Matsubayashi-ryū technical vocabulary — a reference

Karate vocabulary is mostly Japanese kanji compounds, and knowing the characters often reveals structure that pronunciation alone obscures. Zenkutsu-dachi is 前屈立ち — front-bent stance. Gyaku-zuki is 逆突き — reverse punch. Once you see the characters, the logic of the naming falls out almost by itself.

This is a working reference — the technical vocabulary I find myself reaching for in Matsubayashi-ryū practice, organized by category, with kanji where I’m confident of the standard form. I expect to revise it as I learn. Italicized entries carry brief notes on distinctive usage or Matsubayashi-specific emphasis. Terms marked with an Okinawan origin (rather than a Japanese kanji reading) appear without kanji where there isn’t a standard character form.

This reference follows the organization in Nagamine’s Essence of Okinawan Karate-Dō where applicable, extended with terms that appear in regular dōjō practice but not always in the published literature.

Stances (立ち / tachi, dachi)

Term	Kanji	Meaning
shizen-tai	自然体	natural body; basic ready posture
shizen-dachi	自然立ち	natural stance
heisoku-dachi	閉足立ち	feet-together stance
musubi-dachi	結び立ち	heels together, toes out 45°
hachiji-dachi	八字立ち	“figure-eight” stance; feet at shoulder width, toes slightly out
heikō-dachi	平行立ち	parallel stance
uchi-hachiji-dachi	内八字立ち	inward figure-eight; feet slightly pigeon-toed
zenkutsu-dachi	前屈立ち	front-bent stance; weight forward
kōkutsu-dachi	後屈立ち	back-bent stance; weight on rear leg
naihanchi-dachi	内歩進立ち	Naihanchi stance; feet turned slightly inward, as if riding
shiko-dachi	四股立ち	sumo-style stance; feet turned out 45°, deep squat
jigotai-dachi	自護体立ち	“self-protecting body” stance; in some dōjō usage equivalent to shiko-dachi
neko-ashi-dachi	猫足立ち	cat stance; weight on rear leg, front foot light on ball
sagi-ashi-dachi	鷺足立ち	heron stance; one leg raised, other supporting
kōsa-dachi	交差立ち	crossed-leg stance
sanchin-dachi	三戦立ち	“three-battles” stance; hourglass, tension throughout
naname-zenkutsu-dachi	斜め前屈立ち	diagonal front-bent stance

Matsubayashi favors the naturally-depthed stances (shizen-tai, zenkutsu, neko-ashi) over the very deep stances (shiko, sanchin). This is a deliberate design choice about mobility which I discuss separately in the article on the three aspects of a stance.

The hand as a weapon

Term	Kanji	Meaning
seiken	正拳	fore-fist; the two large knuckles
uraken	裏拳	back-fist
tettsui	鉄槌	hammer-fist (pinky side)
shutō	手刀	knife-hand (outer edge)
haitō	背刀	ridge-hand (inner edge, thumb side)
teishō	底掌	palm heel
nukite	貫手	spear-hand (fingertips)
kumade	熊手	“bear-hand”; bent-finger claw
ippon-ken	一本拳	one-knuckle fist (index knuckle protruding)
nakadaka-ken	中高拳	middle-finger-knuckle fist
hiraken	平拳	flat-knuckle fist (second joints)
hiji	肘	elbow
empi / hiji-ate	猿臂 / 肘当て	elbow strike

The foot and leg as weapons

Term	Kanji	Meaning
koshi	腰	hip (and by extension, the waist-driven part of most body mechanics)
chūsoku	中足	ball of the foot
haisoku	背足	instep
sokutō	足刀	edge of the foot; “knife-foot”
kakato	踵	heel
tsumasaki	爪先	toe-tip
hiza	膝	knee
sune	脛	shin

The toe-tip kick (tsumasaki-geri) is a signature of Matsubayashi, transmitted through Nagamine from his first teacher Ankichi Arakaki, who was famous for it.

Strikes and punches (突き / tsuki, uchi)

Term	Kanji	Meaning
tsuki	突き	thrust; generic term for punches
seiken-zuki	正拳突き	fore-fist punch
oi-zuki	追い突き	“chasing” or lunge punch; same-side arm and leg move together
gyaku-zuki	逆突き	reverse punch; opposite arm to lead leg
kizami-zuki	刻み突き	jab; short front-hand punch
ura-zuki	裏突き	close-range punch, palm-up
nidan-zuki	二段突き	double punch
sanban-zuki	三番突き	triple punch
nejikomi-zuki	捩じ込み突き	screw-in punch (short, twisting)
uraken-uchi	裏拳打ち	back-fist strike
shutō-uchi	手刀打ち	knife-hand strike
tettsui-uchi	鉄槌打ち	hammer-fist strike
nukite-zuki	貫手突き	spear-hand thrust

Kicks (蹴り / keri, geri)

Term	Kanji	Meaning
geri / keri	蹴り	kick (generic)
mae-geri	前蹴り	front kick
yoko-geri	横蹴り	side kick
mawashi-geri	回し蹴り	roundhouse kick
ushiro-geri	後ろ蹴り	back kick
kansetsu-geri	関節蹴り	joint kick (low, to knee or leg)
kin-geri	金蹴り	groin kick
hiza-geri	膝蹴り	knee strike
nami-gaeshi	波返し	“returning wave” kick; the signature kick of Naihanchi
fumi-komi	踏み込み	stamping step or kick
tobi-geri	跳び蹴り	jumping kick
kekomi	蹴込み	thrust kick
keage	蹴上げ	snap kick (rising, springing)

Blocks (受け / uke)

