Below is a list of terms commonly used in GKR Karate. The terms are separated by different categories, with the Japanese term being listed first in bold, followed by the English pronunciation.
General Terms
Autagani
Each other
Budo
Martial way
Dan
Level
Do
The way of
Dojo
The way place
Gi
Karate uniform
Go
Hard
Godan
Fifth level
Gyaku
Reverse
Hai
Yes
Hajime
Begin
Han
Half
Hara
Spiritual centre
Heian
Quiet mind
Hombu
Chief dojo
Jiyu kumite
Free sparring
Ju
Soft
Ka
Practitioner
Kage
Shotokan pronunciation of “kake”
Kai
Association
Kan
Academy or system
Kara te
Empty hand
Ki
Spirit
Kiai
Shout of spirit
Kime
Prepare
Kon ni chi wa
Hello
Kumite
Sparring
Kyu
Junior rank below black belt
Ma-ai
Distancing
Makiwara
Striking post
Mokuso
Close your eyes
Mokuso yame
Open your eyes
Nidan
Second level
Rei
Bow
Ryu
School
Sambon kumite
Three-step sparring
Sandan
Third level
Seiza
Formal kneeling
Sempai
Assistant teacher
Sensei
Teacher
Shihan
Master
Shodan
First level
Suki
Alternate version of “tzuki”
Taigyoku
First cause
Taikyoku
Shotokan version of “Taigyoku”
Tsuki
An alternate spelling of “tzuki”
Waza
Punching techniques
Yame
Stop
Yondan
Fourth level
Zennin
Everybody
Zuki
Shotokan spelling of “tzuki”
Punches and strikes
Age tzuki
Rising Strike
Atama uchi
Striking with the head
Ate
Protecting or defensive strike
Ate waza
Smashing techniques
Choku tzuki
Straight Strike
Chudan tsuki
Mid-level Strike
Dan tzuki
Consecutive Striking
Empi uchi
Elbow strike
Furi uchi
Flare-hand strike
Ganmen uchi
Facial strike
Gedan tzuki
Lower Strike
Gyaku tzuki
reverse Strike
Haishu uchi
Back-hand strike
Haito uchi
Ridge-hand strike
Heiko tzuki
Simultaneous double Strike
Hiji ate
Rising elbow strike
Hiza geri
Knee kick
Jodan tzuki
Upper level Strike
Kake tzuki
Hooking Strike
Kizami tzuki
Front snapping (jab) Strike
Mae-ken tzuki
Strike with the lead hand
Maete
Jab – see also keage
Mawashi empi
Round elbow strike
Mawashi tzuki
Roundhouse Strike
Morote tzuki
Augmented Strike
Nagashi tzuki
Flowing Strike
Nakadaka-ippon-ken
Middle-fingered one-knuckle-fist
Nihon nukite
Two-finger spear-hand
Nihon tzuki
Double Strike
Nukite
Straight-thrusting spear-hand
Oi tzuki
Stepping or lunging Strike
Oroshi tzuki
Descending Strike
Ryusui tzuki
Flowing Strike
Sanbon tzuki
Three-Strike combination
Seiken tzuki
Forefist strike
Shita tzuki
Short Strike
Shuto uchi
Knife-hand strike
Teisho uchi
Palm-heel strike
Tettsui uchi
Hammer-fist strike
Tsuki
Punch
Tsuki waza
Striking techniques
Uchi
Strike or inner/inside
Ura
Back or other side
Ura tzuki
Close Strike
Uraken uchi
Back-fist strike
Ushiro empi
Reverse elbow strike
Yama tzuki
U Strike
Yoko empi uchi
Side elbow strike
Blocks
Age uke
Rising block
Barai
Deflect
Chuge uke
Double block
Empi uke
Elbow block
Gedan barai
lower level deflection
Gedan uke
Sweeping block
Haishu uke
Back-hand block
Haito uke
Ridge-hand block
Haiwan uke
Back-arm block
Hiji uke
Elbow block
Hiki uke
Pulling/grasping block
Hiza uke
Knee block
Jodan age uke
Upper level rising block
Juji uke
X block
Kake shuto uke
Hooking knife-hand block
Kake uke
Open-hand hooking block
Kakiwake uke
Wedge block
Kakuto uke
Bent-wrist block
Mawashi uke
Round block
Morote sukui uke
Two-handed scooping block
Morote tsukami uke
Two-handed grasping block
Morote uke
Augmented block
Nagashi uke
Stepping block
Nami-ashi
Inside leg block
Oroshi uke
Descending block
Shotei uke
Palm-heel block
Shuto uke
Knife-hand block
Soto ude uke
Outside forarm block
Soto uke
Outside hooking block
Tate shuto uke
Verticle knife-hand block
Tate uke
Vertical block
Teisho uke
Palm-heel block
Uchi ude uke
Inside forearm block
Uchi uke
