Karate Japanese
This list of terms includes almost all the Japanese words we use in the dojo and some that we don’t, in transliterated Japanese. They are divided into categories and then listed alphabetically in Japanese.
General
Counting
| One | Ichi |
| Two | Ni |
| Three | San |
| Four | Shi |
| Five | Go |
| Six | Roku |
| Seven | Shichi |
| Eight | Hachi |
| Nine | Ku |
| Ten | Ju |
| Twenty | Niju |
| Thirty | Sanju |
| Forty | Yonju |
| Fifty | Goju |
| Sixty | Rokuju |
| Seventy | Nanaju |
| Eighty | Hachiju |
| Ninety | Kuju |
| One Hundred | Hyaku |
Dans (Black Belt levels)
| First Dan | Shodan |
| Second dan | Nidan |
| Third Dan | Sandan |
| Forth Dan | Yondan |
Stances
| Heisoku Dachi | Closed foot stance (feet together) |
| Musubi Dachi | Formal attention stance (heels together, feet at an angle) |
| Heiko Dachi | Parallel stance (feet shoulder width apart) |
| Migi Heiko Dachi | Right foot forward Heiko Dachi |
| Hachiji Dachi | Natural stance (feet shoulder width apart, toes pointed slightly out) |
| Uchi Hachiji Dachi | Natural stance with heels out and toes in |
| Shiko Dachi | Straddle leg stance |
| Naname Shiko Dachi | Diagonal straddle leg stance |
| Kiba Dachi | Horse riding stance |
| Sanchin Dachi | Hourglass stance |
| Zenkutsu Dachi | Front stance |
| Han Zenkutsu Dachi | Half front stance |
| Fudo Dachi | Free stance |
| Kokutsu Dachi | Back stance |
| Neko Ashi Dachi | Cat foot stance |
| Renoji Dachi | The letter “Re” stance (or “L” stance) |
| Sesan Dachi | Side facing straddle stance |
| Sagiashi Dachi | Heron stance |
| Bensoku Dachi. | Cross-legged stance (also known as female horse stance or Kosa Dachi) |
| Naihanchi Dachi | Kiba Dachi with the heels out and toes in |
Blocks
| Gedan Barai | Downward block |
| Uchi Uke. | Inside forearm block |
| Soto Uke | Outside forearm block |
| Chudan Uke | Inside circular block |
| Jodan Uke | Upward block |
| Age Uke | Rising block |
| Shuto Uke | Knife hand block |
| Shotei Uke | Palm heel block |
| Shotei Otoshi Uke | Open hand dropping block |
| Yoko Uke | Circular block |
| Hiki Uke | Pulling/grasping block |
| Ko Uke | Wrist block |
| Gedan Uchi Barai | Outside downward block (open hand) |
| Ura Uke | Back hand block |
| Hiji Uke | Elbow block |
| Mawashi Uke | Round house block |
| Morote Uke | Augmented block |
| Sukui Uke | Scooping block |
| Nagashi Uke | Sweeping block |
| Kosa Uke | Cross block |
| Hiza Uke. | Knee block |
| Sokutei Osae Uke | Pressing block with the sole of the foot |
| Sokutei Harai Uke | Sole of the foot block |
| Haisoku Barai | Instep block |
Hand Techniques (strikes and punches)
| Seiken Tsuki | Fore fist strike |
| Oi Tsuki | Lunge punch |
| Gyaku Tsuki | Reverse punch |
| Age Tsuki | Rising punch |
| Nihon Tsuki | Double punch |
| Sanbon Tsuki | Triple punch |
| Kagi Tsuki | Hook punch |
| Yama Tsuki | Mountain punch |
| Awase Tsuki | U-punch |
| Heiko Tsuki | Parallel punch |
| Hasami Tsuki | Scissors punch |
| Nagashi Tsuki | Flowing punch |
| Nakadaka Ken | Middle finger knuckle fist |
| Ko Uchi | Bent wrist strike |
| Kote Uchi | Forearm strike |
| Kama-De | Bear hand |
| Washi-De | Eagle hand |
| Empi | Elbow strike |
| Choku Tsuki | Straight punch |
