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Martial Arts Dictionary

This dictionary is a collection of terms and definitions of various styles, phrases and concepts of the martial arts. We wish to make this the most authoritative dictionary on the web. So, if you see a term that is not present, please send the term with an acurate definition to webmaster@elite-fighters.com

Click on a letter of the alphabet to begin:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Kabuto: The helmet worn by the Japanese samurai. It was made of iron or laquered leather, and was secured to the head by a series of silk cords.

Kachi: "Win" or "victory."

Kachinuki shiai: A type of contest in which a contestant takes on each opponent in succession without rest between matches until he or she is defeated. Each win counts as one, and a draw counts as one-half but eliminates both contestants.

Kagi yari: "Key spear." A hooked spear used for parrying and hooking an opponent's weapon. Like the jutte, it was useful to the police in making arrests.

Kaiken: "Short knife." A six-inch knife used by women of the samurai class.

Kajukenbo: A hybrid method of combat founded in Hawaii in 1947 by five experts ( Walter Choo, Joseph Holke, Frank Ordonez, Adriano Emperado, and Clarence Chang ).

Kakato: Heel of the foot.

Kakup: Rank.

Kalari Payat: An ancient form of Indian combat embracing hand-to-hand techniques and weapons such as the staff and daggers.

Kama: A farming sickle that farmers in Okinawa converted to a weapon to combat the oppressing Japanese military.

Kamae: "Attitude" or "posture." The stances; a general term found in all of the Japanese disciplines.

Kama yari: A spear to which a single-edged, sickle-shaped blade is attached.

Kamiza: "Divine seat" or "upper seat." The area at the front of the dojo where the instructors and honored guests sit.

Kami shio gatame: Upper four-corner hold.

Kane sute: Flying sacrifice.

Kani basami: Flying scissors.

Kang fa: "Hard method." A ancient art of Chinese boxing that concentrated on kicking and thrusting techniques.

Kano, Jigoro: Founder of Judo.

Kan shu: "Penetration hand." A Chinese training method in which a practitioner thrusts his or her hands into powder, then rice, sand, beans, and finally pebbles, to condition the limbs for striking.

Kansetsu: Joint lock.

Kansetsu waza: Joint locking techniques.

Kanzashi: "Hairpin." An ornamental hairpin used for self-protection by the women of feudal Japan.

Karma: (kahr-mah) retribution, law of cause and effect. Religious belief amoung several styles of martial arts.

Karate: "Empty hand" or "China hand." An unarmed method of combat in which all parts of the anatomy are used to punch, strike, kick or block.

Karateka: A karate practitioner.

Kashira: "Pommel cap" or "ferrule." A metal cap covering the tip of the hilt of Japanese swords, daggers and so forth.

Kata: A series of prearranged maneuvers practiced in many of the Oriental martial arts in order for one to become proficient in techniques.

Kata gatame: Shoulder hold.

Kata guruma: Shoulder wheel throw.

Kata ha jime: Single wing choke.

Kata juji jime: Half cross choke.

Katana: "Sword." A Japanese sword, with a curved, single-edged blade twenty-four to thirty-six inches long.

Katate Tori: Grasping of hands.

Katsu: Revival techniques.

Kazuri kesa gatame: Modified scarf hold.

Keibo: A wooden club used by the Japanese police.

Ken: (kehn) mountain, trigram #2 of the I-Ching

Kendo: "The way of the sword." The modern art and sport of Japanese fencing. The object of a kendo contest is to deliver scoring cuts to an opponent's predetermined target areas.

Kenjutsu: "Art of the sword." An aggressive method of swordsmanship practiced by the Japanese feudal warriors in which the combatants pitted naked blade against naked blade.

Kenkyaku: "Fencer." One of many words used to describe those who lived by the sword, especially in literary usage.

Kenpo: "Fist method." A modern term describing one of the more innovative martial arts practiced in Hawaii and the Americas, developed by Ed Parker.

