BASIC TERMINOLOGY
GENERAL TERMS
KARATE DO - KARA means "empty", TE means "hand"
or "fist", Do means "way", so "WAY OF THE
EMPTY HAND"
PANGAINOON - "HALF HARD, HALF SOFT" name of Chinese system
mastered by Uechi Kanbun
UECHI RYU - Modern name of system, literally "UECHI'S STYLE"
SHUSHIWA -Uechi Kanbun's
Pangainoon teacher
UECHI
KANBUN - Okinawan man who brought Pangainoon out of China
UECHI KANEI - Eldest
son of Kanbun, responsible for modernization of Pangainoon
UECHI KANMEI - Eldest son of Kanei, current head of the SOKE (family)
branch of modern Uechi Ryu
UECHI RYU KATA
KATA - Solo training form
SANCHIN - First Pangainoon form, literally "Three Battles"
KANSHIWA - KAN from Kanbun,
SHIWA from Shushiwa
KANSHU - KAN from Kanbun, SHU from Shushiwa (Daini Seisan or Junior
Seisan)
SEICHIN - Green-belt form, "Sei"
from Seisan, "Chin" from Sanchin
SEISAN - Brown belt form, second Pangainoon form, literally "13
Directions"
SEIRYU - Shodan form
KONCHIN - Nidan form, "Kon" from Kanbun,
"Chin" from Sanchin
SANSEIRYU - Sandan form, third Pangainoon form, literally "36
Directions"
SANCHIN TERMS
KIOTSUKE - "ATTENTION"
MIGIASHIMAE - Right foot forward
HIDARIASHIMAE - Left foot forward
REI - "BOW"
YOI - "READY" - Begin Sanchin opening sequence to "OPEN
GATE"
HAJIME - "BEGIN"
MAWATE - "TURN"
NITE or RIOTE - "DOUBLE THRUSTS"
YOSH - Move to "CLOSED
GATE" YAME - "STOP"
UECHI RYU TRAINING EXERCISES
JUNBI UNDO - Warm-up exercises
HOJO
UNDO - Coordination exercises
KOTEKITE - Forearm conditioning
YAKUSOKU KUMITE - Prearranged
sparring
KYU KUMITE - Junior prearranged
sparring
DAN KUMITE - Senior prearranged
sparring
JIYU KUMITE - Free sparring
KANSHIWA BUNKAI - Analysis of Kanshiwa Kata
SEISAN BUNKAI - Analysis of
Seisan Kata
COUNTING
ICHI, NI, SAN, SHI, G0, ROKU, SHICHI, HACHI, KU, JU
SPECIFIC TECHNIQUES
MAWASHI UKE or WA UKE - Circle block
HAJIKI UKE - Rising block from
Seichin Kata
SHOKEN SUKUI AGE UKE - Scooping
block from Kanchin Kata
SEIKEN - Fist
SHOKEN - Single knuckle fist
HIRAKEN - Tiger paw
URAKEN - Back fist
HIJI - Elbow
BOSHIKEN - Thumb knuckle
NUKITE - Spear hand
SHUTO - Knife edge of hand
TETTSUI - Hammer fist
KOKEN - Cupped hand strike from
Seichin Kata
KAKUSHIKEN - Crane beak from
Sanseiryu Kata
SHOMEN GERI - Front kick
SOKUTO GERI - Side kick
MAWASHI GERI - Roundhouse kick
HIZA GERI - Knee strike
USHIRO GERI - Back kick
TOBI GERI - Jump kick
DAN RANKS
SHODAN, NIDAN, SANDAN, YONDAN, GODAN, ROKUDAN, SHICHIDAN, HACHIDAN,
KUDAN, JUDAN
KYU RANKS
JUKYU, KUKYU, HACHIKYU, SHICHIKYU, ROKKYU, GOKYU, YONKYU, SANKYU,
NIKYU, ICHIKYU
CHI GUNG TERMS (Chinese)
YI - Mind
LI - Body
JING
- Physical strength
CHI - Internal energy
SHEN - Spirit
DAN TIEN - Locations of Chi storage and generation
FINAL BOW
GO KURO SAMA DESHITA - Thank you for your effort
DOMO ORIGATO GOZIAMASU, SENSEI - Thank you very much, teacher
OTHER TERMS
DOJO - School
MAKIWARA - Conditioning pad
DAN - Senior, black belt (literally
"man")
KYU - Junior, (literally "boy")
PRONUNCIATION (Japanese)
Vowels
a - always 'law" as in "dawn"
e - always "ay" as
in "bay"
i - always "eel' as in
"eel"
o - always "o" as
in "so"
u - always "oo" as
in "food"
Consonants
Mostly as in English with some important exceptions.
The Japanese "r" is
pronounced somewhere between the English
"r" and "1".
When "n" appears before
"b" it is pronounced "m". So, Kanbun is pronounced
"kahm boon" and Junbi sounds "joom bee".
Generally, Japanese pronunciation
is more clipped than English especially in the martial context. There
is no syllabic emphasis although some final syllables are de-emphasized,
as in GOZIAMASU.