Japanese Karate terms and numbers

Since my rank examination is coming up again, I need to brush up on my Japanese Karate terms. This list is not all inclusive since these are only the terms that I need for my exam but I plan on adding more terms along with pictures (maybe even videos) of each movement in the future.

Uke - Blocks:

Gedan Barai - Downward block
Age Uke - Rising block
Soto Uke - Inward block
Uchi Uke - Outward block
Shoto uke - Knife hand block

Geri - Kicks:

Mae Geri - Front Snap Kick
Mawashi Geri - Roundhouse kick
Yoko Kekomi Geri - Side thrust kick
Yoko Keage Geri - Side snap kick
Ushiro Geri - Back kick
Uda Mawashi Geri - Hook kick

Zuki - Punches:

Oi Zuki - Front punch
Gyaku Zuki - Reverse punch
Keage Zuki - Hook punch
Kizami Zuki - Jab

Dachi - Stances:

Kiba Dachi - Horse stance
Zenkutsu Dachi - Front stance
Kokutsu Dachi - Back stance
Kosa Dachi - Cross leg stance
Neko ashi Dachi - Cat stance

Other:

Nukite - Spear hand
Uracken - Back fist
Tettsui - Hammer fist

Numbers:

Ichi - 1
nee - 2
San - 3
Shi - 4
Go - 5
Roku - 6
Shichi - 7
Hachi - 8
Kyu - 9
Ju - 10

Kick for Cures - Kick for a good cause

On November 16th my club, the ISKC, is sponsoring an event to help sick and needy families called Kick for Cures. The way it works, is we go to one of four locations and do 1000 kicks and punches. People sponsor us, either with a per kick donation or just a flat amount.

If you would like to sponsor me you can do so online at: Kick for Cures at events.org.

Below is more information about where your donation goes.

Where does the money go?

• The money is allocated to 3 funds
  • 10 Charities that provide support and cure research – 30%
    • Make A Wish Foundation Illinois Chapter
    • American Brain Tumor Association
    • American Cancer Society - Relay for Life – Amanda Riley’s Memorial Team
    • Bear Necessities - Pediatric Cancer Foundation
    • Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
    • Alzheimer’s Association
    • Michael J Fox Foundation (Parkinson’s Disease)
    • Augie’s Quest (ALS)
    • Autism Speaks
    • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
  • Families in Need – 30%
    • ISKC families impacted by catastrophic disease or disaster. Confidential recipients but the list is growing each year.
    • Nick’s Pavilion – Support for one of our students who has a rare metabolic disorder and is often in a wheel chair. This project is to build a first floor handicap accessible addition so Nick can be more self sufficient and lead an independent life. Nickspavilion.com needs to raise an additional $20,000 to do the project.
  • Jennifer Malloy Scholarship Fund – 40%
    • Provides the support for our college scholarship program in memory of Jennifer Malloy. The fund was started with a donation from Jennifer’s family after her death.

If you are in my club, I would like to personally ask you to come out and do this event and show your support not only for our club itself but for our instructors that share and teach us so many good things.

Information about the locations and times of the Kick for Cures event can be found at: Kick for Cures Info

If you can show up to the event or donate, I would like to thank you in advance for doing so.

Thanks again.

Are you sore from training? Listen to mother and soak in Epsom salts.

For many years, whenever I was sore from working out or training hard, my mother told me to take a hot bath and add some Epsom salts. For over 40 years of not listening, I never used Epsom salts but one day recently, I gave them a try. I didn’t think I would get much from them but was I wrong.

So much pain but so much relief…

My hips and legs were extra sore from a hard Karate class the day before, and if you read my training blog at shotokanplanet.org you can see how I abuse my body in Karate class, so I turned on the hot water and poured about two cups of Epsom Salts in the tub. After just a few minutes of getting into the tub the pain in my hips and legs started to subside. It was almost like magic. I had soaked in the tub before without the Epsom salts but I never noticed much, if any, pain reduction while soaking. This must be some magic powder so I went to internet to see what it was all about.

Who would have thought, there is an Epsom Salt Council…

After a quick Google, I found an interesting website called epsomsaltcouncil.org. After a quick read, Epsom salt is magnesium and sulfate. Per the website, “magnesium is the second most abundant element and the forth most important positively charged ion in the body. It also helps regulate enzymes in the body that are important to bodily functions such as muscle control, impulses to the nervous system, energy production and it can even eliminate harmful toxins.” Per the website, The National Academy of Sciences says that most Americans get just 80% of the needed amount of magnesium for good health and I would guess that hard training Karate students and athletes get even less.

