"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
