What does “X” mean in Japanese? Find out below!
The most popular Martial Arts are often influenced by Classical Japanese martial arts like Karate and Ju-Jutsu.
More modern Martial Arts like MMA and BJJ often use English words to describe technique but you do hear the occasional foreign word thrown in every once in a while, is it Japanese? find out below.
How to Count in Japanese
- Ichi – One
- Ni – Two
- San – Three
- Shi/Yon – Four (note: yon is usually four, shi is only used in certain situations because “Shi” also means “Death”)
- Go – Five
- Roku – Six
- Shichi/Nana – Seven (note: similar to “shi”, “shichi” is only used in certain situations, otherwise “nana” if more commonly used. The numerical pronunciation for shi is the same as death, therefore, unlucky.)
- Hachi – Eight
- Ku – Nine
- Ju – ten
- Ju Ichi – Eleven
- Ju Ni – Twelve
- Ju San – Thirteen
20. Ni Ju – Twenty
Body Parts in Japanese
- Atama/Men – Head
- Kami – Hair
- Hitai – Forehead
- Kasumi – Temple
- Chototsu – Atemi point between the eyes
- Kao – Face
- Mimi – Ear
- Me – Eye
- Hana – Nose
- Kuchi – Mouth
- Ha – Tooth
- Ago – Chin/Jaw
- Kubi – Neck
- Hichu – Windpipe
- Nodo – Throat
- Sakotsu – Collar Bone
- Kata – Shoulder
- Karada/Tai – Body
- Mune – Chest
- Eri – collar or lapel
- Sebone – Spine
- Katsusatsu – Spine between the shoulder blades
- Bitei Kotsu – Coccyx
- Abara/Rokkotsu – Ribs
- Ude/Wan – Arm
- Naiwan – Upper arm
- Hiji/Empi (or Enpi) – Elbow
- Gewan – Forearm
- Te – Hand
- Shute – Palm
- Tekubi – Wrist
- Kobushi/Ken – Fist
- Yubi – Finger
- Oyayubi – Thumb
- Jinzo – Kidney
- Hara – Stomach/Abdomen
- Heso – Belly Button
- Koshi – Hips/Waist
- Kinteki – Groin
- Ashi – Foot/Leg
- Mata – Thigh
- Hiza – Knee
- Ashikubi – Ankle
- Kakato – Heel
- Haisoku – Instep
- Tsumasaki – Toe
Japanese Adjectives, Directions, Movement & Positions
- Dan – Level
- Jodan – Upper (Level)
- Chudan – Middle (Level)
- Gedan – Low (Level)
- Dachi – Stance
- Kiba Dachi – Horse riding Stance
- Heisoku Dachi – Feet together stance
- Zenkutsu Dachi – Leg Forward stance
- Shizentai – Natural Stance
- Hidari – Left
- Migi – Right
- Ushiro – Back
- Mae – Front
- Yoko – Side
- Choku – Straight
- Gyaku – Reverse
- Naka – Center
- Mawatte – Turn Around
- Massugu – straight ahead
- Asoko – Over there
- Heiko – Parallel
- Juji – Cross
- Hiki – Pull, tug
- Irimi – Entering
- Barai/Harai – Sweep
- Kari – Reap (Changed to gari when used with a prefix word)
- Kaiten – Rotation
- Kagi – Hook
- Kiri – Cut
- Mikazuki – Crescent
- Ko – Minor/small
- O – Major/Large
- Kesa – Scarf (around the neck)
- Omote – Front or surface
- Muwatte – a foot movement used in turning between stances
- Seisa – Sitting position on heels
- Anza – Sitting position, cross legged
Japanese Martial Arts Techniques
- Furimi – Avoidance
- Choku Tsuki – Straight punch
- Fusegi – Escapes/Defences
- Waza – Technique
- Bunkai – Kata Technique Application
- Embusen or Enbusen – This is the term used to refer to the spot where a kata begins. In addition, nearly all kata start and end on exactly the same Embusen point.
