Karate Glossary

Term	Meaning	Usage
Ashi	foot
Ashikatana	footblade	Tobi ashikatana geri
Ato	behind	Hije no ato tsuki
Barai	sweep away	Gedan barai seiken tsuki
Bubishi	manual of military preparations
Budoka	one who resolves conflict
Bushi Matsumura		Bubishi: the Bible of Karate
Chinto
Choki Motobu
Choku	direct, straight	Gedan barai go den choku tsuki
Chotoku Kyan
Chudan	middle level	Chudan uke seiken tsuki Dashi
Empi	elbow	Wansu Kata Empi [Shotokan]
Gedan	low level	Gedan barai seiken tsuki
Geri	kick
Go Den	five ?den?	Chudan uke go den choku tsuki
Gojo Ryu	school of Karate founded by Miyagi Chojun
Gyaku	reverse, opposite	Seiken Gyaku Tsuki
Hanshi	master teacher, model scholar	Hanshi Willie Adams
Hidari	left
Hije	elbow	Hije no ato tsuki
Hiza	knee
Ibuki	breath, breathing
Ippon	one point (in a contest)	Judo win
Ippon Kumite	one form sparing
Ippon Nukite	one finger spear hand	"Eye like ping pong ball."
Isshinryu	One heart way
Jōdan	upper level	Jodan gyaku tsuki
Kara	Chinese	karate (Chinese hand)
Karate	empty hand; Chinese hand	Karate
Karate Dō	modern martial way derived from karate jutsu (techniques) [empty hand way]	Isshinryu Karate
Karateka	karate expert	Kyoshi Joslin's dan students
Kiai	spirit shout; unification of mind and body with a focused shout originating from the lower abdomen [spirit unification]
Kiai Dori	hypnotism; spirit seizing techniques	Kiai
Kin	gold, testicles	Kin Geri
Ki o tsuke	attention, watch out
Konate		Mae Konate
Kumite	sparring
Kusanku
Kyōshi	teacher [doctrinal teacher]	Kyoshi Joslin
Mawashi	turn, go around	Mawashi geri (roundhouse kick)
Mae	front; before; ago	Mae Geri
Mawari	turn, go around	Mawari geri (roundhouse kick)
Migi	right
Naihan
Naihanchin [Okinawan] Naihansen [Japanese]	fighting on a levee
Naihanchi Dashi	iron horse stance
Neki Dachi	cat stance
Nukite	spear hand	Tegata Barai Nukite
Oi	lunge	implies pursuit: oi tsuki or oi uchi are attacks where you're really going after your opponent
Otoshi	drop; trap door; throw, throw down	Otoshi Geri
O-Uchi	???	O-Uchi O-Uchi
Rei	bow, courtesy, appreciation, remuneration, return present
Renshi	instructor [drill instructor]	Renshi Bennati
Ryō	both; two	Ryo Ashi Geri
Ryu	style, school, system	Issinryu
Sanchin	three conflicts, mind/body/chi
Sanchin Dachi [Okinawian]	hourglass stance
Seiken	regular fist	Seiken oi Tsuki
Seiken Tsuki	thrust with regular fist	Jodan Uke Seiken Tsuki
Seisan	thirteen
Seiuchin Kata	war kata, the storm within the calm, the lull in the storm,
Sensei	teacher
Shiai	competition
Shorin-Ryu
Shotokan
Shuri Okinawa
Shutō	hand blade	Shuto Uchi Shuto Uchi
Soba	???side???	Soba Konate
Sokutō	outer edge of foot [foot blade]	Sokuto Geri
Tatsuo Shimabuku
Te	hand, arm; trick; skill	Tegatana, Te Waza, karate
Tegatana	hand blade	Tegata barai nukite
Tobi	fly, skip, jump; spring up	Mae Tobi Geri
Tomari Okinawa
Tonbo	dragonfly	Tonbo Geri
Tori	hold, capture; performer	katate tori; tori attacks
Tsuki (Zuki)	thrust, poke, strike
Uchi	[depends on kanji] attack; inside, within, among; strike, hit, beat	O-Uchi O-Uchi, Uchi Gama
Uke	receive, accept; block; parry	uke defends; gedon uke seiken tsuki
Uki	float	Uki Otoshi
Ura	back, reverse, palm, sole	Ura uchi seiken tsuki
Uraken	backfist	Seiuchin Kata, Naihanchi Kata
Ushiro	rear, behind, back	Mae Geri Ushiro Geri
Wansu		Wansu Kata
Wasa	art, technique, performance	Shime wasa, Henka wasa
Yoko	side	yoko geri
Zarei	bow while sitting
Zanshin	remaining mind
Zenkutsu	leaning forward	Zenkutsu Dachi
Zenkutsu Dachi	forward stance	Zenkutsu Dachi