a          like the a in “arm”

ai         like the ie in “lie”

e          like the e in “egg”

ei         Like the ay in “hay”

g          Like the g in “get”

i           Like the i in “India”

j           Like the j in “Japan”

o          Like the o in “hot” but shorter

ô          Long pronunciation of o like in “open”

r          Like the r in “very” (as a midway of the English r and i)

u          Like the u in “full”

û          Long pronunciation of u like in “boot”

y        Like the y in “yes”

z          Like the z in “zero”

In some syllables the u is hardly pronounced for example oi-zuki = oi-zki, or silent as in hangetsu or onegaishimasu.

In some compositions, the first consonant on the second part of the word changes.

The h in harai becomes b as in gedan-barai

The h in hon becomes p as in ippon, or b as in sanbon, or stays h as in gohon

The k in keri becomes g as in yoko-geri

The ts in tsuki becomes z as in gyaku-zuki

And the t in tachi becomes d in kiba-dachi

arigatô - Thank You (Informal)  dômo arigatô gozaimasu - thank you very much. 

bo - Staff (Weapon)

bunkai - application analysis/breakdown

chûdan - Middle (Stomach Level)

dachi - Stance

dan - Black Belt Rank

dôjô - School (Martial Arts)  dôjô - do means “way”  jô means “place” The place of the way/training room

dôjô kun (Five Rules for Behaviour) - Training Hall Rules - see here

dôzo - Please (accept / do)

embusen - Line of movement

gasshuku - Training seminar (tough time)

gedan - Lower (Groin or Lower Level)

geri (or keri) - Kick

gi (Gee) - Uniform  dôgi” outfit or uniform

hai (sounds like Hi) - Yes (ee - less formal)

hajime - Begin

ie - No (false)

jôdan - Upper (Head Level)

karate-dô - empty hand way

kata - Form (or Pattern)  sentei kata = Selected kata,   shitei kata = designated kata (a group of kata that should be known at a certain level), tokui kata = favourite kata

koshi kaiten - Hip Rotation

kiai - Yell - ki - spirit;  ai - together, combined

kihon - Basics

kohai - One's junior

kumite - Sparring

kime - Focus

kyu - Colour Belt Rank

maai - Distancing (The correct distance between two opponents)

makiwara - Punching Board

mokuso - Meditate

nage waza - Throwing Techniques

mawatte - Turn Around

obi - Uniform Belt

osu (Oss)- Persevere When Pushed (Will Try My Best) In karate, also means please, thank you, I understand, sorry.  When spoken while performing a bow expresses respect, sympathy and confidence in one’s partner.

rei - Respect / bow

seiretsu - Line Up

seiken - Forefist

seiza - Kneeling Formal Position

sempai - One's senior

sensei - Instructor (Martial Arts Teacher)

sensei ni rei - bow to the Teacher

shihan - Teacher / Master of a higher rank

shomen ni rei - Bow to the front

uchi - Strike

uke - To receive (Block or the Defender)

yame - Stop

yasume - Relax

yoko - side, sideways

yoi - Ready, prepare

waza - Technique

zuki (or tsuki) - Punch

ichi - One

ni - Two

san - Three

shi (or yon) -Four

go - Five

roku -Six

shichi - Seven

hachi - Eight

kyû (or kû) – Nine

Ju - Ten

jû ichi - Eleven

jû ni - Twelve

jû san - Thirteen

jû shi - Fourteen

jû go - Fifteen

jû roku - Sixteen

jû shichi - Seventeen

jû hachi - Eighteen

jû kyu - Nineteen

ni jû - Twenty

san jû - Thirty

shi jû - Forty

go jû - Fifty

hyaku - Hundred

ni hyaku - Two Hundred

sen - Thousand

uke - To receive (block)

age uke - Rising Block

gedan barai - Down Block

hiji uke - Elbow block

juji uke - X Block

kake uke - Hook Block

kakiwake uke - Wedge Block

kakutô uke - Crane Head Block

keito uke - Chicken Hand Block

manji uke - Vortex Block (simultaneous jodan uchi uke and gedan barai)

morote uke - Reinforced Block (Augmented Block)

nagashi uke - Sweeping Block

osae uke - Pressing Block

shuto uke - Knife Hand Block

soto uke - Outside Forearm Block

sukui uke - Scooping Block

teisho uke - Palm Block (Palm Heel Block)