Term	Kanji	Meaning
uke	受け	“receive”; generic term for blocks
jōdan-uke / age-uke	上段受け / 揚げ受け	upper or rising block
chūdan-uke	中段受け	middle block
gedan-barai	下段払い	low sweep/parry
soto-uke	外受け	outward block (moving from inside to out)
uchi-uke	内受け	inward block (moving from outside to in)
shutō-uke	手刀受け	knife-hand block
morote-uke	諸手受け	reinforced (two-hand) block
kakiwake-uke	掻き分け受け	wedge block; signature opening of Pinan Nidan
kake-uke	掛け受け	hooking block
sukui-uke	掬い受け	scooping block
osae-uke	押さえ受け	pressing block
ryōte-uke	両手受け	two-hand block
jōge-uke	上下受け	up-down split block
kaiten-uke	回転受け	rotating / turning block

Levels of attack

Term	Kanji	Meaning
jōdan	上段	upper level — neck and above
chūdan	中段	middle level — navel to neck
gedan	下段	lower level — below the navel

Direction and body orientation

Term	Kanji	Meaning
mae	前	front
ushiro	後ろ	back
yoko	横	side
hidari	左	left
migi	右	right
soto	外	outside
uchi	内	inside
mawashi	回し	turning
naname	斜め	diagonal
gyaku	逆	reverse

Stepping and movement

Term	Kanji	Meaning
ayumi-ashi	歩み足	walking step; feet alternate, as in normal walking
yori-ashi	寄り足	shuffling step; feet stay in the same order
tsugi-ashi	継ぎ足	sliding step; rear foot catches up to the lead
fumi-komi-ashi	踏み込み足	stamping step
tenshin	転身	body turn
tenkan	転換	changing direction
irimi	入り身	entering; body shift to the inside of an attack

Body mechanics and principles

Term	Kanji	Meaning
hara	腹	belly; figurative center
tanden	丹田	lower abdomen; the traditional seat of power
koshi	腰	hip / waist — the center of most motion
kokyū	呼吸	breath, breathing
kiai	気合	“spirit meeting”; the shout at the moment of committed action
kime	極め	focus; the point of committed impact
zanshin	残心	“remaining mind”; awareness that continues after technique
mushin	無心	“no-mind”; unconstrained readiness
ma-ai	間合い	engagement distance
hyōshi	拍子	rhythm, timing
sen	先	initiative
go no sen	後の先	initiative after attack — block then counter
sen no sen	先の先	initiative with attack — simultaneous
sen-sen no sen	先々の先	initiative before attack — pre-emptive
hikite	引き手	pulling hand; the retracting hand that balances a strike

Okinawan body concepts

Three terms stand apart from the broader Japanese karate vocabulary because they come from Okinawan rather than mainland Japanese usage. Matsubayashi inherits them along with the rest of its Okinawan technical language.

Term	Meaning
gamaku	core / hip connection; the coordinated use of the pelvic girdle to generate power through the body
chinkuchi	connective tension at the moment of kime; the instantaneous whole-body bracing that transmits force
muchimi	“heavy stickiness”; a quality of weighted, adhesive motion — especially in Tomari-te and Naha-te derived movements

These three concepts describe how Okinawan karate generates and transmits power in a way that distinguishes it from harder Japanese styles. They are hard to teach verbally and easier to recognize in the room with a teacher who has them.

Training and practice concepts

Term	Kanji	Meaning
kata	型	form
bunkai	分解	analysis (of kata); breaking it into its applications
ōyō	応用	application; practical combative use
dentō	伝統	tradition; the formal, transmitted version
kihon	基本	fundamentals
kumite	組手	paired hands; sparring, in all forms
yakusoku kumite	約束組手	prearranged sparring
jiyū kumite	自由組手	free sparring
kiso tanren	基礎鍛練	foundation training / drilling
kihon undō	基本運動	basic exercises / kata-derived drills
ude tanren	腕鍛練	arm conditioning
kotegitai	小手鍛え	forearm conditioning
makiwara	巻藁	striking post
embusen	演武線	performance line; the floor pattern of a kata

Dentō and ōyō deserve separate emphasis. The distinction — formal traditional bunkai versus practical application bunkai — is particularly important at senior ranks and is discussed in its own piece: Dentō bunkai and ōyō bunkai.

Ceremonial and organizational vocabulary

Term	Kanji	Meaning
dōjō	道場	place of the way
shinden	神殿	shrine, altar
sensei	先生	teacher
sōke	宗家	head of the family / headmaster
kaichō	会長	association president
fuku-kaichō	副会長	vice president
hanshi	範士	exemplary teacher (typically 8th–10th Dan)
kyōshi	教士	teacher (6th–7th Dan)
renshi	錬士	polished teacher (4th–5th Dan)
shodan	初段	first-degree black belt
nidan	二段	second-degree
sandan	三段	third-degree
yondan	四段	fourth-degree
godan	五段	fifth-degree
yūdansha	有段者	dan-holder (black belt)
mudansha	無段者	non-dan (pre-black belt)
seiza	正座	formal seated posture
onegai shimasu	お願いします	“please” (formal opening request; said at bow-in)
arigatō gozaimashita	ありがとうございました	“thank you” (past, formal; said at bow-out)
kiotsuke	気を付け	attention
yoi	用意	ready
hajime	始め	begin
yame	止め	stop

A note on transliteration

There are several romanization systems for Japanese. This article uses a modified Hepburn system: long vowels with macrons (ō, ū), distinct shi/chi/tsu for the relevant moras, n before labials written as n rather than m. This diverges slightly from some older karate books, which may write dojo for dōjō, shuto for shutō, Goju for Gōjū, and so on. The spellings here aim to preserve the vowel lengths that matter for pronunciation.

Some Okinawan-origin terms (gamaku, chinkuchi, muchimi) do not have widely standardized kanji representations and appear here without them.