Throughout our training materials, we refer to various directions, angles, and positions. We will cover the most salient of these terms in this article so that you have one central place to visit when you encounter a term you no longer recall or that is foreign to you. You can sort the various tables by clicking on the header of the column by which you wish to sort.
General Directions
The table below lists common general directional terms that we use quite frequently. You may on occasion find other terms in use, but these are usually defined in the vocabulary section of the relevant student manual. If you cannot find a term listed here, then check your student manual (or earlier student manuals) to see if it is provided in the vocabulary list.
| English | Japanese |
|---|---|
| Right | Migi |
| Up, Over | Ue |
| Down, Under | Shita |
| Front | Mae |
| Back, Behind | Ushiro |
| Side, Horizontal | Yoko |
| Circular, Rotating, Round | Mawashi |
| Rising | Age |
| Drop | Orosu |
| Vertical | Tate |
| Ascending | Noboru |
| Descending | Kakou |
| Raising | Ageru |
| Lowering | Sageru |
Hierarchical Terms
Here are common terms you will find related to elevation or hierarchy levels. You will often find similar variations to these terms that suggest some form of ranking or hierarchy is being employed.
| English | Japanese |
|---|---|
| High Level | Jodan |
| Mid Level | Chudan |
| Lower Level | Gedan |
| Rank before Black Belt | Kyu (e.g. Yonkyu) |
| Rank after Black Belt | Dan (e.g. Nidan) |
Octagon Angles
We also refer to positions or directions based upon angles of The Octagon. Here is a list of this terminology.
| Octagon Angle | Japanese Term | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mae | Front |
| 2 | Ato (Ushiro) | Back (rear) |
| 3 | Hidari | Left |
| 4 | Migi | Right |
| 5 | Naname Hidari (Mae) | Front left diagonal |
| 6 | Naname Migi Ato | Back right diagonal |
| 7 | Naname Migi (Mae) | Front right diagonal |
| 8 | Naname Hidari Ato | Back left diagonal |