 KARATE TERMINOLOGY  |
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PARTS OF THE BODY |
AGO
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Jaw or Chin.
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AKIRESU-KEN
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Achilles Tendon.
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ASHI
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Foot or Leg.
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ASHIKUBI
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Ankle.
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ASHI URA
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Sole of foot.
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ASHI YUBI
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Toes.
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ASHIZOKO
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Bottom Foot. You use this to sweep your opponents foot during Ashi
Barai.
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DO
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Torso or Trunk of Body.
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DOKKO
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The Mastoids.
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EMPI
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Elbow (also called HIJI).
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FUKUTO
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The outside of the lower part of the thigh.
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FUSHI
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Joint, Knuckle.
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GAI WAN
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Outer Arm.
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GAN
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Eye. You may also see this as Gansei.
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GANMEN |
Head and face area.
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HA |
Tooth.
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HADA
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Skin |
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HAGUKI
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Gums.
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HAI
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Lung.
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HAIBU
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The back area used as the target area in Karate.
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HAIMEN
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Back or Rear Side.
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HAISOKU
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Instep of the foot. The area at the base of the shin bone and the top
of the foot.
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HAI-WAN
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Back Arm.
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HANA
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Nose.
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HARA |
Abdomen, means the same as Tandan.
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HIDARI
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Left (left side).
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HIFU
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Skin. |
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HIJI
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Elbow, also known as Empi. HIJI is the older version. EMPI is now the
most commonly used. You may also see it spelt as Enpi.
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HIJIKANSETSU
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Elbow Joint.
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HIRA-KOTE
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Level Forearm. Centre of the outer and inner forearms.
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HITAI
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Brow/Forehead.
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HITOSASHI
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Forefinger Knuckle.
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HIZA
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Knee or Lap.
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HIZAGASHIRA
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Knee Cap.
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HIZAKANSETSU
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Knee Joint. |
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JINZO
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Kidney.
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KAFUKUBU
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Abdomen.
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KAHANSHIN
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Lower half of the body.
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KAKATO
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Heel (of the foot)
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KAMI
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Hair. Kami Dori/Tsukami is Hair grab, from the kata Empi. Also see
Ke.
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KANSETSU
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Joint.
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KANZO
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Liver. (may also sometimes see it as Kimo).
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KARADA
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Body, Physique.
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KASUMI
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Temple on the side of the head. Also see Komikami
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KATA
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Shoulder.
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KE
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Hair. |
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KEIBU |
Neck Area. Used as a target in sports karate.
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KEICHU
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Nape of the neck.
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KETTO
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Blood.
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KINNIKU
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Muscles.
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KINTEKI
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Testicles.
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KOKEN
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Wrist Joint, or bent wrist. It translates as 'Arc Fist'.
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KOMEKAMI
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The temple area of the head. Also see Kasumi.
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KOSHI
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The Ball of the Foot, or the Hip/Waist.
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KOTE (1)
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Wrist, another translation for Wrist. TE is on the end to signify
that it is of the hand. Ko means Arc.
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KOTE (2)
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Back Hand.
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KOTE (3)
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Forearm. In some cases you will see KOTE as forearm as in
'Omote-Kote' or 'Outer Forearm'
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KUBI |
Neck.
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KUCHI
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Mouth. |
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KUSAGAKURE
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The outside edge of the top of the foot.
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KYOBU
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Chest Area. |
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MATA |
Top of the thigh.
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MATSUKAZE
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The side of the neck.
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ME
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Eye.
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MEN
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Face.
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MIGI
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Right (right side).
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MIKAZUKI
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The lower ridge of the lower jaw, the mandible base.
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MIMI
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Ear or Ears.
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MOMO
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Thigh.
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MUNE
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Chest.
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MYAKU
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Pulse.
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MYOJO
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Area about one inch below the navel. |
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NAI WAN
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Inner Arm.
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NODO
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Throat. |
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OMOTE-KOTE
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Front Forearm or Inner Forearm. The thumb edge side that when
standing naturally faces to the front.
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OYAYUBI
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Thumb or Big Toe.
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ROKKOTSU
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Rib.
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SAKOTSU |
Collar Bone.
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SEBONE
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Backbone, Spine.
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SENAKA
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The Back. |
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SEOI
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Shoulder. In Karate we use 'Kata' to say Shoulder but you may see
Seoi Nage for Shoulder Throw.
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SHIN
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Heart.
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SHINTAI
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Body, another expression for body.
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SHINZO |
Heart. |
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SHIRI |
Buttocks. |
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SHITA
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Tongue.
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SHO
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Palm, as in hand.
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SHOFU
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Side of neck.
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SHUWAN
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Palm Side of Forearm. This is also seen as SHOWAN.
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SODA
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The area between the shoulder blades.
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SOKKO
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Top Of The Foot.
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SOKUTEI
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Sole of Foot.
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SOKUTO
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Edge of foot. The striking area in a Side Thrust Kick.
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SUIGETSU
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Solar-plexus.
