Basic Pronunciation

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All vowels are short and pronounced as follows:

• “a” as in “father”

• “i” as in “teen” except shorter

•  ”u” as in “boot” except shorter

•  ”e” as in “bet”

•  ”o” as in “boat” except shorter and without the off-glide

 

Longer vowel sounds are the same sounds as above, but given more time.

• “aa,” a longer “a”

• “ii,” a longer “i”

• “uu,” a longer “u”

• “ei,” a longer “e”

• “ou,” a longer “o”

 

Except for the above, if you see two or more vowels in a row, they are each pronounced clearly without becoming a single diphthong. An apostrophe is used where a glottal stop occurs (like between the “n” and the second “a” when pronouncing “an apple”).

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Consonants always take their “hard” sounds. So “gi” is pronounced with a hard “g” (i.e., not “ji”). “Ch” is always as in “cheese.”

The hyphens don’t mean anything but serve to distinguish separate syllables when it might be ambiguous, or to separate a word into two semantic parts. There shouldn’t be a pause for hyphens.

Parentheses are used whenever a word might be omitted by some people, or if the translation could mean more than one thing. For example, “nukite,” literally only means “spear hand,” which is just the name of the “weapon” you form with your hand, but it is also often used to mean the attack, “spear-hand thrust.” So “thrust” is in parentheses.

 

Quotation marks are used on the English side to distinguish between literal translations of the Japanese terms from their more figurative meanings (quotes indicate literal translation).

Numbers

 

When counting for class, just pronounce the first syllable of bisyllabic numbers (i.e., ich, rok, shich, hach), for shorter, sharper counting.

1. ichi

2. ni

3. san

4. shi

5. go

6. roku

7. shichi

8. hachi

9. ku (kyuu)

10. juu

 

Stances

• hachinoji-dachi – ready stance

• zenkutsu-dachi – front stance

• kou-kutsu-dachi – back stance

• kiba-dachi – horse stance / saddle stance

• neko-dachi – cat stance

• sochin-dachi / fudou-dachi – sochin stance / “immovable” stance

• sanchin-dachi – “hourglass” stance

• hangetsu-dachi – “half moon” stance

 

Arm attacks

• tsuki – punch

• oi-zuki – lunge punch

• gyaku-zuki – reverse punch

• kizami-zuki – jab punch

• nukite – spear-hand (thrust)

• ura-ken – back hand (strike)

• empi – elbow (strike)

 

Leg attacks

• keri – kick

• mae-geri – front (snap) kick

• mawashi-geri – round house kick

• (yoko-geri) kekomi – side thrust kick

• (yoko-geri) keage – side snap kick

• ushiro-geri – back (thrust) kick

 

Attacking levels

• jou-dan – “upper level” / face

• chuudan – “middle level” / stomach / solar plexus

• gedan – “lower level” / groin

 

Blocks

• age-uke – rising block

• ude-uke – “arm block”, often used to mean outside block

• soto-uke – outside block (see above)

• uchi-uke – inside block

• gedan barai – down block / “lower level sweep”

• shuto-uke – knife-hand block

• nagashi-uke – “flushing block” / deflecting block

• kakiwake-uke – two-handed “separating” block

• juuji-uke – two-handed “cross” block

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Kata

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Translations used to “spell” the kata names.

• kata – form(s)

• heian shodan – “PEACEFULL MIND 1st level”

• heian nidan – “PEACEFULL MIND 2nd level”

• heian sandan – “PEACEFULL MIND 3rd level”

• heian yondan – “PEACEFULL MIND 4th level"

• heian godan “PEACEFULL MIND 5th level"

• tekki shodan – “iron horseman,” “first level”

• bassai dai – “destroying a fortress,” “greater” version *

• empi – “flight of the swallow”

• jion – “compassion and favor” (This is a Buddhist term and possibly the name of some temple.)

• kankuu dai – “observing the sky/emptiness,” “greater” version *

• jutte / jitte – “ten hands”

• hangetsu – “half moon”

• tekki nidan

• tekki sandan

• nijuushiho – “twenty-four steps”

• gankaku – “boulder crane” (the bird on a rock)

• sochin [sou-chin] – “strength and control”

• bassai sho [shou] – “destroying a fortress,” “lesser” version *

• kankuu sho [shou] – “observing the sky/emptiness,” “lesser” version *

• unsu [unsuu] – “cloud hands”

• gojuushiho (dai) –  “fifty-four steps,” “greater” version *

• gojuushiho sho [shou] – “fifty-four steps,” “lesser” version *

• meikyo [meikyou] – “bright mirror”

• ji’in – “compassion and shadow” (Possibly another temple.)

• chinte – “rare hands”

• wankan – “king’s crown”

 

* Kata with “lesser” or “greater” attached (“sho” or “dai”) don’t really mean “lesser” or “greater” in any quantitative sense. It’s just a way of distinguishing two different kata.

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Kumite

• kumite – sparring

• (kihon) gohon kumite – (basic) five-step sparring

• (kihon) sanbon kumite – (basic) three-step sparring

• (kihon) ippon kumite – (basic) one-step sparring

• jiyuu ippon kumite – semi-free one-step sparring

• (jiyuu) kumite – free sparring

 

Other words

• Hombu-Dojo: Dojo headquarter

• Budo: Martial way

• Bunkai: Applications

• Dan: Degree

• Do: Way/path

• Dojo: Training area

• Domo Arigato Thank you very much

• Karate Gi: Uniform

• Hai: Yes

• Hashi: Foot

• Hashi sabaki: Foot movement

• Hajime: Begin

• Hidari: Left

• Kamae: Sparring posture

• Karate: Empty hand

• KarateKa: Karate student

• Kata: Form

• Ki: Mind, Spirit, Energy

• Kiai: Focusing shout

• Kihon: Basic technique

• Kyu: White/Brown belt Rank

• Mae: In front

• Makiwara: Punching board

• Mawate-te: Turn around

• Migi: Right

• Narande: Line up

• Otagani Rei: Respects to each other

• Onegai-shimasu: Please teach me

• Oss: Greeting

• Rei: Respects

• Seiretsu: Line up by ranks

• Seiza: Sitting position

• Sempai: Senior student

• Sensei: Teacher

• Sensei Ni Rei: Respects to teacher

• Shomen Ni Rei: Respects to the front 

• Shizen-tai: Natural position

• Tai sabaki: Body movement

• Te: Hand

• Ushiro: Back

• Waza: Technique

• Yame: Stop

• Yoko: Side

• Zanshin: Following through technique

• Lie: No