| Ura Tsuki | Short punch (palm side up) |
| Uraken Uchi | Back fist strike |
| Shuto Uchi | Knife hand strike |
| Haito Uchi | Ridge hand strike |
| Hiji Uchi | Elbow strike |
| Tettsui Uchi | Bottom fist strike (or hammer fist strike) |
| Nukite Tsuki | Finger thrust |
| Shotei Uchi | Palm heel strike |
| Shotei Tsuki | Palm heel thrust |
| Keikoken Tsuki | One knuckle fist |
| Kaikoken Tsuki | Crab shell fist |
| Boshiken Tsuki | Thumb fist |
| Furi Tsuki | Circular punch |
| Mawashi Tsuki | Round hook punch |
| Tate Tsuki | Vertical punch |
| Kizami Tsuki | Leading punch, or jab |
Foot Techniques
| Mae Geri Keage | Front snap kick |
| Mae Geri Kekomi | Front thrust kick |
| Yoko Geri Keage | Side snap kick |
| Yoko Geri Kekomi | Side thrust kick |
| Mawashi Geri | Round house kick |
| Ushiro Mawashi Geri | Round house to the rear kick |
| Gyaku Mawashi Geri | Reverse round house kick |
| Ushiro Geri | Back thrust kick |
| Kanketsu Geri | Stamping kick, joint kick |
| Hiza Geri | Knee kick (also called Hiza Ate) |
| Nidan Geri | Double front snap kick (back leg first) |
| Ren Geri | Double front snap kick (front leg first) |
| Ashi Barai | Foot sweep |
| Mae Tobi Geri | Jumping front kick |
| Tobi Nidan Geri | Jumping double kick |
| Yoko Tobi Geri | Jumping side thrust kick |
| Kakato Geri | Heel kick |
| Fumikomi Geri | Stamping kick |
| Tsumasaki Geri | Kicking with the tips of the toes |
| Haisoku Geri | Kicking with the instep |
| Sokuto Geri | Kicking with the foot edge |
Alphabetic
| Age Tsuki | Rising punch | |
| Age Uke | Rising block | |
| Ashi Barai | Foot sweep | |
| Awase Tsuki | U-punch | |
| Bensoku Dachi. | Cross-legged stance (also female horse stance or Kosa Dachi) | |
| Boshiken Tsuki | Thumb fist | |
| Choku Tsuki | Straight punch | |
| Chudan | Middle area | |
| Chudan Uke | Inside circular block | |
| Empi | Elbow strike | |
| Fudo Dachi | Free stance | |
| Fumikomi Geri | Stamping kick | |
| Furi Tsuki | Circular punch | |
| Gedan | Lower area | |
| Gedan Barai | Downward block | |
| Gedan Uchi Barai | Outside downward block (open hand) | |
| Go | Five | |
| Goju | Fifty | |
| Gyaku Mawashi Geri | Reverse round house kick | |
| Gyaku Tsuki | Reverse punch | |
| Hachi | Eight | |
| Hachiji Dachi | Natural stance (feet shoulder width apart, toes pointed slightly out) | |
| Hachiju | Eighty | |
| Haisoku Barai | Instep block | |
| Haisoku Geri | Kicking with the instep | |
| Haito Uchi | Ridge hand strike | |
| Hajime | Begin | |
| Han Zenkutsu Dachi | Half front stance | |
| Hasami Tsuki | Scissors punch | |
| Heiko Dachi | Parallel stance (feet shoulder width apart) | |
| Heiko Tsuki | Parallel punch | |
| Heisoku Dachi | Closed foot stance (feet together) | |
| Hidari | Left | |
| Hiji Uchi | Elbow strike | |
| Hiji Uke | Elbow block | |
| Hiki Uke | Pulling/grasping block | |
| Hiza Geri | Knee kick (also called Hiza Ate) | |
| Hiza Uke. | Knee block | |
| Hyaku | One Hundred | |
| Ichi | One | |
| Jodan | Upper area | |
| Jodan Uke | Upward block | |
| Ju | Ten | |
| Kagi Tsuki | Hook punch | |
| Kaikoken Tsuki | Crab shell fist | |
| Kakato Geri | Heel kick | |
| Kama-De | Bear hand | |
| Kamae | Ready and alert | |
