Japanese Glossary

Glossary of Japanese Terms - Japanese Lookup

Japanese Word Phonetic Pronunciation English Translation

age ah-gay upward

aikido i-key-do martial art: "the way of hamony"

anza anza informal sitting

arigato gozaimashita a-re-ga to go-ze-mash ta formal ‘thank you very much’

arigato a-re-ga to informal ‘thank you’

ashi ash-e Foot or step

ate ah-ta strike

barai bar-e sweep

benjo ben-jo bathroom

bo bo long staff, about 6 feet long

bogu bo-goo chest protector

bojitsu bo-jit-sue the art of the bo

boken bo-ken wooden sword

bokuto bo-kew-to wooden sword

boshi bo-she hat

bushido boo-she-do the ‘way of the warrior’

chojo cho-jo senior in a dojo

chudan chew-don middle position

chui chewy warning penalty

daisho di-show traditional two sword set

dan Don, or dan blackbelt rank, literally "man"

do do way

do ita simasi te do eta simash ta you are welcome

dojo do-jo place to study the way, literally "way place"

dojo kun do-jo kun school principles

domo arigato do-mo a-re-ga to thank you very much

dozo do zo Please, or please come in

dozo osakini do zo o-sak-in-e please go before me

empi em-pe elbow

gaeshi ga-ishe turn upside down

gedan ga-don lower position

genki deska gen-ke deska ‘I am fine’

geri gere (garý) kick

gi ge martial arts uniform

gokyo go-que five fundamental teachings

gomen nassai go men na si ‘I am sorry’

goshinjitsu Go shin jit sue art of self defense

gyaku uchi Ga-que ooche reverse strike

hai hi yes

haishi hi-she back of hand

hajime ha-ji-ma begin

hajime mashite ha-ji-ma ma-she-ta How do you do?

hakama ha-ka-ma traditional leggings for aikido

handaken han da ken four finger knuckle

hansoko han so ko disqualification

hantai han ti call for decision in sparring

happiken hape ken name of kata: to use the elbow like a monkey in eight directions

hara hara center line or stomach

hasso has-so upright posture

hidari hi dar e left

hikiwake hi-ke-wa-ka draw, as in draw a sword

hineri hin-ar-e twist

hirate hir-at-a open hand

hita he-ta down

hiza geri heza gere knee kick

hoko kata hoko kata walking form

ima e-ma now, at once

isogi i-so-ge hurry up

iye e-a no

ippon i-pon full point

irashimaste ir ashe masta welcome

irimi ir-e-me bringing the opponent close

jigotai ji-go-ti defensive stance

jigohontai ji-go-hon- ti fundamental defensive stance

jikun ji-kun time, time’s up

jo jo short ( about 4 foot) staff or walking stick

joseki jo-sek-e upper place in dojo (right side of shoman)

ju ju gentle, or the number ten

judo Ju do martial art; "gentle way"

kai ki association

kaiso ki-so the founder of the style

kama kama sickle, a martial arts weapon

kamae kama guard

kamaete ko-mi-e-ta prepare to begin

karatedo kar-a-ta-do empty hands way

karateka kar-a-ta-ka a student of karatedo

kata kata form, shoulder

kata-juji-jime kata- ju-ge-jima cross arm choke

katana ka-ta-na Japanese long sword

keiko ke-ko practice

keirei ke-ra ceremonial bow

kekomi ka-ko-me thrusting kick

kendo ken-do martial art: "way of the sword"

kentsui kent-su-e hammer fist

ki ke inner energy, spirit

kiai Ke-i vocal expression of ki

kiotsuke ke-oat-su-ka attention

kohira ni ko-hir-a knee this way

kochira no kachi ko-chir-a no kache winner of the match

kodomo ko-do-mo children

kogeki ko-ga-ke offensive

kohai ko-hi lower kyu rank

koken ko-ken ridge hand

kokyu ko-que breathing

kon nichi wa ko neche wa good day

kote ko-ta forearm

kumbanwa kum-ban-wa greeting; "good evening"

