Vocab

karate irwin pa

Japanese Pronouce Literal Common use Kanji
WHITE BELT ↓
shiro shear-roe white white
chōchō cho-cho butterfly butterfly 蝶々
Dojo doe-joe Way Place Karate school 道場
Gi gee uniform uniform
Hai hi yes yes はい
Hebi heb-bee snake snake
Kamaete ka-may-e-tay posture low block ready 構え手
Karate ka-raw-tay empty hand japanese self-defense 空手
Kiai key-eye spirit shout yell 気合
Obi oh-bee sash belt
Onaka oh-na-ka stomach stomach お腹
Otearai oh-tay-rye restroom restroom 御手洗い
Rei ray respect bow
Sensei sen-say one born before teacher 先生
Shizuka she-zoo-ka quiet quiet 静か
Te tay hand hand
Tomodachi toe-moe-da-chi friend friend 友達
tora tor-rah tiger tiger
YELLOW BELT ↓
kiiro key-ear-row yellow yellow 黄色
ashi awe-she foot/leg foot/legs
domo doe-moe thanks thanks どうも
Heian hey-on peace peace 平安
Kata kah-tah form imaginary fight
kiba dachi key-bah-dach horse stance knees bent stance 騎馬立
koshi koe-she hips hips
kubi ku-bee neck neck
mizu me-zoo water water
shiri shear-ree rear portion butt
shodan show-dawn beginning level 1st kata or Heain 1 初段
gyaku zuki gya-koo zoo-key reverse thrust reverse punch  逆突
Yame yah-may quit stop 辞めます
Hajime hah-jee-may beginning start はじめ
yoko yoh-koh side sideways
mae my-eh front front
yuka you-ka floor floor
Tenjou ten-joe sky, heaven ceiling 天井
ORANGE BELT ↓
orenji or-ren-gee orange orange オレンジ
atama ah-tah-mah head head
Funakoshi foo-na-koo-she Funakoshi Founder of shotokan (1868-1957) 船越 義珍
hidari  hee-dah-ree left left
hikite hee-key-tay pull hand reaction arm 引手
hiza hee-za knee knee
tora no me tore-rah no-may tiger’s eye eye of the tiger 虎の目
Kumite kuw-me-tay grappling hands sparring 組手
migi mee-gee right right
shuto shoe-tow knife hand open hand block 手刀
tatami ta-tom-mee fold, pile mat
tetsui tet-tue-eee iron hammer hammer fist 鉄槌
tobi toe-bee flying jump
kihon key-hon fundamentals basics 基本
Tatsu Tot-tsue dragon dragon
ken ken fist fist
senpai sen-pie earlier colleague senior student 先輩
kudasai ku-da-sigh please please ください
BLUE BELT ↓
ao(i) owl blue blue
dachi/tachi dah-chee stand stance 立ち
geri/keri geh-ree kick kick
kokyu koh-Q breathing breathing 呼吸
konnichiwa coe knee chi wa hello hello (mid-day) こんにちわ
uraken oo-ra-ken backside fist back fist 裏拳
oi zuki oy-zoo-key chase, follow stepping punch 追突
sayanara sign ya nara goodbye good bye さよなら
shihan she-hawn expert/master master (teacher of teachers) 師範
Seiza say-zah kneel Samurai position 正座
Shotokan show toe con house of shoto (whistling pines) name Funakoshi’s style 松涛館
uke eww-kay receive block
yoi yoi and double yoi preperation get ready 用意
nukite new-key-tay penetration hand spear 貫手
yoko geri  yoh-ko gary side kick side kick 横 蹴
mae geri my-ehh gary front kick front kick 前蹴
ichi-ban itchy bon #1 first place 一番
tatte tot tay stand up r 立て
GREEN BELT ↓
midori me-door-re green green
age uke ah-gay oo-kay rising block rising block 上げ受け
arigato gozimasu air-re-got-toe go-zie-maus thank thank you thank you very much ありがと ございます
ju-ichi – ni ju jew itch – knee-jew #11-#20 counting 11-20 十 一 and 二十
do doe path the way
hara har-rah belly energy field in abdomen
kokotsu dachi koe-koo-tsu dah-chee back bend stance back stance  後屈立
enkei N-key round shape cartwheel 円形
mawashi geri mah-wah-she  gary turn kick roundhouse kick 回し蹴り
mawatte mah-wah-tay spin or around turn 回まわって
mokuso moh-koo-soh silent thinking focus / clear mind 黙想
musubi dachi moo-sue-be dah-chee knot v-bow 結び立
nage naw-gay cast or throw throw
Otagai oh-ta-guy mutual face each other show respect お互い
