号令Karate Counting & Dojo Commands

Karate is counted and commanded in Japanese. Counting runs ichi, ni, san, shi/yon, go, roku, shichi/nana, hachi, kyū, jū (1–10), and classes are run with short commands like rei (bow), yoi (ready), hajime (begin) and yame (stop). This page is a quick, pronounceable reference to the counting and the etiquette terms you’ll hear in a Shotokan dojo.

Counting 1–10 in Japanese

#	Japanese	Pronunciation	Note
1	Ichi	EE-chee
2	Ni	nee
3	San	sahn
4	Shi / Yon	shee / yohn	Yon is often preferred — shi is a homophone for ‘death.’
5	Go	goh
6	Roku	ROH-koo
7	Shichi / Nana	SHEE-chee / NAH-nah	Nana avoids confusion with ichi.
8	Hachi	HAH-chee
9	Kyū / Ku	kyoo / koo
10	Jū	joo

In rapid counting the final vowels are often clipped (‘ich, ni, san, shi…’). Students commonly kiai on a set number — often the last repetition, or 5 and 10.

Dojo commands & etiquette terms

Term	Meaning
Rei	Bow — a sign of respect. Used entering/leaving the dojo and to open/close class and drills.
Sensei ni rei	‘Bow to the teacher.’ (Shomen ni rei = bow to the front; otagai ni rei = bow to each other.)
Sensei	Teacher (‘one who came before’) — the instructor’s title.
Yoi	‘Ready.’ Assume the ready posture before technique.
Hajime	‘Begin / start.’
Yame	‘Stop.’ Ends the exercise or sparring.
Mawatte	‘Turn around’ — to continue a drill the other way.
Naore	‘Return / recover’ to the natural or ready posture.
Kiotsuke	‘Attention.’ Stand focused, feet together.
Seiza	Formal kneeling posture for the opening/closing ceremony and meditation.
Mokuso	‘Silent meditation’ — a brief eyes-closed focus at the start/end of class (ended with mokuso yame).
Kiai	‘Spirit shout’ — a sharp vocalisation on a decisive technique, unifying breath, tension and focus.
Onegaishimasu	‘Please’ / ‘let’s train’ — a respectful request said before training or to a partner.
Arigatō gozaimashita	‘Thank you’ (past tense) — said at the end of class, thanking the instructor and partners.
Osu / Oss	An emphatic all-purpose ‘yes / understood / persevere’ — dojo-dependent and debated. See the note below.

A note on “Osu / Oss”

Osu (押忍) is a forceful, all-purpose ‘yes / understood / I’ll persevere.’ The popular dojo reading — osu (push) + shinobu (endure), ‘push and endure’ — is a later rationalisation rather than settled etymology; it more plausibly began as a clipped greeting in early-20th-century Japanese naval academies and university clubs. It’s heavy in Kyokushin and common in much Western Shotokan, but many Okinawan and traditional Japanese teachers discourage it as coarse. If unsure — especially with someone senior — a respectful bow and a clear ‘Hai’ (‘yes’) is always safe. More on our Osu / Oss page.

For the full technique vocabulary — stances, blocks, strikes and kicks — see the karate glossary.

Frequently asked questions

How do you count to ten in karate (Japanese)?

Ichi (1), ni (2), san (3), shi or yon (4), go (5), roku (6), shichi or nana (7), hachi (8), kyū or ku (9), jū (10). Four and seven have two readings; yon and nana are often preferred for clarity.

What does the instructor say to start and stop in karate?

‘Hajime’ means begin/start and ‘yame’ means stop. Other common commands include ‘yoi’ (ready), ‘mawatte’ (turn around), ‘naore’ (return to ready) and ‘rei’ (bow).

What does ‘yoi’ mean in karate?

‘Yoi’ means ‘ready’ — the command to assume the ready posture, preparing body and mind before a technique, kata or drill begins.

Why do some teachers say ‘yon’ instead of ‘shi’ for four?

Because ‘shi’ (four) is a homophone for the word for ‘death,’ many teachers prefer ‘yon.’ Similarly ‘nana’ is often used for seven instead of ‘shichi,’ which can be misheard as ‘ichi.’