kumite ku-me-ta multiple person prearranged fighting form

kuzushi ku-zu-she balance breaking

kyo koy-o principle

kyu que step or rank below black belt, literally "boy"

ma-ai mi-i proper distance

mae mi-a front

mae geri mi-a gere front kick

maede ma-da stop

makawara makawara striking board

masseki ma-se-ke left side of shoman; lower seat

mate mata wait

mawaru kata mawaru kata turning form

mawashi mawashe circular motion

mawashi geri mawashe gere roundhouse kick

men men head

migi mige right

migi mae mawaru mige mi-a mawaru right front turn

migi ushiro mawaru mige u-shear-u mawaru right back turn

mikazuki geri mika-zu-ke gere crescent kick

mizo ochi mizo oche solar plexus

moi ichi do moy-itch-e do "once again"

mokuso mo-ku-so meditate

morote mor ot double

morote neko ashi mor ot neko ash-e double cat step

mudansha mu-dan-sha ranks below black belt

nage na-ga throw

nage waza na-ga waza throwing techniques

naihanchin ni-han-chin sideways stance

naname na-na-ma angle

neko ashi neku ash-e cat step

nekozeken nekoo-ze-ken cat back wrist

Nihon ne-hon Japan (formal, archaic)

no no prefix meaning "of"

nukite ni-ku-ta spear hand

o genki deska o genke desk-a "are you fine?"

okake kudasai okaka kudasi have a seat

onegai shimasu o-negi shima-su "may I practice with you?"

obi o-be belt

oha yo o-hi-o ‘good morning"

omedito gonzaimaste o-med-e-to go-zi-mas-ta congratulations

Osu oos, or os common greeting in karate: push ahead, yes, sir, never give up, a sign of respect, affirmation, recognition, etc.

otagai ni rei o-tag-na ne ra bow to each other

oyasu minassai oy-yas-u min-a-si "good night"

randori ran-dor-e free exercise

rei ra bow

ritsurei rit-soar-ra standing bow

ryu ru school

sai sigh three pronged martial arts weapon

samurai sam-ur-i knight of medieval Japan

sayonara si-o-nara "good bye"

seiken sa-ken horizontal punch

seinen sa-nen students age 16 and above

seiretsu sa-ret-su "line up"

seito sa-to student

seiza sa-za formal sitting position

seizarei sa-za-ra sitting bow

sempai sem-pi senior student, higher rank

sensei sen-sa teacher

sensei ni rei sen-sa ne ra bow to the teacher

shiai she-i sparring match or contest

shihan she-han leader of club or style

shinai shin-i bamboo practice sword

shinzen shin-zen place of honor

shisei she-sa posture or stances

shizen hontai dachi shi-zen hun-ti dache fundamental natural stance

shizentai shi-zen-ti natural stance

Shodan-Dai sho-dan di next in line for black belt

shomen sho-men Front, another name for place of honor

shonen sho-nen students 12 - 15 years old

Shorinjiryu shore-in-ji-roo the way of the great northern Shaolin Temple; a synthesis of Okinawan and Japanese philosophies and techniques which also reflects much of the Chinese influence on karate-do; a system which stresses rapid body movements, mobility, with emphasis upon the use of kumite, kata, and armor; originated by Kori Hisataka

shotei sho- ti heel of palm

shuriken shur-ri-ken throwing stars

shuto sho-to knife hand

so deska so deska "is that so?", sometimes "ah, so deska"

sonomama so-no-ma-ma "Freeze!"

