People, Places and Equipment

Thu, Sep 19, 2019 Who is who, where they are, and the equipment they use.

People

Term	Nihonji	Description
Masutatsu (Mas) Oyama	大山倍達	Ōyama Masutatsu, the founder of Kyokushin-kai
Musashi, Miyamoto, proper n.	宮本武蔵	A famous 17th century swordsman and writer.
daihyō, n.	代表	Representative. Shinkyokushin’s chief uses this title.
kanchō, n.	長官	Director. May also be found in the dictionary under chōkan (官長). IKO-1’s chief uses this title.
karateka, n.	空手家	Karate practitioner
kōhai, n.	後輩	Junior student / junior colleague. See senpai.
mudansha, n.	無段者	A karateka without a black belt (yet :)).
otagai, n.	お互い	Your colleagues, literally “each other.”
senpai, n.	先輩.	Senior colleague/senior student.
sensei, n.	先生	Teacher. This is an honorific and a title (4)
shihan, n.	師範	Master. The kanji mean “expert example/model.”
shushin, n.	主審	Referee. The kanjis represent “principal judge.”
sōsai, n.	総裁	President (of an organization) (5)
uchi-deshi, n.	内弟子	Private student. Private apprentice. The kanjis represent “home younger brother child.”
yūdansha, n.	有段者	A black belt karateka. Literally “possess rank person.”

Places

Term	Nihonji	Description
Kiyosumi, Mount.	清澄山	Kiyosumi-san. A mountain in Chiba Prefecture, noted as the second place where Mas Oyama isolated himself. On the Pacific side of Tōkyō Bay
Mejiro, proper n.	目白	A minor residential district of central Tōkyō, just north of the National Garden
Minobu, Mount, proper n.	身延山	Minobu-san, a sacred mountain in Yamanashi Prefecture
Nihon, proper n.	日本	Japan. Not to be confused with nihon 二本 (two long cylindrical things).
honbu, n.	本部	Headquarters.

Equipment, Clothing, and Weapons

Term	Nihonji	Description
bō, n.	棒	A pole. A stick.
dōgi, n.	道着	Martial arts uniform. Literally, “uniform of the way.”
dōjō, n.	道場	Martial arts training hall. Literally, “place of the way”
katana, n.	刀	The Japanese long-sword.
kimono, n.	着物	traditional clothing.
makiwara, n.	巻藁	A padded striking post.
nunchaku, n.	ヌンチャク.	Okinawan short sticks tied with rope or chain.
obi, n.	帯	Sash (i.e., kimono belt). For example, Kuro-obi: black belt.
tonfā, n.	トンファー	Okinawan night-stick.
tō, n.	刀	The on-yomi pronunciation of katana, the Japanese long-sword. Used in compound words such as shutō, sokutō, tōho, etc.
uwagi, n.	上着	Your uniform tunic.
zubon, n.	ズボン	Your uniform trousers. From the French, “jupon.”