Glossary

hajime - begin, start
kio tsuke - attention
mawatte - turn
mokuso - meditation: Seiza position with eyes closed.
mokuso yame - end meditation
rei - bow
seiretsu - line-up
seiza- kneel with hands resting on lap. Done at the beginning and end of class.
shugo - assemble
yame - stop, come to a halt
yasume - at ease, relax
yoi - be ready, usually used to call students to shizen-tai before an exercise

counting

ichi - one
ni - two
san - three
shi - four
go - five
roku - six
shichi - seven
hachi - eight
kyu - nine
ju - ten

dan - degree of black belt

dojo - training hall

E - F

Empi Uchi - Elbow Strike (see 'strikes')

G - H

gedan - lower area of the body (see 'target areas')

gedan barai - downward block, lower sweeping block (see 'blocks')

geri - kicks (see 'kicks')

Gyaku Tsuki - reverse punch (see 'punches')

hajime - begin, start (see 'commands')

hidari - left side of target area (see 'target areas')

I - J

jodan - face area (see 'target areas')

jodan age uke - upper (face) block (see 'blocks')

K - L

Karate-ka - karate student

Kata - prearranged sequence of techniques and movement against visualized opponents

Kicks

mae geri - front kick
mae geri keage - front snap kick
mae geri kekomi - front thrust kick
mawashi geri - roundhouse kick
mikazuki geri - crescent kick
ushiro geri - back kick
yoko geri - side kick
yoko geri keage - side snap kick
yoko geri kekomi - side thrust kick

Kihon - basics

kio tsuke - attention (see 'commands')

Kohai - Junior student (relative term); e.g. if you just joined the club today, you are all the UTKC member's kohai. People who joined the club after you are your kohai. Steven Watanabe is Steven Yap's kohai.

Kumite - sparring

Kyu - degree below black belt (e.g. 9th kyu is white belt, which is 9 degrees below black; 7th kyu is orange belt)

M - N

mae geri - front kick (see 'kicks')

mae geri keage - front snap kick (see 'kicks')

mae geri kekomi - front thrust kick (see 'kicks')

maete tsuki - Jab (see 'strikes')

mawashi geri - roundhouse kick (see 'kicks')

mawatte - turn (see 'commands')

migi - right side of target area (see 'target areas')

mikazuki geri - crescent kick (see 'kicks')

mokuso Meditation: Seiza position with eyes closed (see 'commands')

Nukite - Spear Hand (see 'strikes')

numbers - (see 'counting')

O - P

Onegai Shimasu - Please (train with me). Said at the beginning of class when bowing to sensei and sempai.

Osu / Oss - a general acknowledgement from a kohai to a sensei or sempai that they have heard and understood what sensei/sempai has said.

Punches

Gyaku Tsuki - Reverse Punch
Oi Tsuki - Lunge Punch

Q - R

rei - bow (see 'commands')

S - T

seiretsu - line-up (see 'commands')

seiza- kneel with hands resting on lap (see 'commands')

Sempai - Senior student (relative term); e.g. John McEwen is Steven Watanabe's Sempai. Steven is Chris Achong's sempai. Both John and Steven are Chris's sempai. If you just joined the club today, all the people who joined UTKC before you are your sempai.

Sensei - Teacher, master (in the Japanese tradition, the term teacher carries considerable honour and respect)

Shihan - Chief instructor, one who has attained mastery

Shomen - 'the front', usually the front of the dojo where there is an area of focus symbolizing dedication to karate (in our dojo, the UTKC banner)

shugo - assemble (see 'commands')

shuto uchi - knife hand strike (see 'strikes')

shuto uke - knife hand block (see 'blocks')