Korean Vocabulary

NOTE:  This page is still under construction, and the sound files have not been loaded yet. 

Contents:  Parts of the Body, Stances, Direction & Movements, Punches & Hand Strikes, Kicks, Blocks, Special & Other Techniques

Parts of the Body

English	Korean  (see note #1)	Pronunciation  (see note #2)	Description  (see note #3)
Fist	주먹	jumok
Back Fist	등주먹	deung ju mok
Hammer Fist	메주먹	mei ju mok
Flat Fist	편주먹	pyon ju mok
Chestnut Fist	밤주먹	bam ju mok	This is a regular fist, but with the middle finger's knuckle protruding slightly
Knifehand	손날	son nal
Ridgehand	손날등	son nal deung
Palm Fist	바탕손	ba tang son	This is the "heel" of the palm
Spearhand	편손끝	pyon son ggeut
Arc hand	아금손	ah keum son	The part of the hand in between the thumb and first finger
Scissor spear fingers	가위손끝	ka wi son ggeut	First two fingers sticking out as if to gouge someone's eyes out
Finger spear	한손끝	han son ggeut	One finger sticking out
Wrist	팔목	pal mok
Inner Wrist	안팔목	ahn pal mok	The radius side of the wrist
Outer Wrist	바깥팔목	ba ggat pal mok	The ulna side of the wrist
Back of Wrist	등팔목	deung pal mok	The same side of wrist that you see when you're looking at the back of your hand
Underside of Wrist	밑팔목	mit pal mok	The same side of wrist that you see when you're looking at your palm
Elbow	팔굽	pal gup
Foot	발	bal
Leg	다리	da ri
Ball of the foot	앞축	ahp chuk	The part you strike with when doing a front kick
Blade of the foot	발날	ban nal	The part you strike with when doing an outward crescent kick
Instep	발등	bal deung	The "top" part of the foot; the part that many people kick with when doing a roundhouse kick
Arch of foot	발바닥	bal ba dak	The part you strike with when doing an inward crescent kick
Heel	뒤축	dwi chuk
Knee	무릎	mu reup
Arm	팔	pal
Hand	손	son

Stances

English	Korean  (see note #1)	Pronunciation  (see note #2)	Description  (see note #3)
Stance	서기	so gi
Attention Stance	차렷서기	cha ryot so gi	Feet together, toes pointed outward
Closed Stance	모아서기	mo ah so gi	Feet together, toes pointed forward
Ready Stance	준비서기	jun	Feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed outward
Easy Stance	편히서기	pyon hi so gi	same as "ready stance" above
Parallel Stance	나란히서기	na ran hi so gi	Feet shoulder width apart, toes pointed forward
Horse Stance	주춤서기	ju chum so gi	Sometimes called a "riding" stance
Forward Riding Stance	앞주춤서기	ahp chu chum so gi
Front Stance	앞굽이	ahp gup pi
Back Stance	뒷굽이	dwi ggup pi
Walking Stance	앞서기	ahp so gi
Cat Stance	범서기	bom so gi	Sometimes called a "tiger" stance
Crossed Stance	꼬아서기	ggo ah so gi
Crane Stance	학다리서기	hang da ri so gi

