| Japanese Karate terms and techniques |
Commands to begin and end class Kiotsuke - come to attention Rei - bow to show respect Seiza - kneeling (seated at attention) Mokutso - meditate Noaote - open eyes, return to Seiza Shomen ni rei - bow toward main wall Sensei ni rei - bow to instructor Otagai ni rei - bow to dojo and all assembled Kiritsu - all rise (stand at attention) Rei - bow (this rei is done at the end of class) |
Basic terms Yoi - ready stance Kamae - fighting stance Mawatte - turn Naore - return to ready stance Hadjime - begin Yame - stop Kiai - shout Gi - karate uniform |
| Blocking techniques (Uke Waza) Jodan uke - upper block Chudan uchi uke - middle inside block Chudan soto uke - middle outside block Gedan barai - lower sweep Shuto uke - knife hand block Shote uke - palm heel block Juji uke - X block Kakete grasping block Mawashi uke - circular block Morote uke - assisted forearm block Empi uke - elbow block Sukui uke - scooping block Osae uke - pressing block Kakewaki uke - separating block |
| Stances (Dachi) Heisoku dachi - straight stance Musubi dachi - V stance Heiko dachi - parallel stance Motto dachi - short front stance Zenkutsu dachi - long front stance Kokutsu dachi - back stance Kiba dachi - horse stance Shiko dachi - side stance Neiko dachi - cat stance Sanchin dachi - hourglass stance Koso dachi - cross stance Sagi dachi - Crane stance |
Hand techniques (Te Waza) Oi tsuki - lunge punch Gyaku tsuki - reverse punch Maeken tsuki - front fist punch Kagi tsuki - hook punch Morote tsuki - two handed punch Yama tsuki - U punch Kizami tsuki - rib punch Mawashi tsuki - round punch Furi tsuki - uppercut punch Uraken - back fist Jun tsuki - side punch Tetsui - hammer fist Haito - ridge hand Shuto - knife hand Shote - palm heel Seiryu - palm edge Nukite - spear hand Empi uchi - elbow strike |
Kicking techniques (Geri Waza) Mae geri - front kick Yoko geri - side kick Mawashi geri - round kick Mikazuke geri - creasent kick Ushiro geri - Back kick Ushiro mawashi geri - back round kick Ashi barai - foot sweep Kagi geri - hook kick Fumikomi geri stomping kick Hiza geri - knee kick |
Counting Ichi - one Ni - two San - three Shi - four Go - five Roku - six Shichi - seven Hochi - eight Ku - nine Ju - ten |
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What is Osu? People who study karate can often be heard saying osu. Sometimes they will say it in a normal speaking voice, but just as often, they will loudly shout this word, which can substitute for "hello," "goodbye," "yes," "okay," or "I understand." No matter how or when it is said, however, osu reaffirms one of the most important lessons of karate. The top character, o, means to push, and symbolizes one hundred percent effort. The second character, su, means to endure. Combined, osu is a pledge to do ones very best and to endure. However, su by itself can also mean "to be silent," and the character is made up of the radicals meaning "blade" and "heart." The Japanese idea of endurance, therefore, encompasses being silent even if your heart is cut with a blade. It is very natural for people to seek positive reinforcement in return for their efforts. This is the very principle by which our society operates, after all. Professionals are paid for their work. Teachers reward hard working students with high marks. Parents pay children compliments for their efforts. But karate is a discipline which involves a great deal of self reflection, and self reflection is more concerned with irrefutable truths than with rewards. Unfortunately, there are some karate students who pretend to work hard only when they believe their instructor is watching. These types of students devote more energy toward attracting their teacher's attention than to learning karate. In other words their efforts are not "silent." What these students do not realize is that they are in class to learn karate not to impress the teacher, and how much they learn depends solely on how hard they work. If they give their best efforts only when the instructor is watching and are lazy the rest of the time, this will be inevitably be reflected in their technique. On the other hand, true karate masters are usually humble and reserved. They realize their expertise in karate and the amount of effort they have devoted to it are irrefutable, independent of the recognition of others. After all, a flower blossoming deep in a secluded forest is no less beautiful than one growing in a garden where everyone can see. In fact, many great karate masters have spent time training on secluded mountains in Japan, where they had to continually challenge themselves to work hard even though there was no one there to provide encouragement or reinforcement. Each time you say osu during karate class, remember that it is a pledge to work hard and to endure. If you can say it honestly and with pride each time, you can be confident you are doing well. |