| Kanketsu Geri | Stamping kick, joint kick | |
| Keikoken Tsuki | One knuckle fist | |
| Kiba Dachi | Horse riding stance | |
| Kime | Focus | |
| Kizami Tsuki | Leading punch, or jab | |
| Ko Uchi | Bent wrist strike | |
| Ko Uke | Wrist block | |
| Kokutsu Dachi | Back stance | |
| Kosa Uke | Cross block | |
| Kote Uchi | Forearm strike | |
| Ku | Nine | |
| Kuju | Ninety | |
| Kumite. | Sparring | |
| Mae Geri Keage | Front snap kick | |
| Mae Geri Kekomi | Front thrust kick | |
| Mae Tobi Geri | Jumping front kick | |
| Mawashi Geri | Round house kick | |
| Mawashi Tsuki | Round hook punch | |
| Mawashi Uke | Round house block | |
| Migi | Right | |
| Migi Heiko Dachi | Right foot forward Heiko Dachi | |
| Morote Uke | Augmented block | |
| Musubi Dachi | Formal attention stance (heels together, feet at an angle) | |
| Nagashi Tsuki | Flowing punch | |
| Nagashi Uke | Sweeping block | |
| Naihanchi Dachi | Kiba Dachi with the heels out and toes in | |
| Nakadaka Ken | Middle finger knuckle fist | |
| Nanaju | Seventy | |
| Naname Shiko Dachi | Diagonal straddle leg stance | |
| Neko Ashi Dachi | Cat foot stance | |
| Ni | Two | |
| Nidan | Second dan | |
| Nidan Geri | Double front snap kick (back leg first) | |
| Nihon Tsuki | Double punch | |
| Niju | Twenty | |
| Nukite Tsuki | Finger thrust | |
| Oi Tsuki | Lunge punch | |
| Randori | co-operative sparring | |
| Rei | Bow | |
| Ren Geri | Double front snap kick (front leg first) | |
| Renoji Dachi | The letter “Re” stance (or “L” stance) | |
| Roku | Six | |
| Rokuju | Sixty | |
| Sagiashi Dachi | Heron stance | |
| San | Three | |
| Sanbon Tsuki | Triple punch | |
| Sanchin Dachi | Hourglass stance | |
| Sandan | Third Dan | |
| Sanju | Thirty | |
| Seiken Tsuki | Fore fist strike | |
| Sesan Dachi | Side facing straddle stance | |
| Shi | Four | |
| Shichi | Seven | |
| Shiko Dachi | Straddle leg stance | |
| Shodan | First Dan | |
| Shotei Otoshi Uke | Open hand dropping block | |
| Shotei Tsuki | Palm heel thrust | |
| Shotei Uchi | Palm heel strike | |
| Shotei Uke | Palm heel block | |
| Shuto Uchi | Knife hand strike | |
| Shuto Uke | Knife hand block | |
| Sokutei Harai Uke | Sole of the foot block | |
| Sokutei Osae Uke | Pressing block with the sole of the foot | |
| Sokuto Geri | Kicking with the foot edge | |
| Soto Uke | Outside forearm block | |
| Sukui Uke | Scooping block | |
| Tate Tsuki | Vertical punch | |
| Tettsui Uchi | Bottom fist strike (or hammer fist strike) | |
| Tobi Nidan Geri | Jumping double kick | |
| Tsumasaki Geri | Kicking with the tips of the toes | |
| Uchi Hachiji Dachi | Natural stance with heels out and toes in | |
| Uchi Uke. | Inside forearm block | |
| Ura Tsuki | Short punch (palm side up) | |
| Ura Uke | Back hand block | |
| Uraken Uchi | Back fist strike | |
| Ushiro Geri | Back thrust kick | |
| Ushiro Mawashi Geri | Round house to the rear kick | |
| Washi-De | Eagle hand | |
| Yama Tsuki | Mountain punch | |
| Yame | Stop | |
| Yoi | Ready | |
| Yoko Geri Keage | Side snap kick | |
| Yoko Geri Kekomi | Side thrust kick | |
| Yoko Tobi Geri | Jumping side thrust kick | |
| Yoko Uke | Circular block | |
| Yondan | Forth Dan | |
| Yonju | Forty | |
| Zenkutsu Dachi | Front stance | |