Terminology

DOJO ETIQUETTE

1.) On first entering the dojo, please say “onegai shimasu”.

2.) Please remove your shoes and place them tidily on the shelf near the door.

3.) Please register daily for the training session and take out your attendance card.

4.) Make sure that you are clean of body and that your nails are short and clean.
5.) Always wear a clean and neatly ironed Karate gi.

6.) Jewellery of any description must not be worn whilst training.

7.) Please refer to the instructor as Sensei (pronounced senn say).

OPENING & CLOSING CEREMONIES

FOR THE OPENING CEREMONY THE INSTRUCTOR OR SENIOR SAYS :

SHUGO LINE UP
KI O TSUKE COME TO ATTENTION
SEIZA KNEEL DOWN
MOKUSO MEDITATION
MOKUSO YAME STOP MEDITATING
SHOMEN NI REI BOW TO THE DOJO FRONT (TO SENSEI HIGAONNA KANRYO & SENSEI MIYAGI CHOJUN)
SENSEI NI REI BOW TO THE INSTRUCTOR, SAY “ONEGAI SHIMASU”
KIRITSU (OR TATE) STAND UP

FOR THE CLOSING CEREMONY THE INSTRUCTOR OR SENIOR SAYS :

YAME STOP
SHUGO LINE UP
KI O TSUKE COME TO ATTENTION
SEIZA KNEEL DOWN
MOKUSO MEDITATION
MOKUSO YAME STOP MEDITATING
SHOMEN NI REI BOW TO THE DOJO FRONT
SENSEI NI REI BOW TO THE INSTRUCTOR, SAY “ARIGATO GOZAIMASHITA”
OTAGAI NI REI BOW TO EACH OTHER, SAY “ARIGATO GOZAIMASHITA”
SHOMEN NISTOP FACE FRONT & THE INSTRUCTOR SAYS, “KEIKO WARIMASU”

NUMBERS

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
ICHI
NI
SAN
SHI
GO
ROKU
SHICHI
HACHI
KU
JU
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
JUICHI
JUNI
JUSAN
JUSHI
JUGO
JUROKU
JUSHICHI
JUHACHI
JUKU
NIJU
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
NIJUICHI
NIJUNI
NIJUSAN
NIJUSHI
NIJUGO
NIJUROKU
NIJUSHICHI
NIJUHACHI
NIJUKU
SANJU

BELTS

YUKYUSHA KYU GRADES
YUDANSHA DAN GRADES
SHIRO OBI WHITE BELT
KIIRI OBI YELLOW BELT
OREJI OBI ORANGE BELT
AKA OBI RED BELT
MIDORI IRO OBI GREEN BELT
AO OBI BLUE BELT
MURASAKI OBI PURPLE BELT
USU CHAIRO OBI LIGHT BROWN BELT
KOI CHAIRO OBI DARK BROWN BELT
KURO OBI BLACK BELT

BODY AREAS

JODAN
CHUDAN
GEDAN
UPPER AREA FROM THE COLLAR UPWARDS
MIDDLE AREA BETWEEN THE COLLAR AND THE BELT
LOWER AREA FROM THE BELT DOWNWARDS

BODY PARTS

ASHIKUBI
CHUSOKU
EMPI
HEISOKU
HIZA
KAISHO
KAKATO
SOKUTO
UDE
ANKLE
BALL OF THE FOOT
ELBOW
INSTEP
KNEE
BACK OF THE HAND
HEEL
FOOT EDGE
FOREARM

STANCES

Heisoku dachi feet side by side stance
Musubi dachi heels together, feet facing outwards 45 degrees (knot stance)
Heiko dachi feet shoulder width and parallel
Hachiji dachi same as above with feet turned out 45 degrees (hachi = 8, ji character, so 8 character as in Japanese kanji or Chinese text).
Soto hachi dachi/uchi hachi dachi same as above widthwise, only the feet are turned inwards.
Shiko dachi feet turned out from soto hachi dachi, twice shoulder width. Like Kiba dachi in Shotokan and Wado Ryu but with the feet turned out. Also known as sumo stance.
Zenkutsu dachi long front stance, 2.5 foot lengths. Slightly shorter than some styles at 3 foot lengths but with the weight pushed forward to achieve the same striking distance with the weight behind the technique.
Han zenkutsu half = han, so half zenkutsu dachi, one foots length between toe and heel.
Heiko sanchin dachi feet parallel, shoulder width and with the heel of the front foot inline with the toe of the back foot.
Sanchin dachi the same as heiko sanchin dachi but with the front foot turned in slightly
Kosa dachi/juji dachi (cross stance or ten character stance) sometimes called bensoku dachi which is a tree with a vine growing round it. Found in Sepai kata.
Saga ashi dachi crane foot (as in the bird, not construction industry!) stance as in Saifa kata.
Neko dachi or Neko ashi dachi. Cat stance or cat foot stance
Kokutsu dachi back stance. A reversed zenkutsu dachi looking back towards your rear foot. (different to Shotokan’s kokutsu dachi)