Inside hooking block
Uchi uke chudan
Mid-level inside hooking block
Uke
Block
Uke waza
Blocking techniques
Kicks
Ashi barai
Foot sweep
Fumikiri
Cutting kick
Fumikomi
Stamping kick
Geri
Kick
Geri waza
Kicking techniques
Gyaku geri
Reverse kick
Gyaku mawashi geri
Reverse roundhouse kick
Keri
Shotokan pronunciation of “geri” – kick
Kin geri
Groin kick
Mae ashi geri
A kick weith the front foot
Mae geri
Front kick
Mae tobi geri
Jumping front kick
Mawashi geri
Round kick
Mika tzuki geri
Crescent kick
Mikazuki geri
Crescent kick
Nidan geri
Double kick
Tobi geri
Jumping kick
Uchi mawashi geri
Inside roundhouse kick
Ushiro ashi geri
Kick with rear leg
Ushiro geri
Back kick
Ushiro mawashi geri
Reverse roundhouse kick
Yoko geri
Side kick
Stances
Dachi
Stance
Han zenkutsu dachi
Half long forward stance
Heisoku dachi
Informal attention stance
Heiko dachi
Parallel stance
Kiba dachi
Horse-riding/straddle stance
Kokutsu dachi
Back-leaning stance
Nekoashi dachi
Cat stance
Sanchin dachi
Pigeon-toed or hourglass stance
Shiko dachi
Sumo stance
Tai sabaki
Side stepping
Yoi
Ready posture – when standing in Heiko dachi
Zenkutsu dachi
Long forward stance
Kata
Kata
Pre-arranged pattern of techniques against imaginary opponents
Taigyoku shodan
First cause, 1st level – 1st kata – required for yellow belt
Taigyoku nidan
First cause, 2nd level – 2nd kata – Required for orange belt
Saifa
Rolling wave – 3rd kata – Required for green and blue belts
Bassai Dai
Extract from a fortess – 4th kata – Required for red and brown belts
Seiunchin
Marching/Conquer far, quickly – 5th kata – Required for 1st black tag
Empi
Flight of the swallow – 6th kata – Required for 2nd black tag
Sepai
18 hands – 7th kata – Required Sho-dan ho and 1st dan black belt
Kanku-dai
View the Sky – 8th kata – Required for 2nd dan black belt
Hangetsu
Half moon – 9th kata – required for 2nd dan black belt
Body parts
Ashi
Foot or leg
Empi
Elbow
Haito
Ridge-hand
Haiwan
Back of the forearm
Heiwan
Forearm
Hiji
Elbow
Hiraken
Fore-knuckle fist
Hitosashi ippon ken
Forefinger knuckle
Hiza
Knee
Hizagashira
Kneecap
Ippon nukite
One-finger spear-hand
Ippon-ken
One-knuckle fist
Kakato
Heel
Kake
Hooking
Koshi
Ball of the foot
Kumade
Bear hand
Morote
Double
Seiken
Forefist
Shuto
Knife hand
Sokuto
Foot edge
Te
Hand
Teisho
Palm-heel
Tettsui
Hammer-fist
Ude
Forearm
Uraken
Back fist
Washide
Eagle beak hand
Positions/Movements
Age
Rising
Chudan
Middle level
Gedan
Lower level
Hidari
Left
Ima
Fast
Jodan
Upper level
Keage
Snap (jab)
Kekomi
Thrust
Mae
Front
Mae
Front
Mawate/mawatte
Turn
Migi
Right
Ren tzuki
Striking with alternate hands
Soto
Outer
Tate
Vertical
Tobi
Jump
Uchi
Inner/inside or strike
Ura
Close range
Yoko
Side
Tournament
Aiuchi
Simultaneous scoring techniques
Aka
The competitor to the referee’s left (wearing a red belt)
Aka no kachi
Red side wins
Autagani moto no ichi
Competitors move to starting position
Hansoku chui
Warning with a full point penalty
Hantei
Judgement
Hikiwake
Draw
Ippon
One full point
Ippon kumite
Single point, tournament sparring
Jogai
When a competitor steps out of the ring during a fight
Keikoku
Warning with a half point penalty
Mubobi
Conduct that puts the competitor/s at risk of injury
Shikkaku
Disqualification
Shiro
The competitor to the referee’s right (wearing a white belt)
Shiro
White
Shiro no kachi
White side wins
Shobu hajime
Start the extended bout (if match is drawn)
Shobu sanbon hajime
Start the bout (first time only)
Shomuni
Competitors turn to face the audience
Shugo
Judge called
Torimasen
Unacceptable as a scoring technique
Tsuzukete
Fight on
Tsuzukete hajime
Resume fighting
Waza-ari
Half a point