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

1. Ichi – One
2. Ni – Two
3. San – Three
4. Shi/Yon – Four (note: yon is usually four, shi is only used in certain situations because “Shi” also means “Death”)
5. Go – Five
6. Roku – Six
7. 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.)
8. Hachi – Eight
9. Ku – Nine
10. Ju – ten
11. Ju Ichi – Eleven
12. Ju Ni – Twelve
13. 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