tsukami uke - Grasping Block

uchi uke –Inside Forearm Block

zuki (or tsuki) - Punch

uchi - Strike

age zuki - Rising Punch

choku zuki - Straight punch

gyaku zuki - Reverse Punch

empi uchi - Elbow Strike

haito uchi - Ridge Hand Strike

ippon ken zuki - One Knuckle Strike (first knuckle)

kage zuki - Hook Punch

kizami zuki - Jab Punch

mawashi zuki - Roundhouse Punch

morote zuki - Double Punch

nakadaka ippon ken zuki - One knuckle strike (second knuckle)

nukite uchi - Spear Hand Strike

nihon nukite uchi – Two Finger Spear strike

oi zuki - Lunge Punch

sanbon zuki - Triple Punch

shotei uchi - Palm Heel Strike

shuto uchi - Knife Hand Strike

tetsui uchi - Hammer Fist Strike

ura zuki - Uppercut Punch

uraken uchi or riken uchi - Back Fist

yama zuki - Two-Level Double Punch or Mountain Punch

ashi barai - Foot Sweep

fumakomi geri - Stomp Kick

keri - Kick (or * geri when prefixed with type of kick ie; mae geri)

gyaku mawashi geri - Reverse Round Kick

hiza geri - Knee Strike

kakato geri - Heel Kick

kin geri - Groin Kick (top of foot)

mae geri - Front Kick

mae tobi geri - Front Jump Kick (Back Leg First)

mawashi geri - Round Kick

mikazuki geri - Crescent Kick

ushiro geri - Back Thrust Kick

ushiro mawashi geri - Spinning Back Roundhouse Kick

ura mawashi geri - Back Hook Kick

yoko geri keage - Side Snap Kick

yoko geri kekomi - Side Thrust Kick

dachi - Stance

fudô dachi - Rooted Stance (Immovable Stance)

hachiji dachi - Open Leg Stance / Natural Stance

heiko dachi - Parallel Stance

hangetsu dachi -Half Moon Stance

heisoku dachi - Attention Stance - Feet Together)

kamae – Fighting stance

kiba dachi - Horse Riding Stance

kôkutsu dachi - Back Stance

kôsa dachi - Crossed Feet Stance

musubi dachi - Attention Stance (Feet in V Shape)

neko ashi dachi - Cat Stance (or Cat Foot Stance)

sanchin dachi - Hourglass Stance

shiko dachi - Sumo Stance

sôchin dachi - Strong Calm Stance

teiji dachi - T Stance

tsuru ashi dachi - Crane-foot Stance

zenkutsu dachi - Front Stance

go-hon kumite - 5 step Sparring

san-bon kumite - 3 step Sparring

kihon-ippon kumite - Basic 1 step Sparring

kaeshi-ippon - Return 1 step Sparring

jiyu-ippon kumite - Semi-freestyle Sparring

okuri Jiyu-ippo kumite - 2 step semi-freestyle sparring

jiyu kumite - Freestyle Sparring

go no sen - seizing the initiative later i.e. block first then strike

sen no sen - seizing the initiative earlier i.e. block and strike at the same time

hanmi gamae - Fighting stance

shomen - Square facing

hanmi - Side facing

tori - Attacker

tai sabaki - Shift body out of line of attack

tsuru ashi - Sliding your feet

tsugi ashi - Step-up with the back foot and then advance the front foot

yori ashi - Slide in closer with your front foot first, then slide up your back foot

maai - Distancing, timing and attitude respective to your opponent

ashikubi - Ankle

ude/wan - Arm

mimi - Ear

hiji or enpi (sounds like En-pee or Em-pee) - Elbow

me - Eye

kao - Face

yubi - Finger

ken - Fist

ashi - Foot

hitai - Forehead 

kinteki - Groin

hara/tanden (the centre of balance, located 50mm below the navel) - Centre Of Gravity

kami - Hair

te - Hand

atama (sounds like Ah-ta-ma) - Head

kakato (sounds like Ka-ka-toe) - Heel

ago - Jaw

hiza (sounds like he-zah) - Knee

kuchi - Mouth

hana - Nose

shute - Palm of Hand

kata - Shoulder

mizoochi - Solar plexus

komekami - Temple

nodo (sounds like No-doe) - Throat

ashi no yubi - Toes

tsumasaki - Toetips

tekubi - Wrist