waza	Technique
Wazari	Half point

Yakusoku kumite	Promise premeditated sparring
Yama tsuki	Wide “U” punch
Yame	Stop
Yasume	Relax (or ready position)
Yoi	Ready
Yoko	Side
Yoko Empi Uchi	Side Elbow Strike
Yoko Mawashi Empi Uchi	Side Roundhouse Elbow Strike
Yoko-geri	Side kick
Yoko-geri-keage	Side snap kick
Yoko-geri-kekomi	Side thrust kick
Yoko-tobi-geri	Jumping side kick
Yon	Fourth
Yondan	Fourth degree black belt
Yonhon-nukite	Spearhand
Yonju	Forty
Yori-ashi	Sliding the feet
Yoshukai	A traditional Japanese style of karate developed by Mamoru Yamamoto
Yudansha	Black-belt practitioners of any degree
Yupi	Fingers

Za	Seated or kneeling
Zanshin	Awareness of one’s surroundings
Za-rei	The traditional Japanese bow from the kneeling position
Zenkutsu-dachi	Forward or front stance
Zenshin	Whole (entire) Body
Zenshinkotai	Advance in Turn