Definitions

Definitions

Words in blue are Korean, red are Japanese and white are Okinawan.

Bassai - the Japanese name for the Okinawan kata Passai

Bu - martial or military

Charyut - attention

Dan - degree of Black Belt rank

Dojo - karate studio

Dojang - karate studio

Dora - turn

Empi - the Japanese name for the Okinawan kata Wanshu

Gi - karate uniform

Giecho - basic

Gup - any rank below Black Belt

Hyung - fighting techniques performed sequentially (forms)

Il - first

Junbi - ready stance

Karate - empty hand

Kata - fighting techniques performed sequentially (forms)

Kyung-ne - bow

Nahanchi - a series of kata in Okinawan karate that is known for using only lateral movements

Oh - fifth

Passai - a kata from Shuri-te that we know as Bassai

Parro - return to ready stance

Pyong An Hyungs - a series of five forms named after the karate Heian series (Japanese) or Pinan series (Okinawan), literally means peace/tranquility

Sa - fourth

Sahm - third

Shuri-te - an empty-hand style of fighting from the Okinawan area of Shuri, more commonly known today as Shorin-Ryu

Tang Soo Do - our martial art which literally means Tang Hand Way. Tang is a reference to the Tang dynasty. This is a Korean martial art which consists of hand and foot techniques and is oriented more toward self defense than sport karate.

Tomari-te - one of the original styles of Okinawan karate

Wanshu - a kata from Tomari-te that we know as Empi

Yi - second

For comments or questions about this web site, contact webmaster@karatecorner.com.