Basic Terminology

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None at Present

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Under Construction:

General:

• Goju-ryu - 剛柔流 - Goju Style
• Go - 剛 - Hard
• Ju - 柔 - Soft
• Karate-dō - 空手道 - The way of the empty hand
• Karate-Ka - 空手家 - A student of Karate-dō
• Gi / Dogi - 衣 / 道衣 - White training uniform
• Obi - 帯 - Belt
• Dōjō - 道場 - Training Hall (Place of the way)
• Hombu Dōjō - 本部道場 - Headquarters
  

At the Start of Class:

• Seiretsu - 整列 - Line Up
• Seiza - 正座 - Command to sit on knees
• Mokuso - 黙想 - Clear Mind
• Rei - 礼 - Greet by bowing
• Ni taishite - に対して - Turn to face
• Shōmen - 正面 - The front (of the Dōjō)
  

Bowing In/Out Ceremony:

• Shōmen ni taishite - 正面に対して礼 - Turn to the front of the Dōjō
• Kaiso ni taishite - 会祖に対して礼 - Turn to face portrait our founder (Gōgen Yamaguchi)
• Yamaguchi Saiko Shihan ni taishite - 山口最高師範に対して礼 - Turn to face, portrait of our Supreme Grandmaster (Goshi Yamaguchi)
• Sensei ni taishite - 先生に対して礼 - Turn to face the instructor
• Sempai ni taishite - 先輩に対して礼 - Turn to face the Sempai (Seniors)
• Otagai ni rei - お互いに礼 - All students face forward to greet each other
  

 

At the end of Class Sensei may say:

• Gokuro San - ご苦労さん - Thank you for doing your best
  

Students may answer:

• Gokuro same deshita - ごくろさまでした - Thank you for your help and guidance
  

 

or Sensei may say (Students may answer the same):

• Domo arigato gozai masu - どうもありがとうございます - Thank you very much
  

Directions:

• Hidari - 左 - Left
• Migi - 右 - Right
• Mae - 前 - In front of you
• Ushiro - 後 - Behind you
• Yoko - 横 - To the side
• Mawashi - 廻 - Round circular motion (Roundhouse)
• Age - 上げ - Upwards or rising
• Otoshi - 落 - Downwards
• Hantai - 反対 - Opposite (foot or hand)
• Mawate - 回って - Change to opposite direction

Counting:

• Ichi - 一 - 1
• Ni - 二 - 2
• San - 三 - 3
• Shi - 四 - 4
• Go - 五 - 5
• Roku - 六 - 6
• Sichi - 七 - 7
• Hachi - 八 - 8
• Ku - 九 - 9
• Ju - 十 - 10
  

Body Parts and Areas:

• Jodan - 上段 - Face Area
• Chudan - 中段 - Body Area
• Gedan - 下段 - Groin Area
• Hiza - 膝 - Knee
• Hiji - 肘 - Elbow
• Seiken - 正拳 - Fist (clenched forefist that is punching)
• Teisho - 底掌 - Palm
• Tettsui - けんツイ - Hammer hand

Some Training Forms:

• Kihon idō - 基本移動 - Basic Movements
• Shiho Idō - 四法移動 - Four point movements
• Kumite - 組手 - Free Sparring
• Yakusoku kumite - 約束組手 - Prearranged sparring
• Kata - 型- Predetermined sequences
• Bunkai - 分觰 - Application of Kata
  

Techniques:

• Uke - 受け - Block
• Tsuki - 突き - Punch
• Ate - 当 - Smash
• Uchi - 内 - Strike
• Geri - 蹴り - Kick
• Dachi - 立ち - Stance
• Kiai - 気合 - Shout, hard breathing out

Tachi Kata - 立ち方 - Stances

 

