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

On Kata - Learn to Move

Excerpt from Rory Miller's Meditations on Violence: A comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence, 2008.

To me, it looks like kata is all about hands, shoulders, and hips working together simultaneously with a drop in center of gravity (COG). This is one of the most potent systems of power generation. This is a potent system regardless of whether the action is interpreted as a strike, a lock, or a throw.

The more possibilities you see in anything, the more options you have. Since the actions can be interpreted effectively in so many ways, kata may be more powerful as a training tool if you see none of those (or all of them) than if you decide it is just one of them. As long as the hips, hands, shoulders, and COG work together, there is no difference anyway. Karateka get in their own way when they try to dig into the "deeper secrets" of their movement. Learn to move. Kata is excellent for that. Then reproduce or experience the dynamics of actual conflict and you will see how much really valid technique there is in the old forms.

"Kata is to be done in an air of distrust."—Shuzaku Shitama, 16th dai-shihan of Sosuishitsu-ryu

Sanchin Kata

Sanchin literally translates to the three conflicts (traditional Chinese medicine): mind, body, and spirit (breath/Chi). Sanchin Kata teaches us how to unite the three conflicts into one indestructible karateka. We learn to reduce the conflicts and harmonize the mind, spirit and body.

Sanchin is an isokenetic exercise, it uses dynamic tension and ibuki breath as in Seiuchin Kata. The training reminds me of my Jujitsu practice of hitting my rock and pounding the body after cultivating the Qi. There is a lot of stuff going on in the kata that requires the study of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and guidance of a knowledgeable sensei.
(Remind me to get back to the Bubishi.)

Prof. Jenkin's Martial Arts Dictionary tells us that the Japanese word sansen, three conflicts, is pronounced "sanchin" in Okinawa and that sansen dachi is the hourglass stance (pronounced "sanchin dachi" in Okinawa.) Does the hourglass (saam chien) stance get its name from the old Chinese quan or is Saam Chien (Sanchin) named after the stance?

The following links are not recommendations, just things I found that are at least somewhat informative. The information about Traditional Chinese Medicine in some of these links is not at all accurate (writers are not TCM practitioners.)

• Sanchin - the three conflicts. Blog post by someone who actually practices the kata and studied with a teacher who understood the kata. Good information about how to train using Sanchin Kata.


• Sanchin from a western medical perspective (can not vouch for this article at this time).


• Sanchin kata, three conflicts and three Jewel (part 1)
• Sanchin kata, three conflicts and three Jewel (part 2)


• Shihan John Lehner's email on Sanchin Kata.


• Sanchin Kata history from a Goju Ryu perspective.


• The Five Principles of Sanchin (Author IMHO has a western view point, doesn't get it.)

Tomari Okinawa

The village of Tomari Okinawa is the home of Wansu Kata and Banssai Kata.

Grand Master Shimabuku, founder of Isshinryu Karate, learned this kata from his teacher Master Chotoku Kyan.

Chinese Hidden Foot

Kioshi Dave Joslin talked about the use of Chinese Hidden Foot as a defensive technique in tonight's class. In particular, Wansu Kata uses Chinese Hidden Foot to move off the line of attack quickly.

It is quick and turns the body so that a center line attach becomes a glancing blow if it connects at all.

In my Jujitsu training we would traverse the length of the dojo using Chinese Hidden Foot both passing the leg behind and in front. Facing the Shomen through out, moving down to the right and back to the left. Keep the knees bent and the head below the imaginary ceiling fans five feet off the mat. Another cool drill is to move down the line switching from hidden foot to horse stance (by turn 180° on the balls of the feet.)

Nose Bleeds and Hanaji Tome

A recent podcast by the House Call Doctor's, When Should You Worry About A Nosebleed, prompted me to post this response. I want to add the new (to me) information gleaned from Dr. Rob's podcast.

Hanaji Tome—nose bleed stop resuscitation—is from the Kappo list of Danzan Ryu Jujitsu. The following is my take on Hanaji Tome and mine alone, all errors, misinterpretations and/or bogusness is mine and should in no way reflect upon of my teachers.

First of all let me say that all the wonderful Jujitsu recession technique do work and do fail to work, I've see it myself. Stopping a bleed is particularly difficult when the patient is taking blood thinners (anti-coagulants) like baby aspirin.Many health conscious martial artists over 40 years of age self medicate with aspirin but then again they don't seem to get punched in the nose very often.

Although a nose bleed is not life threatening to the patient the risk of blood born pathogens must be considered with helping someone. Any time you may come in contact with someone else's blood the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is strongly encouraged.

Anterior nose bleed is what we see on the playground and in the dojo, from the Kesselbach's plexus. Posterior nose bleeds, the other type, are very serious that generally require hospitalization/surgery.