- Geri or Keri – Kick
- Harau – Sweeping Techniques
- Kumite – Sparring
- Kata – Form or Pattern
- Kokyu-Ho – Breathing exercises
- Kihon – Basic
- Hikite – Pulling Hand (brining hand back to ready position)
- Kiai – Shout
- Empi-Uchi or Enpi-Uchi – Elbow Strike
- Ashi Barai – Foot Sweep
- Fumikomi – Stomp or Stomping Kick
- Shuto – Knife Hand
- Tsuki or Zuki – Punch
- Uke – Block
- Gedan Geri – Low Roundhouse Kick
- Kin Geri – Groin Kick
- Mae Geri – Front Kick
- Mae Geri Keage – Front Snap Kick
- Mae Geri Kekomi – Front Thrust Kick
- Mae Tobi Geri – Jumping Front Kick
- Uchi Mikazuki Geri – Inside Crescent Kick, In-To-Out Crescent Kick, etc.
- Nidan Tobi Geri also known as Nidan Geri – Jumping Double Front Kick
- Otoshi Mawashi Geri – Downward Roundhouse Kick, Circular Falling Kick, Falling Roundhouse Kick, etc.
- Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku – Tornado Kick
- Tobi Geri – Jumping Kick
- Tobi Hiza Geri – Jumping Knee Strike
- Tobi Mae Geri or Mae Tobi Geri – Jumping Front Kick
- Tobi Mawashi Geri – Jumping Roundhouse Kick
- Tobi Ushiro Geri – Jumping Back Kick
- Hiza Geri – Knee Strike
- Kakato Otoshi Geri – Axe Kick – Sometimes only referred to as Kakato Geri.
- Kansetsu Geri – Joint Kick (usually attacking an opponent’s knee)
- Mawashi Geri – Roundhouse Kick
- Mikazuki Geri – Crescent Kick
- Ura Mawashi Geri – Reverse Roundhouse Kick or Hook Kick
- Geri – Spinning Reverse Roundhouse Kick, Spinning Wheel Kick, Spinning Hook Kick, etc.
- Ushiro Geri – Back Kick
- Ushiro Geri Keage – Back Snap Kick
- Ushiro Geri Kekomi – Back Thrust Kick
- Yoko Geri – Side Kick
- Keage – Side Snap Kick
- Yoko Geri Kekomi – Side Thrust Kick
- Yoko Tobi Geri – Jumping Side Kick or Flying Side Kick
- Age-Zuki (Age-Tsuki) – Rising Punch
- Choku-Zuki (Choku-Tsuki) – Straight Punch
- Gyaku-Zuki (Gyaku-Tsuki) – Reverse Punch
- Haishu Uchi – Back Hand Strike
- Haito – Ridge Hand Strike
- Hasami Zuki – Scissor Punch
- Kage-Zuki – Hook Punch
- Kizami-Tsuki – Jab Punch
- Maswashi-Tsuki – Roundhouse Punch
- Morote-Zuki (Morote-Tsuki) – Double Fist Punch or Double U Punch
- Nukite – Spear Hand Strike
- Nihon Two Finger Spear
- Oi-Tsuki – Lunge Punch
- Shuto – Knife Hand Strike
- Tate-Tsuki – Vertical Punch
- Teisho Palm Heel Strike
- Tobikomi Zuki – Snap Punch
- Uraken – Back Fist Strike
- Ura-Tsuki – Upside-Down Punch or Inverted Punch (To The Solar Plexus)
- Yama-Tsuki – Two-Level Double Punch or Mountain Punch
- Tobi Yoko Geri or Yoko Tobi Geri – Jumping Side Kick or Flying Side Kick
- Tsumasaki Geri – Toe Kick
- Uchi Haisoku Geri – Twist Kick, Instep Kick, etc.
- Age Uke – Rising block
- Ashi waza – Foot and leg techniques
- Atemi – Strike to a vital area
- Atemi waza – Striking Techniques
- Dori (Toru) – To grab or capture.
