Titles Commonly Used
Osensei
Revered teacher, Greatest Teachers, Highly regarded or respected teacher
Soke
Head of family or lineage
Kaicho
President (of a society)
Kancho
Head of dojo
Shihan
Chief instructor, teacher of teachers.
Shihandai
Assistant shihan
Sensei
Teacher
Yudansha
Black belt grades
Senpai
Senior Student and/or Teachers Assistant [meaning Senior to yourself].
Okinawa Teaching Licences
Hanshisei
Senior leader to Model Instructors, to be modeled after.
Exemplary Illustrious.
Hanshi
Senior leader to Model Instructors, to be modeled after.
Exemplary Illustrious.
Kyoshi
Master, Teaching instructor [teacher of teachers].
Eminent Instructor; Master Instructor.
Renshi
Senior Expert, Professional, Training instructor.
Highly trained; High Attainment
Numbers
Japanese
Pronunciation
English
rei
ray
zero
ichi
eech
one
ni
nee
two
san
san
three
shi (yon)
she
four
go
go
five
roku
roke
six
shichi (nana)
seech
seven
hachi
hach
eight
ku
koo
nine
ju
joo
ten
ju ichi
joo eech
eleven
ju ni
joo nee
twelve
ju san
joo san
thirteen
ju shi
joo she
fourteen
ju go
joo go
fifteen
ju roku
joo roke
sixteen
ju shichi
joo seech
seventeen
ju hachi
joo hach
eighteen
ju ku
joo koo
nineteen
ni ju
nee joo
twenty
san ju
san joo
thirty
shi ju
she joo
forty
go ju
go joo
fifty
Commands and phrases
Japanese
Pronunciation
English
arigato gozaimasu
ah-ree-gah-toh goh-zai-mas
thank you very much
do itashimas’te
doh-ee-tash-ee ma-she-tay
you’re welcome
hajime
hah-jee-may
begin
kawate
kah-wah-tay
on guard
kime
ke-mee
focusing technique
kiotsuke
kee-oh-skay
stand up straight!
konbon wa
cone-bon wah
good evening
konnichi wa
cone-ichi-ee wah
good afternoon
koshi o ireru
ko-she o ee-re-roo
“putting in the hip”
mate
mah-tay
wait
mawatte
mah-wah-tay
turn around
mokuso
moh-koo-soh
quiet meditation
onegai shimasu
oh-neh-guy she-mas
please (teach me)
otagai ni
oh-tah-gah-ee nee
toward each other
otagai ni rei
oh-tah-gah-ee nee ray
bow to each other
otagai ni taishi
oh-tah-gah-ee nee ta(i)-sh(e)
face the teacher
rei
ray
bow with respect
sensei ni rei
sen-say nee ray
bow to the teacher
sensi ni taishi
sen-say nee ta(i)-sh(e)
face the teacher
shomen ni rei
shoh-men nee ray
bow to the front
shomen ni taishi
shoh-men nee ta(i)-sh(e)
face the front
shugo
shoo-go
line up, gather together
wakarimasen
wah-car-ee-mah-sin
I do not understand
wakarimasu
wah-car-ee-mas
I understand
wakarimasu ka?
wah-car-ee-mas kah
do you understand?
yame
yah-may
stop
yoi
yoy
ready, attention
Other words
Japanese
Pronunciation
English
atemi
ah-teh-me
strike (often to distract)
barai
bah-rye
sweep
bunkai
boon-keye
application of kata techniques
bushido
boo-she-doh
the way of the warrior
dai ichi
die-eech
The first
deshi
deh-she
student, pupil
dojo
doe-joe
place to learn the way
dogi (gi)
doe-ghee (ghee)
karate uniform
hai
hi
yes
hidari
hee-dah-ree
left
hojo undo
hoe-joe oon-doe
supplementary exercises
ido
ee-doe
moving, with movement
iya
ee-yay
no
jiyu kumite
jee-yu koo-meh-tay
freestyle sparring
junbi undo
joon-bee oon-doe
warmup exercises
karateka
kah-rah-tay-kah
karate student
kiai
key-eye
spirit yell
kihon
key-hon
basics
kiso tanren
key-soh tan-ren
foundation drill conditioning
kokyu ho
koh-kyu how
breathing methods
kotekitae
koh-teh-key-tay
arm pounding
kumite
koo-meh-tay
sparring
obi
oh-bee
belt
makiwara
mah-kee-wah-rah
striking board
migi
mee-gee
right
seiza
say-za
formal sitting on knees
shiai
she-eye
sparring match
sonoba
soh-no-bah
in place, not moving
waza
wah-zah
technique
yakusoku kumite
yah-k(oo)-soh-koo koo-meh-tay
pre-arranged sparring