KARATE TERMINOLOGY
AND BELT GRADING SYSTEM


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GENERAL TERMS
JODAN
upper level
CHUDAN
middle level
GEDAN
lower level
SHIZENTAI
natural body posture
HAJIME
begin
YAME
stop
KIME
focus
REI
bow
YOI
ready


STANCE
ZENKUTSU DACHI
froward stance
KIBA DACHI
horseriding stance
KOKUTSU DACHI
back stance
HANGETSU DACHI
half moon stance
NEKOASHI DACHI
cat stance
SANCHIN DACHI
hourglass stance
HACHIJI DACHI
natural stance


BLOCK
AGE UKE
rising block
SOTO UKE
outside block
UCHI UKE
inside block
GEDAN BARAI
downward block
SHUTO UKE
knife hand block
TETTSUI UCHI
hammer-fist block
JUJI UKE
X block
NAGASHI UKE
sweeping block
MOROTE UKE
double handed block


PUNCH
OI ZUKI
lunge punch
KIZAMA ZUKI
leading hand punch
GYAKU ZUKI
opposite hand punch
SANBON ZUKI
triple punch
NUKITE
spear hand punch
CHOKU ZUKI
straight punch
URAKEN
back fist
EMPI
elbow strike
AGE ZUKI
rising punch
URA ZUKI
close punch/uppercut
TETTSUI
hammer fist


KICK
MAE GERI
front kick
MAWASHI GERI
roundhouse kick
YOKO KEKOMI
side thrust kick
KIZAMI GERI
front leg kick
USHIRO GERI
reverse kick
YOKO KEAGE
side flick kick
USHIROMAWASHI GERI
reverse roundhouse kick
MIKAZUKI GERI
cresent kick
USHIROMIKAZUKI GERI
reverse cresent kick
HIZA GERI
knee kick
ASHI BARAI
foot or leg sweep
FUMIKOMI GERI
stamping kick
MAE TOBI GERI
flying front kick
YOKO TOBI GERI
flying side kick


KUMITE
GOHON KUMITE
five step sparring
SANBON KUMITE
three step sparring
KIHON IPPON KUMITE
basic one step sparring
KAESHI IPPON KUMITE
one step, reaction sparring
JIYU IPPON KUMITE
one step, semi-free style sparring
OKURI JIYU IPPON KUMITE
semi-free, return sparring
HAPPO KUMITE
eight direction sparring
JIYU KUMITE
free style sparring
HYOTEKI
target training


KATA
HEIAN SHODAN
Peaceful Mind First Level
HEIAN NIDAN
Peaceful Mind Second Level
HEIAN SANDAN
Peaceful Mind Third Level
HEIAN YONDAN
Peaceful Mind Fourth Level
HEIAN GODAN
Peaceful Mind Fifth Level
TEKKI SHODAN
Horse Riding First Level
TEKKI NIDAN
Horse Riding Second Level
TEKKI SANDAN
Horse Riding Third Level
BASSAI DAI
To penetrate a fortress Major
BASSAI SHO
To penetrate a fortress Minor
KANKU DAI
Viewing the Sky Major

KANKU SHO
Viewing the Sky Minor
HANGETSU
Half Moon

ENPI
Flying Swallow

GANKAKU
Crane on a Rock

JITTE
Ten Hands

JION
From the temple of Jion
JI'IN
Temple grounds

CHINTE
Strange Hands

MEIKYO
Polished Mirror

NIJUSHIHO
Twenty Four Steps

SOCHIN
Immovable in the face of danger
WANKAN
A proper name

UNSU
Hands in the cloud

GOJUSHIHO DAI
Fifty Four Steps Major
GOJUSHIHO SHO
Fifty Four Steps Minor


COUNTING IN JAPANESE
Learning Japanese numbers is not difficult: once you have learned the 13 main numbers, you can derive all numbers up to 1,000,000.

4 is considered to be an unlucky number. 4 (shi) sounds just like the word for 'death'.

1 ichi 11 ju-ichi 30 san-ju 500 go-hyaku
2 ni 12 ju-ni 40 yon-ju 600 roku-hyaku
3 san 13 ju-san 50 go-ju 800 hachi-hyaku
4 shi 14 ju-shi (ju-yon) 60 roku-ju 1,000 sen
5 go 15 ju-go 70 nana-ju 5,000 go-sen
6 roku 16 ju-roku 80 hachi-ju 8,000 hachi-sen
7 shichi 17 ju-nana/ju-shichi 90 kyu-ju 10,000 yu-man
8 hachi 18 ju-hachi 100 hyaku 100,000 yu-man
9 kyu 19 ju-kyu/ju-ku 200 ni-hyaku 1,000,000 hyaku-man
10 ju 20 ni-ju 300 san-hyaku


GRADING EXAMINATIONS


Kyu (or 'coloured belt') examinations are held in conjunction with advanced courses every three months and Dan grading (or 'black belt') examinations are regularly carried out by senior graded instructor/examiners. All grading examinations conform to the international standards laid down by the Shotokan Karate-do International Federation (Tokyo) and is carried out by examiners registered with and authorised by the S.K.I.F Honbo Dojo (Tokyo).

S.K.I.F. BELT SYSTEM

White belt
novice

White belt black tag
9th Kyu

Yellow belt
8th Kyu

Orange belt
7th Kyu

Green belt
6th Kyu

Blue belt
5th Kyu

Purple belt
4th Kyu

Brown belt
3rd Kyu

Brown belt
with 1 white stripe
2nd Kyu

Brown Belt with 2 white stripes
1st Kyu

Black belt
From Shodan or 1st Dan and above


Below is the proper way to tie your karate belt.




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