Dr. Rob's 5 tips for Dealing with a Nosebleed.

1. Don't Panic
2. Blow your nose
3. Use a decongestant nasal spray
4. Hold the nose
5. Insert cotton and apply ice to the bridge of the nose

Centering

This entry on Centering was created because I realized that when Grand Master Willie Adams used the term he meant something completely different from what I think of when I hear the term Center.

When I talk about center I mean the center of the physical body, the wuji point (click on figure for more information) and connection to the ground. When Hanshi speaks of centering he is speaking of remaining on the center line of attack, not tipping or swaying from side to as you move. The following is what I learned from Hanshi Willie Adams at his seminar down at the dojo last month. (Yes, I wrote things down after the seminar and have been working with the concepts on the mat.) This is my understanding of centering. (The seminar was public and very basic. I can only imagine the significance of centering in Hanshi Adams teachings.)

Centering = Step + Set

1. Weight distributed equally between the two feet. Weight on the balls of the feet.
2. Head stays on the center line, the line of attack, during a step.
3. 10% weight shift during a step.
4. Ball of foot skims the ground, toes up.
5. During circle step the leg movement covers the groin (45° angle.)
6. Weight shifts back to 50/50 before the set (stepping foot plants.)

This circle step with centering is not unlike the Archer Step we do in Yiquan.

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After digesting the principal of centering and incorporating it with another of Hanshi's ideas, "throwing" a punch/kick, I realized that Isshinryu Karate is primarily a linear system. It gets its speed and effectiveness from direct shortest–distance movements.

Direct force—swiftly applied.

Tanju Notes

Notes from Professor Lane's class on Tanju No Maki at the 2010 AJJF Black Belt Weekend, Sonora hosted by Mountain Storm Jujitsu.

• Use the one inch punch; fist, elbow and knee. Particularly useful for the Hibara Hazushi above the elbow.
  

• No intent. (Exercise: catch house flies with you hand, they sense your intent.)

• If someone is confronting you in this context they need a lesson, break something.
  

Isshinryu Breathing

I learned the mechanics of Isshinryu breathing from Hanshi Willie Adams at his seminar down at the dojo today.

Attacks are done with the lungs almost empty.

Always keep at least 10% percent of your breath at all times, don't let the last bit go. You need this remaining air so that your body can continue to function.

Before initiating a move exhale 90% of your air then retain the breath during the move.

A kiai will use 10% of your breath therefore, if the move is going to be preceded by a kiai exhale 80% of the breath, kiai and then execute the move (10% of the vial capacity remains during the move).

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The Japanese word for breath or breathing is ibuki. Soft internal breathing is in ibuki. Hard internal breathing is yō ibuki.

Based what I have learned at the dojo and this article in Black Belt Magazine (1966), The Cat, I believe this philosophy of breathing comes primarily from Grand Master Shimabuku's Gojo Ryu lineage. Quoting the article...

There is another form of kata for which the school is famous and without which no explanation of the Goju style would be complete. That is the school's breathing kata. No one who has ever witnessed a Goju man practicing his breathing kata under a full head of steam will ever forget the experience. It is an awesome and, to those of a more timid turn, sometimes frightening experience. A good Goju man can be heard half a block away and more while engaged in breathing exercises.

There are two types of breathing practiced, the in-ibuki and the yo-ibuki. The in-ibuki is the soft but firm type of breathing which starts from deep within the abdomen. This is similar to the type of breathing which is practiced in Yoga and Zen meditation, and is usually directed towards spiritual and meditative matters when practiced. Goju adherents never tire of repeating that this is the normal way a baby breathes. It is only when we get older that we learn to breathe from our chest.

The yo-ibuki is the hard style of breathing. The sound effects are menacing. The breathing is loud and heavy and comes from deep within, producing something of the sound of a full-throated lion about to strike. The inhaling is done in quick intakes through the nose while the exhaling is a prolonged process of short breaths through the mouth. In exhaling the whole body is tensed, including the throat and esophagus. This tightens the air passage and the air is forced from the abdomen. This whole process is said to be combative or animal-like breathing.

The tensing that is carried out during the breathing exercises is similar to that carried on in dynamic tension and isometric exercises. Tensing is believed to build up physical strength. And that goes internally, too, where the breathing is said to strengthen the heart and other vital organs. The student is taught never to exhale all his breath at once but to ration it out in short breaths. One reason is to always save a little breath so that an opponent cannot strike when one is out of breath and at one's weakest just before inhaling. The idea is always to save a little breath to counter. A good Goju man who is really warmed up will stride across the floor rippling every muscle from head to foot while engaged in powerful animal-like breathing. The effect can be quite spectacular.