What all this means is that a deficiency in this element can cause poor heath and I would guess, poor or less than optimal performance. Some of the following health issues can be related to magnesium deficiency:

heart disease
stroke
osteoporosis
arthritis and joint pain
digestive maladies
stress-related illnesses
chronic fatigue

The major illness or aliment that I am most concerned with is arthritis and joint pain along with stress-related illness and chronic fatigue. Since my hips are often very sore after class and my ankles hurt because of arthritis, I am always interested in natural remedies. Anything that lessens my aches and pains and helps reduce stress and fatigue is always good when I push my body to the extreme in my training.

Don’t forget about the sulfates…

Epsom salt also contains sulfates. Per the website, sulfates are hard to get through food but are easily absorbed through the skin. They can help the body with the formation of brain tissue, joint tissue and can help detoxify the body.

Soak instead of swallow…

If we are low in magnesium then why don’t I just take a magnesium supplement from the local vitamin shop. Taking a magnesium supplement orally can reduce the effectiveness and uptake of the element. Others foods that we eat, medicines or the acids on our stomachs can reduce the uptake of magnesium where as soaking in it allows the magnesium to be absorbed through our skin. Who would have thought that relaxing in the tub for a little while with a couple of cups of Epsom salt could be so good for our bodies.

My real world testing…

In the name of science, I am willing to use my body as a test lab, within reason of course. After using Epsom salts, for just a couple weeks, I have noticed the following:

Reduced pain in my hips, ankles and other body parts that are sore from hard training following the bath.
No more muscle cramps.
Reduced swelling in my ankles.
Softer skin I am noticing a significant decrease in the eczema on my hands.
An unexpected decrease in my allergy symptoms even though I have been spending more time outside.

As far as lab controls, I haven’t changed my eating habits, I am not taking any new supplements and I am training just as hard, if not harder, than before.

Are you soaking yet…

If you are sore you should be soaking now. Go get some Epsom salts at the local drug store or even the grocery store. I am buying mine at the local grocery store for $1.00 for a 22 ounce package. I hope that this helps anyone who has joint pain from hard workouts or any other activity like it does me.

I need to call my mom and tell her that the advice she has been giving me about Epsom salts for many years is correct.

Let me know if any of you find the same or other benefits from using Epsom salts like I have.

For more information about this and other uses of Epsom salt be sure to visit www.epsomsaltcouncil.org.

*NOTE - If you have any health issues or are taking medication, be sure to contact your health provider or pharmacist before you use Epsom salt just in case.

How to bow.

In the advanced Karate class that I take with Sensei Cieplik, we always begin in seiza, after that, everyone stands up and we do a quick, two second or so, bow to Sensei Cieplik. We have been doing this for some time now but in a recent class, he mentioned that if we are going to bow, he was going to show us the correct way to do it.

• The back of your neck needs to touch the collar of your gi throughout the bow.
• Both heels are touching and the toes are pointed out about 45 degrees.
• Bend slowly at the waist and exhale until all the air is expelled from your lungs.
• When you bend at the waist, make sure to expel all of the air from your lungs for as long as it takes.
• While bent over, keep your eyes on whoever you are bowing to with an alert gaze.
• If you are bowing to someone who is a higher rank than yourself, bend over lower than them.
• After all the air is expelled from your lungs, straighten up while inhaling until you are upright again.

I had always thought that a quick upper body tilt at any level was a bow but instead, it was showing disrespect to those who I was bowing to. Doing a quick little bow is the same as pulling your hand away when you reach out to shake another persons hand.

I know that many Martial Artists and Karate-Ka have different opinions on bowing and some even suggest that bowing in the dojo outside of Japan is silly but for those of you who have never had it explained, I hope this gives you a little clearer picture.

Zanshin - Remaining mind.

Zanshin is a Japanese term which is translated in English as remaining mind.

This was explained to me by one of my Sensei’s as being aware of your surroundings and ready, both mentally and physically, to immediately defend or attack after finishing a previous attack or defense.

Another Sensei explained it as the remaining film and drops of water on a glass after the water has just been spilled out. Even though most of the water has been spilled out, some still remains.