- Hadaka Jime – Naked strangle
- Henka – Variation
- Juji Gatame – Cross lock/armbar
- Juji Jime – Cross choke
- Juji Uke )- Cross block
- Kaeshi ·- Countering Techniques. (Kaeshi also means to turn)
- Makkikomi – Winding throw
- De Ashi Barai – Advancing Foot Sweep
- Jiyu Kumite – Free sparring
- Ippon Seoi Nage – One arm shoulder throw
- Irimi nage – Entering throw
- Ensho – Round heel
- Jodan Uke – High block
- Kagi Tsuki – Hook punch
- Kaishu – Open hand
- Hiji Ate – Elbow strike
- Hiraken Tsuki – Horizontal fist punch
- Hiza Ate – Knee strike
- Hiza geri – Knee strike/kick
- Kake – The point at which a throw will take it’s maximal effect
- Kamae – Posture (or stance)
- Kani basami – Crab scissors
- Kansetsu – Joint Locking
- Kansetsu waza – Joint Locking techniques Kata-gatame – Shoulder pin
- Kata-guruma – Shoulder wheel (fireman’s lift throw)
- Kata-ha-jime – Single wing strangle
- Katame – Lock/Hold
- Katame Waza – Joint locking/immobilizing techniques.
- Kappo/Katsu – Resucitation & revival techniques
- Keri – Kick
- Keri waza – Kicking techniques
- Kesa Gatame – Scarf hold
- Kesa-Giri – Sash cut – A diagonal cut with a Japanese sword from shoulder to hip.
- Ko-soto-gari/gake ·- Minor/small outer reap/prop
- Kote Gaeshi – Wrist turnout lock/throw
- Ko-uchi-gari/gake – Minor inner reap/prop
- Koshi guruma – Hip wheel throw
- Ogoshi – Major/Large hip throw
- O-guruma – Major/Large Wheel
- O-soto-gari/gake – Major/Large outer reap/prop
- O-soto-guruma – Major/Large outer wheel
- O-soto-makkikomi – Major/Large outer winding throw
- O-soto-otoshi – Major outer drop
- O-uchi-gari/gake – Major inner reap/prop
- Nigiri – Grip (Gyakute nigiri -reversehand grip – Junte Nigiri – Normal grip)
- Nage – Throw
- Nage-no-kata – Throwing kata (usually used to refer to the Kodokan Nage-no-kata)
- Nage waza – Throwing methods
Commands & responses
- Hajime – Begin/Start
- Kiotsuke – Attention
- Hai – Yes
- Iie – No
- Mo Ichi Do – One More Time
- Rei – Bow
- Yame – Stop
- Kiwostuke – Attention
- Mate – Wait
- Otagai-ne-rei – Mutual bow to all assembled
Japanese Martial Arts Concepts
- Ki – Type of intrinsic energy. Known as Qi or Chi in Chinese martial arts.
- Mushin – Void or State of No Mind
- Do/Michi – (the) Way
- Budo – Martial ways (literally “way(s) of war)
- Go-no-sen – Responsive initiative
- Hyoshi – Timing/rhythm
- Ma-ai – Combative Distancing
- Kime – Focus
- Kuzushi – Unbalancing
- Munen mushin – Striking without conscience
- Mokuso – Meditation
- Mushin – No-mindedness
- Zanshin – Vigilance or awareness after a technique has been performed.
List of Japanese Nouns
- Anata – You
- Dojo – School (“Place of the Way”)
- Gi – Uniform
- Obi – Belt
- Sensei – Teacher/Instructor
- Tatami – Practice/Training Mat
- Bokken – Wooden sword
- Watashi – I (Me)
- Senpai or Sempai – Senior Student
- Deshi – Student of a system
- Ani-deshi – Senior student in the dojo (Lit: Big brother student)
- Katana – Japanese sword.
- Kodachi – Short sword. (Alternative term: Wakizashi or Shoto)
- Kohai – Beginner or junior student in the dojo
- Kyu – Coloured belt
- Naginata – A long polearm with a large cutting blade
How to Say “Hello” and “Thank You” in Japanese plus other Japanese terminology
- Domo – Thank You (Informal)
- Domo Arigato – Thank You (Formal)
- Dozo – Please
- Sayonara – Goodbye