But there is another side to the breathing exercises, the side concerned with the mental and spiritual aspects of karate. By its very nature, this is the side most difficult to grasp for many persons, especially Westerners. The most advanced type of breathing exercise is that in which all of one's strength is concentrated on a specific feeling or thought. It is through concentration and meditation that man learns to improve himself.

Isshinryu Methodology

I learned the basic methodology of Isshinryu Karate from Hanshi Willie Adams at his seminar down at the dojo today.

1. Centering
2. Breath Out
3. Stance
4. Throw Attack

Centering—Move in a straight line.

Breath Out—Attack with only 10% of your vital capacity remaining.

Stance—Weight on balls of feet, toes down, knees bent, Seisan stance

Throw Attack—Prepare the weapon, launch and let if fly, relaxed until impact, accelerate the last 12 inches.

Throw Attach Details

• Prepare the weapon before the attack. (Stupid to walk into a battle before you assemble and load your gun.)
• Move straight from chambered position to the target. No twisting, looping, dipping, hooking or hesitation.
• Twelve inches before the target accelerate the weapon through the target.
• One inch before the target integrate the fist with the frame into the ground.
• Connect the frame to the ground at the point of impact, Yang:
1. Rear foot then
2. Lead foot, then
3. Rear fist, then
4. just before contact lead fist.
• Disengaging from the attack and inhale (at any point you are able to reengage by reversing process), Yin:
1. Relax lead fist, then
2. Relax rear fist, then
3. Relax lead foot, then
4. Relax rear foot.

Uraken, the backfist

Uraken is the name of the backfist strike. The illustration shows the impact area of the fist when Uraken is delivered, the proximal side of the first knuckles of the index and middle fingers.

Seiuchin Kata and Naihanchi Kata both include this strike. Here the fist is chambered at the side of tori's head with the elbow pointing toward the target/uki. The wrist is cocked and firm, ready for impact (uki may be moving so you want the weapon to be prepared at all point along its trajectory). The trajectory is straight forward toward the bridge of uki's nose. The return is scraping downward and back to tori, palm remains horizontal throughout.

Seisan Stance Power

The power of Seisan Stance requires that the toes are pointing straight ahead.

I noticed that a slight lateral rotation of the lead foot gives you the ability to flow/pivot to the side when resistance is applied; trading strength and power for mobility.

Note: Sensei Bennati says he uses a slight pigeon toe.

Danzan Ryu no Kihon

Principles of Danzan Ryu Jujitsu

1. Yield to force
2. Do not rely on strength
   
3. Connect
4. Maintain your integrity
   
5. Seek the center
6. Get off the line
7. Lead the mind
8. Break frame
9. Maintain miai
10. To neutralize

Prof. Tom Ball at the 2009 Western Division AJJF Black Belt Seminar in Sacramento California.

My challenge is to understand these fundamentals it everything I do. Each and every technique has all of these principles so where I don't see the kihon I have more to learn from DZR.

Hanbo

Prof. Hager taught the Hanbo class at the AJJF Black Belt Convention this weekend. Several times she referred to the new book by Masaaki Hatsumi, Advanced Stick Fighting (2005). This is a follow on book to the one I am familiar with, Stick Fighting: Techniques of Self-Defense (1981).

Grip the stick with the finger without using the thumb. That way when you open your fist you retain the stick. :)

Think about and apply Kihon No Danzan Ryu in each art.

Work all the techniques, even the ones that you don't like or can't do.

Seiuchin Kata-Details

Seiuchin Kata details taught by Kyoshi Dave Joslin tonight and at the Black Belt Extravaganza on Saturday.

This kata is of Goju Ryu origin founded by Master Miyagi. The film The Karate Kid (1984) used Chinto Kata, also of Gojo Ryu, and honored the school by naming the Pat Morita character "Mr. Miyagi". Master Tatsuo Shimabuku learned these two kata from Chōjun Miyagi personally.

Look before catching and moving.

Ibuki breath is very important, exhaling 90% and closing with Hup! [In Wansu Kata the Hup! follows the final kia as part of the double shuto strike.] Complete the microcosmic orbit with the tongue. Although not said, closing the bottom of the circle is probably just as important, it comes naturally with the preceding kia.

Archer moves are done with dynamic tension. The rear forearm is parallel to the ground at forehead level with hand open/grab thumb down; back of forward hand is against arm close the the elbow. Simultaneously, exhale 90% of the air, keeping rear elbow at 90° lower the elbow to the side at 45°, forward hand comes down to short rib level palm down then to the side for a shuto to uki's short ribs. Hold with a Hup as described above.

The jumping spin into a one legged stance before catching an placing the foot down. By being on balance after the covering spin, heart/diaphragm/groin covered, one is able to move in any direction as appropriate (as opposed to always falling back to the right:) The raised leg is chambered like it is with Shoba Kon Ate; the chambering provides the momentum for the spin.