shomen show-men front of the head front of the room 正面
uchi eww-chee hit strike
zenkutsu dachi zen-koo-tsue Front bend Stance front stance 前足
shizen tai shih-zen-tie natural stance focus/ready position 自然
PURPLE BELT ↓
murasaki mur-ra-sa-key purple purple
bu boo war/military martial
bushido boo-she-doe warrior way (samurai) way of the warrior 武士道
jodan joe-dawn upper level/degree/stage high level 上段
chudan chew-dawn middle middle level 中段
gedan gay-dawn lower column lower level 下段
ashi barai ahh-she-ba-righ tripping sweep 足払
go no sen go-no-sen after the prior block and counter 後の先
sen no sen sen-no-sne prior to prior timing (be faster) 先 の 先
sen sen no sen sen-sen-no-sen prior to prior to prior take initiative 先 先 の 先
keage kay-ah-gay rising snap [kick] 蹴上
kekmoi kay-ko-mee riser thrust [kick] 蹴込
Ryu Kyu rue-Q chain of Okinawan islands where karate grew up 琉球諸島
tegumi tay-goo-me hands crossing/engaged wrestling/grappling 手組
ushiro geri ewe-she-row back kick back kick  後蹴
zanshin zawn-shin remaining mind total awareness 残心
mushin moo-shin no mind no fear 無心
embusen em-boo-sen Military performance line invisible line (spot kata begins) 演武線
BROWN BELT ↓
chairo cha ear row brown brown 茶色
budo boo doe Martial way martial way 武道
bugei boo gay Martial performance martial arts 武芸
bujutsu boo jit sue Martial technique/method martial science 武術
ikken hissatsu eek en he sause tsue one fist certain death kill with one blow 一拳必殺
Itosu ee toe sue Funakoshi’s teacher Shuri-te master 糸洲 安恒
kanji con G Han logographic characters 漢字
kime key may decision or commitment focus/tense at right moment of move 決め
kuzushi ku zoo she destroy or demolish unbalance 崩し
oyo oh yo apply (extracted kata techiques) application of bunkai 応用
pinan pee non peaceful Okinawan peace or safe 平安
tokui toe-kuWEE pride or triumph (your best) free kata 得意
tai sabaki tie sa ba key body movment defensive movement 体捌き
tamashii tama shee soul indomitable spirit
waza waa zaa skill technique  技
bunkai Boon-kai analysis/disassembly break it down 分解
dan dawn level degree
kyu Q step grade or level
BLACK BELT ↓
Hansei hawn-say self-reflection recognize mistake, grow from it 反省
Maai my-eh interval distance 間合い
Goshin go-shin protect/guard (go) yourself (shin) self-defense 護身
Yudansha you-don-sha have, possess rank person blackbelt 有段者
Tode or To-te toe-day or toe-tay China Hand Chinese + Okinawan martial arts 唐手
Osu Oss o (push) su (persevere) catch-all: thanks, I understand, good luck 押忍
Naihanchi nie-hawn-she internal divided conflict Okinawan name for Tekki 鉄騎
Keiko kay-koe practice/training/study practice/training 稽古
Dozo doe-zoe here you go or go ahead polite どぞ
Dai/Sho die-show Greater/Large (major) Lessor/small (minor) Suffix: Kata (A) and kata (B) 大 and 小
Hanshi hawn-she Master Okinawan name for master  範師
Shorin shore-in small forrest circular, fast okinawan karate 少林
Shorei shore-ray style of inspiration (Shoreiji Temple) strong and powerful okinawan karate 昭霊
Tatsumaki tot-tsue-ma-key rolling/whirling dragon tornado 竜巻
Shuhari shue-har-rhee obidence-divergance-tanscendence stages of mastery 守破離
Rei-Gi Ray-gee Etiquette Manners 礼儀
Shugyō shoe-gee-yo way of mastery intensity 修行 or 修業
Shin/Kokoro heart, mind, soul metatphysical heart heart
Daruma dar roo ma Bodhidharma (Indian Monk) Buddhist Monk who spread Zen 禪 (zen)
Tang tang hand in chinese Chinese hand  唐
Japan japan Nippon (Nihon) Japan 日本
Ryu ryu school, system, flow style
Kobudo koe boo doe old martial way of Okinawa weapons 沖縄古武道