Keri: Kick.

Khan: (kahn) water, trigram #3 of the I-Ching

Ki: "Spirit." Ideally, the mental and spiritual power summoned through concentration and breathing that can be applied to accomplish physical feats. This centralized energy, possessed by every person, can be manifested through the practice of just about any martial discipline.

Kiai: "Spirit meeting." A loud shout or yell of self-assertion most common to the Japanese and Okinawan martial disciplines.

Kihap: See "ki."

Kihon: "Basics" or "basic training." In karate, the repitition of the fundamental techiques.

Kiritsuki: "Cut and thrust." The cutting action of the sword.

Kito ryu: One of the early jujutsu schools which especially influenced Jigoro Kano's formulation of Kodokan Judo.

Kobudo: "Weapons way." A generic term coined in the 20th century, which can be used to describe collectively all Okinawan combatives. However, it is more accurate to specify "Okinawan kobudo" in order to distinguish them from "Japanese kobudo."

Kodachi: "Small sword." A forerunner of the wakizashi, that boasts a blade between twelve and eighteen inches.

Kodansha: A high-ranking Judo black belt of fifth degree and above.

Kogusoku: An ancient method of unarmed combat mentioned in connection with kumiuchi and sumo in the oldest records of the Japanese martial arts.

Kohai: A junior in a school or organization.

Kojiri: The chape or end cap of the scabbard of a samurai sword.

Koko uchi: Tiger mouth strike.

Kokyu: "Breathing" or "ki."

Koshi: Ball of the foot, or the hip(s).

Koshi guruma: Hip wheel throw.

Koshi jime: Hip choke.

Koshi waza: Hip techniques.

Kosoto gakae: Minor outer hook.

Kosoto gari: Minor outer reaping throw.

Kouchi gari: Minor inner reaping throw.

Kote: Wrist. Kuen: See "kata."

Kuan tao: A method of Chinese boxing practiced in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Phillipines.

Kuen: (koo-ehn) pattern, plan or schematic of geometric design

Kuji kiri: "Energy channeling." A hypnotic movement of the fingers used by the ninja to confuse their opponents. Known as mudras in Sanskrit.

Kumhwa: (koom-wah) Korean village where Fong Su-Yi created his art

Kumite: Sparring.

Kumiuchi: "Grappling." Wrestling techniques originally used by the samurai on the battlefield and which gave birth to jujutsu.

Kuneh: Bowing.

Kun: (koon) earth, trigram #1 of the I-Ching

Kung-Chien Bu: (kuhng chee-ehn boo) bow and arrow stance

Kung fu: Effort and time spent in mastery of a skill. A generic term for a majority of the Chinese martial arts. Kung fu has two major divisions. The southern styles display a clear preference for techniques of strength and power, whereas the northern styles employ soft, open movement.

Kup: The grade levels below black belt in the Korean martial arts.

Kupso: The vital points of the body.

Kusari fundo: A small chain with weighted ends.

Kusarigama: A chain-sickle weapon, noted for its efficiency in neutralizing the sword at long range.

Kusho: Vital points of the body.

Kuzushi: Unbalancing (eight directions).

Kwou: (kwoh) throwing technique

Kwonbop: A Chinese method of unarmed combat that spread to and was popularized in Korea between A.D. 1147 - 1170.

Kwoon: A facility in which the Chinese martial arts are practiced.

Kyubo: Chest area.

Kyokpa: Breaking.

Kyoshi: A Japanese martial arts teacher who is sixth- or seventh-degree black belt rank.

Kyu: A rank designation signifying a level of achievement below black belt or dan rank in the Japanese martial arts.

Kyudo: "Way of the bow." The modern Japanese practice of archery as a discipline of coordinated integration. Kyudo's basis is the clarity of execution, the poise, and the control over the bow.

Kyusho: Vital point.

Kyusho-jitsu: Pressure point strikes.

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