Glossary of Directions and Destinations

Thu, Sep 19, 2019 There is a lot of movement in Karate. You need to know where to deliver the hit.

Directions and Destinations

Term	Nihonji	Description
age, n.	上げ	Rise. The noun form of the verb ageru, to raise sthg.
chū, n.	中	On-yomi pronunciation of naka, middle.
chūdan, n.	中段	Middle-level. See dan.
dan, n.	段	Rank/grade/level. Used for both ranking (e.g. shōdan) and to describe physical (e.g
gedan, n.	下段	Low level. See dan.
gyaku, n.	逆	Reverse/Opposite.
hantai, n.	反対	Reverse/Opposite.
happō, n.	八方	All sides. Literally, “eight directions.”
hidari, n. and adj.	左	Left.
jōdan, n.	上段	Upper level. See dan.
mae, adv.	n. 前	In front (of).
magatte, v.　曲がって (dictionary form: mawatte 曲が)	Turn.
mawatte,	回って	(dictionary form: mawaru 回る). Turn around (i.e. 180°).
migi, n.	右	Right.
naka, n.	中	Centre/middle. Note that its on-yumi pronounciation is chū, as in chūdan.
naname, adj	斜め	Slanted/diagonal.
oroshi, noun suffix	下ろし	Dropping.
sayū, n.	左右	Left and right. Yes, the Japanese have a word for “left and right.” Compare with zengo.
shihō, n.	四方	The four cardinal points of the compass. Compare with happō.
shita, n.	下	Beneath/below/under.
shōmen, n.	正面	Front/facade. The frontal plane, but it also refers to the front wall of honour.
soto, n.	外	Outside/exterior. Opposite of uchi (inside/interior).
uchi, n.	内	Interior, home. For uchi 打ち, “to strike”, see utsu.
ura, n.	裏	Rear. Hidden side.
ushiro, n.	後ろ	Back/behind/rear.
yoko, n.	横	Horizontal. Side. Examples: The city of Yokohama translates as “Horizontal Beach”. Yoko-geri (“Side-kick”) is more a horizontal side kick.
zengo, n.	前後	Front and rear. Compare with sayū, zenkutsu, kōkutsu, shinzen.