KARATE TERMINOLOGY

Karate Terminology

Block (Uke – pronounced “oo-kay”)

  • Age-uke (ah-geh-oo-kay): Upper block (Raising)
  • Shuto-uke (shoe-toe oo-kay): Knife-hand block
  • Uchi-uke (oo-chee oo-kay): Inside center block
  • Gedan-barai (Geh-dahn bah-rye): Down block
  • Soto-uke (so-toh oo-kay): Outside center block
  • Chudan-uke (Chew-dahn oo-kay): Middle level block
  • Jodan-uke (joe-dahn oo-kay): Upper level block
  • Gedan-uke (geh-dahn oo-kay): Lower level block
  • Hiza-uke (he-zah oo-kay): Knee block
  • Juji-uke (jew-gee oo-kay): X-block
  • Morote-uke (moe-row-the oo-kay): Augmented block
  • Nagashi-uke (nah-gah-she oo-kay) Sweeping block
  • Teishi-uke (tay-sho oo-kay): Palm-heel block

Punch (Zuki – pronounced “zoo-key”)

  • Age-zuki (ah-geh zoo-key): Rising punch
  • Awase-zuki (ah-wah-say zoo-key): U-punch
  • Choku-zuki (cho-koo zoo-key): Straight punch
  • Chudan-zuki (chew-dahn zoo-key): Middle area punch
  • Gyaku-zuki (gya-koo zoo-key): Reverse punch
  • Jodan-zuki (joe-dahn zoo-key): face level punch
  • Morote-zuki (moe-row-the- zoo-key): Double “U” punch
  • Oi-zuki (oh-ee zoo-key): Lunge punch
  • Tate-zuki (tah-the zoo-key): Vertical punch
  • Teisho-zuki (tay-show zoo-key): Palm-heel punch
  • Ura-zuki (oo-rah zoo-key): Close punch

Kick (Geri – pronounced “geh-rhee”)

  • Ashi-Barai (ah-she bah-rye): Foot sweep
  • Fumikomi (foo-me-koh-me): Stamping kick
  • Keage (key-ah-geh): Snap kick
  • Kekomi (kay-koh-me): Thrust kick
  • Mae-geri (mah-eh geh-rhee): Front kick
  • Mae-geri-kaege (mah-eh geh-rhee kay-ah-geh): Front snap kick
  • Mae-geri-kekomi (mah-eh geh-rhee kay-koh-me): Front thrust kick
  • Mae-tobi-geri (mah-eh toe-be geh-rhee): Jumping front kick
  • Mawashi-geri (mah-wha-she geh-rhee): Round kick
  • Ushiro-geri (oo-she row geh-rhee): Back kick
  • Yoko-geri-kaegi (yoh-koh geh-rhee key-ah-geh): Side snap kick
  • Yoko-geri-kekomi (yoh-koh geh-rhee key-ah-geh): Side thrust kick

Strike (Uchi – pronounced “oo-chee”)

  • Empi-uchi (en-pee oo-chee): Elbow strike
  • Haishu-uchi (hi-shoo oo-chee): Back hand strike
  • Haito-uchi (hi-toe oo-chee): Ridge-hand strike
  • Ippon-ken (eep-pone ken): One-knuckle fist
  • Nukite (noo-key-teh): Spear hand
  • Kentsui-uchi (ken-tsue-ee oo-chee): Hammer fist strike
  • Shuto-uchi (shoe-toe oo-chee): Knife hand strike
  • Teisho-uchi (tay-sho oo-chee): Palm hand strike
  • Uraken-uchi (oo-rah-ken oo-chee): Back fist strike

Stance (Dachi – pronounced “dah-chee”)

  • Fudo-dachi (foo-dough dah-chee) Rooted stance
  • Hachiji-dachi (hah-chee-gee dah-chee): Open leg stance
  • Hangetsu-dachi (hahn-geh-tsue dah-chee): Half-moon stance
  • Heiko-dachi (hay-koh dah-chee): Parallel stance
  • Kamae (kah-may): Sparring posture
  • Kiba-dachi (key-bah dah-chee): Side stance (horse stance)
  • Kokutsu-dachi (koe-koo-tsu dah-chee): Back stance
  • Kosa-dachi (koe-sah dah-chee): Crossed legged stance
  • Neko-ashi-dachi (neh-koh ah-she-dah-chee): Cat stance
  • Sanchin-dachi (san-chin dah-chee): Hour-glass stance
  • Shizentai (she-zen dah-chee): Natural position
  • Sochin-dachi (so-chin dah-chee): Diagonal straddle-leg stance
  • Teiji-dachi (the-gee dah-chee): T stance
  • Zenkutsu-dachi (zen-koo-tsue dah-chee): Front stance

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