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) |