- Age Tsuki – Rising punch
- Age Uke – Rising block
- Ashi – Foot
- Atama – Head
- Atemi – A quick, stunning strike; usually a surprise that gives sharp pain and distracts the opponent.
- Bo – 6 foot wooden staff tapering from 1 inch in the center to 3/4 inches on each end.
- Bogu – Kumite utilizing protective armor.
- Budo – Martial Arts (Literally "War" "Way")
- Bunkai – Interpretation of kata movements
- Bushi – Warrior (knight)
- Bushido – Way of the warrior (Literally "War" "Person" "Way")
- Chizikun Bo – Mistake in translation when Taika Seiyu Oyata introduced the weapon in the US. See Tijikun Bo.
- Choto Mate – Wait (Wait a minute)
- Chudan – Middle (Solar Plexus level)
- Chudan uke – Middle block
- Count to 10 in Japanese – 1 – ichi; 2 – ni; 3 – san; 4 – shi; 5 – go; 6 – roku; 7 – shichi; 8- hachi; 9 – ku; 10 – to or ju.
- Dachi – Stance
- Dai Sempai – Most senior student
- Dan – Black belt rank
- Do – Chest protector used in Bogu (Note: Do also means way or path; however the kanji is different and this is not what is meant here)
- Dojo – The place where the "way" of karate is taught.
- Domo Arigato – Thank you very much.
- Dozo – Please
- Eiku – A boat oar unique in design.
- Empi – Elbow
- Gedan – Low area (bladder level)
- Gedan Uke – Low block
- Geri – Kick
- Gi – The karate uniform
- Gyaku Tsuki – Reverse Punch
- Haijime – Begin
- Haishu – Back of hand
- Haisoku – Instep
- Haito – Ridge hand
- Hanna – Nose
- Hanshi – Highest level of instructor; 10th degree red belt
- Hara – Point just below the navel. It is considered the center of energy of the body.
- Hidari – Left
- Hito no Michi – The way of the human or the human way
- Hiza – Knee
- Ippon – Call given when a point is scored in a sparring match
- Ippon ken – One knuckle fist
- Jo – 48- to 50-inch wooden staff can be tapered as the bo or with a reverse taper (larger at each end)
- Jodan – High (Face Level)
- Jodan Uke – High block
- Jiu Kumite – Free Form Fighting
- Jutsu – Art; karate jutsu, jujutsu, etc.
- Kake – Simply means to cross, but refers the striking motion of the arms as they cross.
- Kakuto – Heel
- Kama – Bladed sickle originally used to cut sugarcane and rice.
- Kamae – Fighting stance or posture
- Karate – Literally means "Empty Hand". Indigenous fighting art that was imported from Okinawa.
- Kata – Formalized Exercise – techniques of karate strung together in a pattern that is repeated the same way each time it is executed.
- Keage – "Snap" as in front snap kick
- Kekomi – "Thrust" as in front thrust kick.
- Ken – Closed Fist
- Kiai – “Spirit Shout”. The yell given when focus is put onto a technique.
- Kiba Dachi – Horse Stance
- Kime – Focus; exerting all one’s energy into a technique.
- Kihon – Basic or fundamental
- Kobudo – Ancient Martial Arts (Most of the time refers to weapons) (Literally, "Ancient" "War" "Way")
- Kogeki – Attacker
- Konbanwa – Good Evening
- Konichiwa – Hello or Good afternoon
- Kote – Gloves used in Bogu
- Kumite – Sparring
- Kuzushi – 1) Advanced or complicated; 2) Off balance
- Kyoshi – 7th and 8th degree black belts
- Kyotsuke – Attention (Formal Stance)
- Kyu – Indicates a rank under black belt
- Kyusho – Vital point or nerve strikes
- Kyusho Jitsu – Art of vital point striking
- Mae –Front
- Mae Geri – Front Kick
- Makiwara – Straw rope covered board used to toughen the knuckles and other parts of the hand and feet.
- Manji – Sai with prongs facing in opposite directions
- Mawashi – Round or around
- Mawashi Geri – Roundhouse Kick
- Mawate – Turn
- Men – Headgear used in Bogu
- Mi – Eye
- Migi – Right
- Modote – Return to ready
- Moichido – One more time
- Mudansha – Ranks (Students) under black belts
- Naha Te – Hand of Naha
- Neko Dachi – cat stance
- Nin Tai – Perseverance
- Nukite – Spear hand
- Nunchaku – Wooden flail; two pieces of wood attached with a cord that is swung and twirled in order to strike an opponent; can also be used to trap weapons and limbs.
- Nunte – Manji attached to the end of a bo
- Obi – Belt
- Ohio Gozaimasu – Good Morning
- Oyasumi Nasai – Good night and have a good rest. Said if the student is going home and then to sleep.
- Oyata Shin Shu Ho – To strive to attain true moral goodness and to express it through one’s every action.
- Rei – The command for bowing.
- Renshi – 5th and 6th degree black belts
- RyuTe – Means hands of the Ryukyu. The name of the style of karate. Gives credit to the Ryukyu Islands for development of karate as we practice it.
- San Kaku Dachi – Triangle stance. Similar to cat’s stance except the feet are turned as if the line up with the sides of a triangle.
- Seisan Dachi – Front Stance
- Seiza – Formal sitting (kneeling) position.
- Sensei – Teacher.
- Shihan – Usually refers to the dojo owner; however, must be rank of 5th degree and above.
- Shinza – Sometimes called a "Kamiza". The place where the spirit resides. This is usually in the form of shrine and may contain pictures of the head master and other items that are significant to the dojo. This is usually placed in the front center of the dojo.
- Shomen – Front
- Shuri Te – Hand of Shuri
- Shuto – Open hand (Knife/sword hand)
- Soto Uke Outside block
- Surichin 6ft rope with weights tied to both ends
- Taika – One who has gone beyond mastery of technique. One who has developed his own ideas and concepts.
- Tai Sabaki – Body shifting
- Tan Bo – Two short sticks, about 2 ft. long, used in pairs for striking and grappling.
- Tan Mei – A very respectful way to say old man only used for someone from the warrior class.
- Tameshi Wara – A test of spirit; The art of breaking boards, bricks, etc.
- Tasshi – 9th degree black belt
- Te – Hand
- Teisho – Heel of the palm
- Tijikun Bo – Literally Fist Bo. Two short sticks, about 6 inches in length, held in the palm of the hand with a string around the middle finger. They are used to strike and poke and greatly enhance tuite and kyuso strikes.
- To Te – Chinese hand (Refers to the Tang Dynasty of China)
- Todame – Strong, final blow, that usually incapacitates the opponent.
- Tomari Te – Hand of Tomari
- Tonfa – Originally the handle for a grinder; used as a flail to spin and strike opponents.
- Tsuki – Punch
- Tuite – Literally “grab hand”. Grappling techniques hidden in Ryu-Te kata
- Uchi – Strike
- Ude – Arm
- Uke – Block; also means defender when practicing with a partner.
- Uraken – Back fist
- Ushiro – Rear or back
- Ushiro Geri – Back Kick
- Wakarimasen – I don’t understand.
- Wakarimaska – Do you understand?
- Wakarimasu – I understand.
- Waza – Technique
- Yame – Stop.
- Yoi – Ready Position.
- Yoko – Side
- Yoko Geri – Side Kick
- Yudansha – Those who have reached black belt level.
- Zenkutsu Dachi – Front Stance