• Hanzenkutsu Dachi - 半前屈立 - half front stance (60:40)
• Heisoku Dachi - 閉足立 - closed feet stance
• Heiko Dachi - 並行立ち - parallel stance
• Kokutsu Dachi - 後屈立 - back stance (30:70)
• Kosa Dachi - 交差立 - backside crossed legs stance
• Moto Dachi - 基立 or 元立 - front side crossed legs stance
• Musubi Dachi - 結び立 - knot-shaped stance
• Neko Ashi Dachi - 猫足立 - cat foot stance (10:90)
• Renoji Dachi - レの字立 - the Japanese letter "Re" stance (or "L" stance) (30:70)
• Sagi Ashi Dachi - 鷺足立 - crane stance, standing on 1 foot the other knee high (0:100)
• Sanchin Dachi - 三戦立 - three battles stance
• Shiko Dachi - 四股立 - square stance
• Shiko Dachi Chokaku - 四股立直角 - lower form stance at 90°
• Shiko Dachi Heikaku - 四股立平角 - lower form stance at 0°
• Shiko Dachi Shakaku - 四股立斜角 - lower form stance at 45°
• Sotohachi Dachi - 外八字立 - outward shape of the number eight stance
• Uchihachi Dachi - 内八字立 - inward shape of the number eight stance
• Zenkutsu Dachi - 前屈立 - front stance (60:40)

Uke Waza - 受け技- Blocking Techniques

 

• Age Uke - 揚げ受け - rising block
• Harai Otoshi Uke - 払落受け - dropping circle block
• Kake Uke - 掛受け - outward knife hand block
• Mawashi Uke - 廻受け - double circle block (open hand)
• Osae Uke - 押受け -pressing block
• Shuto Uke - 手刀受け - knife hand block
• Sukui Uke - 掬受け - scooping block
• Teisho Uke - 底掌受け - palm heel block
• Uchi Uke - 內受け - inside fore arm block
• Yoko Uke - 横受け - Circle block
• Yoko Uke Shita Barai - 横受け下払い (Double BLock) Yoko Uke & Harai Otoshi Uke simultaneously

 

Tsuki Waza - 突き技- Punching Tecniques

 

• Age Tsuki - 揚げ突き - Rising punch
• Awase Tsuki -合せ突き- double punch (high & low)
• Hiki Tsuki - 引き突き- pulling punch
• Ippon Nukite Tsuki - 一本貫手突き- one-finger punch
• Kizami Tsuki -刻み突き- leading punch, or jab
• Morote Tsuki - 諸手突き- double punch (parallel)
• Nukite Tsuki - 贯手突き- finger punch
• Sanbon Tsuki - 突き- triple punch (jodan, chudan, gedan)
• Shita Tsuki - 三本突き- digging punch (palm side up)

 

Ate Waza - 当身技- Striking Techniques

 

• Hiji Ate - 肘当て - elbow strike
• Hiza Ate - 膝当て - knee strike
• Teisho Ate - 底掌当 - palm heel strike

 

Uchi Waza - 打ち技- Hitting Techniques

 

• Furi Uchi - 振り打ち - circle strike Haito Uchi ridge hand strike
• Ura Uchi - 裏打ち - knuckle strike (palm side up)
• Shuto Uchi - 手刀打ち - knife hand strike
• Tettsui Uchi - 鉄槌打ち - bottom fist strike (or hammer fist strike)

 

Keri Waza - 蹴り技 - Kicking Techniques

 

• Gedan Geri - 下段蹴り - low kick
• Kansetsu Geri - 関節蹴り - heel to knee kick
• Kakato Geri - 踵蹴り - kicking with the foot edge
• Kekomi Geri - 蹴込み蹴り - to the rear kick
• Kin Geri - 金蹴り - Groin snap kick
• Mae Geri - 前蹴り - front kick
• Mawashi Geri - 回し蹴り - round house kick
• Sokuto Geri - 足刀蹴り - joint kick
• Ura Mawashi Geri - 裏回し 蹴り - thrust kick
• Ushiro Geri - 後ろ蹴り - dropping back kick