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SUNE
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Shin. |
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TAI
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Body, as in Tai-Sabaki tai = body, sabaki = shifting or movement.
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TAIKAKU |
Build or Physique.
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TANDEN
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Basically your centre of gravity, naval area. Also see Hara.
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TE
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Hand.
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TENDO
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The crown of your head.
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TENTO
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The Fontanelle or the space between the crown of the head and the
forehead.
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TOMOE
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Stomach.
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TSUMASAKI
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Tips of the Toes.
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TSUME
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Nail, of the fingers or toes. Used to effect in the kata Bassai Sho,
to cut across the opponents eyeballs.
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UDE
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Forearm.
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UDEKANSETSU
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Arm Joint.
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URA-KOTE
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Reverse or Rear Forearm. The little finger side.
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USHIRO |
Back or Rear.
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UTO
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The point at the base of the nose between the eyes.
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WAKIBARA |
Side Of The Chest.
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WAN |
Arm. |
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WANSHUN
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Top of outside edge of upper arm.
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YAKO
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The inside of the upper thigh.
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YOBO
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Face.
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YUBISAKI
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Fingertip.
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YUBI NO KANSETSU
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Knuckle.
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YUBI
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Finger.
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YOKO
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Side or Lateral.
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ZENSHIN
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Whole (entire) Body.
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ZENWAN
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Forearm.
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ZUNO
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Head or Brains. |
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KAMAE - POSITION (ALSO SPELT GAMAE)
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AI KAMAE
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Harmony Posture.
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GANKAKU KAMAE |
Crane Posture, as used in the kata GANKAKU.
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HIDARI KAMAE
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Left Posture. Used to describe when your left side is forward in a
stance.
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JIYU KAMAE |
Free Sparring Posture. |
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KAGI KAMAE
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Hooking Posture.
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KAMAE
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Posture or Stance. Kamae is sometimes spelt GAMAE.
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KAMAETE
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A command given by the instructor for students to get into position.
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KOSHI KAMAE |
A stance where the fists are held one above the other against one of
the hips. Seen in the kata Heian Yondan. |
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MANJI KAMAE
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A Double block where one arm executes Gedan Barai to one side, while
the other arm executes Jodan Uchi Uke or Haiwan uke. As seen in the kata Jitte.
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MIGI KAMAE
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Right Posture. Used to describe when your right side is forward in a
stance.
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RYO WAN KAMAE
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wide arm stance, where the arms are held at 45 degree's from the
body, helps gives stability when practising basic kicking techniques. The actual
translation is Both Arm Posture.
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ZANSHIN KAMAE
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awareness posture. |
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DACHI - STANCES
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FUDO DACHI
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Rooted Stance. Now also referred to as SOCHIN DACHI but they are two
separate stances.
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GANKAKU DACHI
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Crane Stance, as used in the kata GANKAKU.
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HACHIJI DACHI
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Open Leg Stance. The feet are positioned about one shoulder width
apart and pointed outwards at 45 degrees. It actually translates to 'Figure
Eight Stance' and the true full name for this stance should be 'Soto Hachiji
Dachi', and when the feet are angled in at 45 degrees the name is 'Uchi Hachiji
Dachi'.
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HANGETSU DACHI
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Half-Moon Stance.
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HEIKO DACHI
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Parallel stance.
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HEISOKU DACHI
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An informal attention stance.
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KIBA DACHI
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Straddle Stance. Also known as HORSE RIDING STANCE.
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KOKUTSU DACHI
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Back Stance.
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KOSA DACHI
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Cross Stance or as it is more commonly called Crossed-feet Stance.
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MUSUBI DACHI
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Informal attention stance, Heels placed together but with each foot
turned out at 45 degrees.
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NAIHANCHI DACHI
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Kiba Dachi, but with the feet turned in. Funakoshi changed the name
Naihanchi to Tekki.
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NANAME SHIKO DACHI
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Diagonal Straddle Leg Stance.
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NEKO-ASHI DACHI
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Cats Foot Stance. |
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RENOJI DACHI
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L Stance.
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SAGI ASHI DACHI
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Heron Leg Stance.
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SANCHIN DACHI
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Hour-glass Stance.
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SHIKO DACHI
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Square Stance, or Four Thigh Stance also sometimes called SUMO
STANCE.
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SHIZEN DACHI
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Natural Stance.
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SOCHIN DACHI
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Diagonal Straddle Leg stance. Immovable Stance. Also now referred to
as FUDO DACHI but they are two different stances. In Fudo Dachi the weight is
further forwards. |
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TACHI
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Standing or Stance. To stand up would be Tachiagaru. In some older
works you may also see Zenkutsu Tachi etc. instead of Dachi.
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TEIJI DACHI |
A Stance with the feet in a 'T-shape'. |
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TSURU ASHI DACHI
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Crane Leg Stance.
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UCHI-HACHIJI DACHI
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nverted open leg stance, or Inverted Figure Eight Stance. The feet
are shoulder width apart but with the feet facing inwards.
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ZENKUTSU DACHI
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Forward Stance. The actual translation means Front Knee Bent Stance. |
