| karate-do | Way of
the empty hand | |
| sensei | Someone who has gone before you who is older and wiser | The head of a school is normally called sensei. Our Sensei is Robert Menders, Nanadan. In American
culture it is about equivilant to saying Sir. |
| sempai | senior | Normally
used to indicate the senior student of a teacher, who instructs when sensei is not available and helps with directing the
dojo and its members. |
| kohai | junior | You will be kohai your first class! We line up in rank order facing the instructor. The senior
student will be to the instructors left, you would be all the way to the right. |
| dohai | equal rank | Those wearing
the same colored obi you do. |
| dojo | place
to learn the way | We bow as we enter and leave the dojo floor. |
| rei | bow | |
| yoi | ready | Usually
said to insure everyone is ready to begin a kata. We raise up on our toes and back down so the instructor knows we are ready
to start. |
| hajime | begin | |
| yame | stop | |
| hai | yes | "Hai, Sensei!" isn't a greeting! It
is a respectful answer when taught something new or to indicate you understand what has been shared. |
| kime | focus | |
| seiza | formal seated position | You'll be taught this in class. |
| mokuso | meditation | |
| jodan | upper or high area | |
| chudan | middle area | |
| gedan | lower area | |
| kamae | combative posture | |
| kanji | executive secretary | The individual assigned
as the secretary for the dojo. |
| kata | pre-arranged
formal exercise, the root of our training is doing kata | There are over twenty kata
that we routinely study, along with a few others that are occasionally taught. (See the Requirements page for the listing.) |
| kumite | pre-arranged
drill or sparring | We learn 16, sometimes called one/two/three step drills in other
styles. |
| bunkai | application of
kata | These introduce some of the techniques the kata represents. |
| makiwara | Flexible punching board | A key part of Okinawan Karate, it is used to build strength and insure proper punching. |
| gi (sometimes dogi) | training uniform | |
| obi | The colored belts | |
| sensei rei | Bow
to the instructor | |
| one-gaishi-masu | Please help me or Teach me | Said as a greeting to your
training partner and to the instructor at the beginning of class. The u at the end is almost entirely silent |
| domo arigato gozaimasu | thank you very much | Said at the end of class The u at the end is almost entirely silent |
