"Youi" or "Yooi" means 'Get set!' 'Get ready'
When Sensei says "yooi", he is telling the students to get ready for the certain stance.
For example, "migi sanchin-dachi yooi" is 'Get set for right leg front sanchin-dachi'
"Kamaete" means 'Do the stance!' So when sensei says "Kamaete!", you are supposed to do the stance which he told you to get ready for.
"Kamae" without "te" is the noun 'stance'
"Kamaete" also means 'to get ready for a fight' when it is used in "kumite" (sparring)
When you do the stance, you also do "kiai". What does "kiai" mean?
"kiai" in kanji is 気合. 気ki means 'spirit or air' and 合ai means 'to unite/ to merge'. So "kiai" literally means 'to unite the spirit'
In karate, "kiai" is the yelling/shouting to show your fighting spirit.
You have to shout from your belly(the center of the body) to summon up your spirit and to push yourself forward.
When you do "kiai", you breathe out and at the same time you need to put the power into the stomach muscle. That's the basic breathing technique in karate.
So whenever you do "kiai" in the training, you actually practice that technique too.
"Kiai irete" : "irete" means 'to insert' in Japanese and we use this word also when we put the power into something. "Kiai irete!" in the training means 'with yelling' and 'with the fighting spirit' !
sanchin dachi
"Kamaete!"
Osu
Interesting... I always thought kamae-te means get your hands (te) ready. Looks like this is another one of these kanji with many meaning!
ReplyDeleteOsu!
Nigel
Nigel-san, this 'te' is the one from '...te kudasai' (te-form verb) and it shows polite request. 'Kamae-masu' is to do a stance and 'Kamaete kudasai' is 'please do a stance'. So 'kamaete!' is the same but less polite and no connection with hands(^^)
ReplyDeleteIs Yame, for other than stop used in place of yoi? I've just joined a dojo, and everytime the sensei says yame, I keep wanting to stop... makes it harder when raised by a Japanese mother who liked to use that a lot :p
ReplyDeleteI know it happens(^^) I think "Yame" means only to stop. You'd better ask your sensei what he means. He might be misusing the word but you shouldn't correct him because I don't think the mistake is so bad unless everyone knows what sensei intends.
ReplyDeleteI would only have to agree except once his students go to another dojo they will get all confused.
DeleteThat's true... Everyone should learn Japanese before starting karate!! Actually this blog was meant to help those students and teachers. So I hope more people will read it(^^)
ReplyDelete