Dictionary
Here is a basic list of some of the Japanese terminology used here, and a rough translation as the words are used in this text. The Japanese language is very complex, and sometimes a word may have several different meanings. The only way to really know which meaning is correct is to read the "Kanji" or pictogram, and even then you would have to understand the context of the sentence it was used in. This small list is a brief description of some of the terminology used in this site and the definition as it applies here.
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| Karate | Empty-hand |
| Te | Hand |
| Shuri, Naha, Tomari | Cities/Towns in Okinawa |
| Ryu-ha | Style Association |
| Kai-ha | Company/Corporate Association |
| Kumite | Sparring |
| Kata | Preset Patterns defining each style |
| Kihon | Basic Technique |
| Kyu | Grades of Color Belts - Lowest is 10th Kyu, highest is 1st Kyu |
| Dan | Grade of Black Belt - Lowest is 1st Dan, highest is 10th Dan |
| Kaiso | Founder |
| Kaicho | Association President |
| Saiko Shihan | Grand Master |
| Shihan | Master/Teacher (Over 5th Dan) |
| Renshi | First Shihan Grade (5th/6th Dan) |
| Kyoshi | Second Shihan Grade (7th/8th Dan) |
| Hanshi | Third Shihan Grade (8th, 9th, 10th Dan) |
| Sensei | Teacher (Not dependant on Dan level, although in IKGA usually anyone over Sandan can be Sensei) |
| Jokyo | Grade of Instructor under Shihan (4th/5th Dan) |
| Shidoin | Grade of Instructor under Jokyo (3rd Dan) |
| Honbu | Head Dojo/Headquarters |
Calgary Gojukai | Dojo: 10709 Rocky Ridge Blvd NW Calgary, Ab, Canada | Tel: (403)245-4927 | Email: calgarygojukai@gmail.com
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