Lower Body Basics Names

9 Lower Body Moves of Isshinryu Karate with Japanese names and English translations. A few more kicks than are on the LBB list are also named.

Kicking Techniques, Geri Waza

1	Mae Geri	Front snap kick
2	Soba Konate	Crossover kick
3	Hiza Geri	Knee kick
4	Yoko Geri	Side kick
5	Soba Geri	Beside kick
6	Otoshi Geri	Drop kick
7	Mae Konate	Front thrust kick
8	Sokuto Geri	Forward angle kick
9	Mae Geri/Ushiro Geri	Front kick/back kick
A	Yoko Kekomi Geri	Side thrust kick
B	Ushiro Geri	Back kick
C	Mawashi Geri	Roundhouse kick
D	Ushiro Geri	Spinning back kick
E	Tobi Mae Geri Mae Tobi Geri	Jumping double kick Front flying kick
F	Tonbo Geri	Dragonfly kick
G	Kin Geri	Groin kick
H	Ryo Ashi Geri	Double foot kick

Original materials sourced from the Joslin East/West Karate Dojo hand outs and the Danzan Ryu Jujitsu boards. Note that these translations are my own using the Japanese Martial Arts Character Dictionary by Prof. Thomas R. Jenkins and have not been reviewed by my Sensei yet.

Upper Body Basics Names

15 Upper Body Moves of Isshinryu Karate with Japanese names and English translations.

Hand Techniques, Te Waza

1	Seiken oi tsuki	Straight punch
2	Jodan oi tsuki	Upper cut
3	Seiken gyaku tsuki	Reverse punch
4	Jodan gyaku tsuki	Reverse upper cut
5	Gedan barai seiken tsuki	Low block/straight punch
6	Chudan uke seiken tsuki	Middle block/straight punch
7	Tegata barai nukite	Open hand block/fingertip strike
8	Jodan tegata uke jodan tsuki	Open hand upper block/upper cut
9	Jodan uke seiken tsuki	Upper block/Straight punch
10	Ura uchi seiken tsuki	Upper block/back fist/straight punch
11	Gedan barai go den choku tsuki	Low block/5 straight punches
12	Chudan uke go den choku tsuki	Middle block/5 straight punches
13	Shuto Uchi Shuto Uchi	Low knife hand strike/knife hand strike
14	O-Uchi O-Uchi	Palm heel deflection/ 2 roundhouse punches
15	Hije no ato tsuki	Step back/elbow strike (bear hug break)

Original materials sourced from the Joslin East/West Karate Dojo hand outs and the Danzan Ryu Jujitsu boards. Note that these translations are my own using the Japanese Martial Arts Character Dictionary by Prof. Thomas R. Jenkins and have not been reviewed by my Sensei yet.

Japanese Terms

The instructors at the dojo have begun to expect black belt candidates to know the Japanese terms for things. The first new term to me, other than the names for the arts, was "koshi". Upcoming blogs with include the Japanese name for the basics.

Koshi is the ball of the foot. It is generally what we make bodily contact with when we kick.

I asked a few of the black belts what the term was and they all answered quickly. But when I asked them to spell it they didn't know for sure. Perhaps it has been a long time since they wrote it down in their notebooks.

Prof. Jenkin's Martial Arts Dictionary defines koshi as "ball of foot [tiger's paw]". There are seven different kanji for koshi listed plus Koshi=Confucius. Also note the there are three other kanji for ball of foot :)

In Jujitsu the term koshi is used to refer to the hip or waist.

Black Belt Candidate Rank Requirements

Two months after Ikkyu yo is eligible to test for white stripe by performing Seisan and Seiuchin Katas.

Two months after white stripe yo is eligible to test for green stripe by performing Naihanchi, Wansu and Sanchin Katas.

Two months after green stripe yo is eligible to test for Black Stripe by performing Chinto and Kushanku Katas. The black stripe denotes Black Belt Candidate status. At this point the candidate spends a year polishing their katas and gets ready for the Black Belt exam.

Ikkyu Rank Requirements

Two months after reaching Nikyu yo is eligible to test on the first third of Kusanku Kata for white Stripe. The third-way point of Kusanku is: Just after 2nd kneeling-Seisan stance/middle area block. Where you stand up and punch.

Two months after receiving white stripe yo is eligible to test on the second third of Kusanku Kata for green stripe. The second third of Kusanku is: After 2nd jumping crescent/back kick. Where you stand up and punch twice.

Two months after receiving green stripe yo is eligible to test for Ikkyu. Performing Kusanku Kata with proficiency. This is an official rank which is denoted by a additional red stripe. When a karate-ka reaches the rank of Ikkyu, yo is a 3rd degree brown belt and wears three red stripes on their obi.