sorematte sor-a-ma-ta "That’s all"; end

soshi so-she push

sotomata so-to-ma-ta open or outer

sukoshi su-ko-she a little

sumi su-me corner

suwari su-war-e sitting

tai ti body

tai-sabaki ti-sa-bake body turning movement

tanshiki kumite tan-she-ke single technique kumites

tanto tan-to knife less than 12 inches long

tatami ta-ta-me Japanese straw floor mat

tate ken ta-ta ken vertical fist

te ta hand

tegatana teg-a-tana cutting edge of hand or forearm

tenkai ten-ki turning motion

tori tor-e attacker

tsuki zu-ke thrust

tsushin zu-shin concentrating mind

uchimate oo-che-ma-ta closed stance

ude oo-day arm; forearm

uke oo-ka defender

ukemi oo-kem-e breakfall

unsoko un-so-ko basic foot movements

uraken ur-a-ken back fist

ushiro oo-sher-o back, behind

waki wa-ke by the side of

wakizashi wa-ka-za-she short (companion) sword

waza ari waza are half point

yame ya-ma "Stop!"

yang yang Active, male universal principle

yin yin Passive, female universal principle

yoko yo-ko side

yonen yo-nen youngest students

yoshi yoshe "continue"

yudansha yu-dan-sha black belts

yudansha kai yu-dan-sha ki an association of black belts

yukkuri yu-kure slowly

yumi-ashi yu-me ash-e normal walking

zanchin zan-chin "ending mind"; perfect completion

zarei zar-e more formal kneeling bow

zenshin zen-chin "preparing mind"

zori zor-e Japanese sandals

Glossary of Japanese Terms - English Lookup

English Translation Phonetic Pronunciation Japanese Word

a little su-ko-she sukoshi

a student of karatedo kar-a-ta-ka karateka

Active, male universal principle yang yang

an association of black belts yu-dan-sha ki yudansha kai

angle na-na-ma naname

are you fine? o genke desk-a o genki deska

arm; forearm oo-day ude

art of self defense Go shin jit sue goshinjitsu

association ki kai

attacker tor-e tori

attention ke-oat-su-ka kiotsuke

back fist ur-a-ken uraken

back of hand hi-she haishi

back, behind oo-sher-o ushiro

balance breaking ku-zu-she kuzushi

bamboo practice sword shin-i shinai

basic foot movements un-so-ko unsoko

bathroom ben-jo benjo

begin ha-ji-ma hajime

belt o-be obi

black belts yu-dan-sha yudansha

blackbelt rank, literally "man" Don, or dan dan

body ti tai

body turning movement ti-sa-bake tai-sabaki

bow ra rei

bow to each other o-tag-na ne ra otagai ni rei

bow to the teacher sen-sa ne ra sensei ni rei

breakfall oo-kem-e ukemi

breathing ko-que kokyu

bringing the opponent close ir-e-me irimi

by the side of wa-ke waki

call for decision in sparring han ti hantai

cat back wrist nekoo-ze-ken nekozeken

cat step neku ash-e neko ashi

center line or stomach hara hara

ceremonial bow ke-ra keirei

chest protector bo-goo bogu

children ko-do-mo kodomo

circular motion mawashe mawashi

closed stance oo-che-ma-ta uchimate

common greeting in karate: push ahead, yes, sir, never give up, a sign of respect, affirmation, recognition, etc. oos, or os Osu

concentrating mind zu-shin tsushin

congratulations o-med-e-to go-zi-mas-ta omedito gonzaimaste

continue yoshe yoshi

corner su-me sumi

crescent kick mika-zu-ke gere mikazuki geri

cross arm choke kata- ju-ge-jima kata-juji-jime

cutting edge of hand or forearm teg-a-tana tegatana

defender oo-ka uke

defensive stance ji-go-ti jigotai

disqualification han so ko hansoko

double mor ot morote

double cat step mor ot neko ash-e morote neko ashi

down he-ta hita

draw, as in draw a sword hi-ke-wa-ka hikiwake

elbow em-pe empi

empty hands way kar-a-ta-do karatedo

ending mind; perfect completion zan-chin zanchin

five fundamental teachings go-que<