About Tai-Shin Do Karate Terms
Terms commonly used in Karate translated into English
Karate Glossary
| Age | Rising |
| Budo | Martial way or Path (Tao in chinese) |
| Bushi | Martial man, warrior |
| Bushido | Way of the warrior (Code of conduct) |
| Bunkai | Applications of kata |
| Chudan | Middle area |
| Dojo | Martial arts training place |
| Gasshuku | Training camp |
| Gedan | Lower area |
| Gi or Dogi | Karate uniform |
| Go | Hard, rigid |
| Goju-ryu | Hard and soft style |
| Gyaku | Reverse |
| Hajime | Begin |
| Honbu dojo | Main dojo |
| Ju | Soft, flexible |
| Kamaete | On guard |
| Kame | Fighting stance |
| Karate | Empty hand |
| Karate-do | The way of karate |
| Karateka | One who practises karate |
| Kata | A set of pre-arranged techniques |
| Ki | Spirit,life energy (Chi in Chinese) |
| Ki ai | Shout to focus energy |
| Kihon | Basic techniques |
| Kime | Focus |
| Obi | Belt |
| Ryu | School or tradition |
| Samurai | Japanese warrior class of feudal era |
| Seiken | Fist with focus on first two knuckles |
| Sempai | Lower dan grade, senior student |
| Sensei | Instructor/Teacher |
| Shihan | Master instructor |
| Shime | Sanchin kata testing |
| Soto | Outside (inside to outside) |
| Te | Hand |
| Yame | Stop or fininsh |
| Yoi | Ready position |
Counting
| Ichi | One |
| Ni | Two |
| San | Three |
| Shi | Four |
| Go | Five |
| Roku | Six |
| Shichi | Seven |
| Hachi | Eight |
| Ku | Nine |
| Ju | Ten |
| Ni ju | Twenty |
| San ju | Thirty |
| Yon ju | Fourty |
| Go ju | Fifty |
| Roku ju | Sixty |
| Nana ju | Seventy |
| Hachi ju | Eighty |
| Ku ju | Ninety |
| Hiyaku ju | One hundred |
Hand Techniques - Te Wasa
| Age zuki | Rising punch | |
| Awase zuki | U punch | |
| Chudan zuki | Middle level punch | |
| Empi uchi | Elbow strike | |
| Gyaku zuki | Reverse punch | |
| Haishu | Back hand | |
| Hasami zuki | Scissors punch | |
| Heiko zuki | Parallel punch | |
| Jodan zuki | Upper level punch | |
| Kagi zuki | Hook punch | |
| Kizami zuki | Jab or leading punch | |
| Kote uchi | Forearm strike | |
| Mawashi zuki | Round hook punch | |
| Nihon zuki | Double punch | |
| Nukite zuki | Finger thrust | |
| Oi zuki | Lunge punch | |
| Shotei uchi | Palm heel strike | |
| Shotei zuki | Palm heel thrust | |
| Shuto uchi | Knife hand strike (Karate Chop) | |
| Tsuki (zuki) | Punch or thrust | |
| Tettsui uchi | Hammer fist strike | |
| Uchi | Strike | |
| Ura ken uchi | Back fist strike | |
| Ura zuki | Short punch (palm up) | |
| Yama zuki | Mountain punch |
Karate Blocks
| Ashi barai | Blocking sweep |
| Age uke (Jodan uke) | Rising block (Upper block) |
| Chudan suki uke | Middle scooping block |
| Chudan uke | Inside circular block |
| Gedan barai | Downward block (Lower block) |
| Gedan uchi barai | Downward block (Fom outside inward) |
| Hiki uke | Open hand pulling grasping block |
| Ko uke | Wrist block |
| Mawashi uke | Round house block with two hands |
| Shotei gedan bari | Open hand downward block |
| Shotei uke | Palm heel block |
| Shuto uke | Knife hand block |
| Ura uke | Back hand block |
Karate Stances
"Dachi" or "Tachi" means stance in Japanese, and describes primarily the position of the feet in various Karate stances
| Hachiji dachi | Natural stance (feet shoulder width apart toes slightly pointed out) |
| Han zenkutsu dachi | Half front stance (Short Zenkutsu dachi) |
| Hachiji dachi | Natural stance (feet shoulder width apart toes slightly pointed out) |
| Heiko dachi | Parallel stance (feet shoulder width apart) |
| Heisoku dachi | Closed foot stance (feet together) |
| Kiba dachi | Horse riding stance (feet parallel) |
| Neko ashi dachi | Cat stance |
| Sanchin dachi | Hourglass stance |
| Shiko dachi | Straddle leg stance (horse stance feet at 45 degrees) |
| Zenkutsu dachi | Front stance |
Fighting Postures - Kamae
The fighting postures (Kamae, sometimes also "Kame") include the position of the arms and legs as well as the body angle and center of gravity. For example, Gedan No Kame is a lower level fighting posture, with the legs in Shiko Dachi (thus the centre of gravity quite low), body angled at 45 (or even 90 degrees) and the arms ready to respond to lower and middle level attacks.
| Gedan no kamae | Lower level fighting posture |
| Chudan no kamae | Middle level fighting posture |
| Hanmi no kamae | Half forward facing fighting posture |
| Jodan no kamae | Upper level fighting posture |
| Kame | Fighting posture |
| Morote no kamae | Augmented hand fighting posture |
| Shizen dachi no kamae | Natural fighting posture |
Foot Techniques / Kicking - Ashi Waza
"Ashi" means foot in Japanese, and Geri (sometimes also spelled "Keri") means kick
| Ashi barai | Foot sweep |
| Hiza geri | Knee kick |
| Kansetsu geri | Knee joint kick |
| Keri (Geri) | Kick |
| Mae geri (Keage) | Front kick (snap) |
| Mae geri (Kekomi) | Front kick (thrust) |
| Mawashi geri | Round house kick |
| Ren geri | Double front snap kick (Front leg first) |
| Ura yoko geri | Spinning side kick |
| Ushiro geri | Back thrust kick |
| Yoko geri (Keage) | Side snap kick |
| Yoko geri (Kekomi) | Side thrust kick |
Parts of the Foot
| Haisoku | Instep |
| Hiza | Knee |
| Josokutei | Ball of the foot |
| Kakato | Heel of the foot |
| Sokuto | Foot edge |
| Tsumasaki | Tip of the toes |