Directions & Movements

Punches & Hand Strikes

English	Korean  (see note #1)	Pronunciation  (see note #2)	Description  (see note #3)
Punch	지르기	ji reu gi
Straight Punch	반대지르기	ban dae ji reu gi	(see note #4 below)
Reverse Punch	바로지르기	ba ro ji reu gi	(see note #4 below)
Side Punch	옆지르기	yop ji reu gi
Twin Upset Punches	두주먹 제쳐지르기	du ju mok jei chyo ji reu gi
Parallel Punches	쳇다리 지르기	cheit da ri ji reu gi
Back Punch	뒤지르기	dwi ji reu gi
Strike	치기	chi gi
Knifehand Strike	손날목치기	son nal mok chi gi
Front Backfist Strike	등주먹 앞에치기	deung ju mok ahp ei chi gi
Side/Outward Backfist Strike	등주먹 바깥치기	deung ju mok ba ggat chi gi
Outward Hammerfist	메주먹 바깥치기	mei ju mok ba ggat chi gi
Downward Hammerfist	메주먹 내려치기	mei ju mok nae ryo chi gi
Palm Fist	바탕손 턱치기	ba tang son tok chi gi
Elbow Strike	팔굽치기	pal gup chi gi
'Roundhouse' Elbow Strike	팔굽돌려치기	pal gup dol lyo chi gi
Upward Elbow Strike	팔굽올려치기	pal gup ol lyo chi gi
Side Elbow Strike	팔굽옆치기	pal gup yop chi gi
Backward Elbow Strike	팔굽뒤치기	pal gup dwi chi gi
Knee Strike	무릎치기	mu reup chi gi
Double Elbow Strike	멍에치기	mong ei chi gi
Arc Hand Strike	아금손 목치기	ah keum son mok chi gi
Thrust	찌르기	jji reu gi
Spear Finger Straight Thrust	편손끝 세위찌르기	pyon son ggeut sei wi jji reu gi	The hand is vertical (thumb up, pinkie down)
Spear Finger Flat Thrust	편손끝 엎어찌르기	pyon son ggeut o po jji reu gi	The hand is flat, palm down
Spear Finger Upper Thrust	편손끝 제쳐찌르기	pyon son ggeut jei chyo jji reu gi	The hand is flat, palm up

Kicks & Leg/Foot strikes

English	Korean  (see note #1)	Pronunciation  (see note #2)	Description  (see note #3)
Kick	차기	cha gi
Axe Kick	찍어차기	jji go cha gi
Front Snap Kick	앞차기	ahp cha gi
Roundhouse Kick	돌려차기	dol lyo cha gi
Side Kick	옆차기	yop cha gi
Hook Kick	후려차기	hu ryo ha gi
Reverse Side Kick	뒤돌라 옆차기	dwi dol la cha gi
Reverse Hook Kick	몸돌려차기	mom dol lyo cha gi
Back Kick	뒤차기	dwi cha gi
Scissor Kick	가위차기	ka wi cha gi
Jump Front Kick	뛰어 앞차기	ddwi o ahp cha gi
Jump Roundhouse Kick	뛰어 돌려차기	ddwi o dol lyo cha gi
Jump Side Kick	뛰어 옆차기	ddwi o yop cha gi

Blocks

English	Korean  (see note #1)	Pronunciation  (see note #2)	Description  (see note #3)
Block	막기	mak ki
Downward Forearm Block	팔목 아래막기	pal mok ah rae mak ki
Downward Knifehand Block	한손날 아래막기	han son nal ah rae mak ki
Forearm Guarding Blocks
Knifehand Guarding Blocks
X-block	팔목 엇걸어막기	pal mok ot gol o mak ki
Knifehand X-block	손날 엇걸어막기	son nal ot gol o mak ki
Wedging Block (inner wrists)
Wedging Block (outer wrists)
Knifehand Wedging Block
Outward Forearm Block (inner wrist)	안팔목 바깥막기	ahn pal mok ba ggat mak ki
Outward Forearm Block (outer wrist)	바깥팔목 바깥막기	ba ggat pal mok ba ggat mak ki
Inward Forearm Block (outer wrist)	바깥팔목 안막기	ba ggat pal mok ahn mak ki
Inward Knifehand Block	한손날 안막기	han son nal ahn mak ki
Outward Knifehand Block	한손날 바깥막기	han son nal ba kkat mak ki
Outward Forearm Guarding Blocks
<<<<<< what about front stance vs. Back stance ???? >>>>>
Inward Palm Pressing Block	바탕손 안막기	ba tang son ahn mak ki
Downward Palm Pressing Block	바탕손 눌러막기	ba tang son nol lo mak ki
Ridgehand Wedging Block	손날등 헤쳐막기	son nal deung hei chyo mak ki
Rising Block	팔목 아래막기	pal mok ah rae mak ki
Rising X-block	팔목 엇걸어 아래막기	pal mok ot gol o ah rae mak ki
Rising Knifehand Block	한손날 아래막기	han son nal ah rae mak ki
Outward Knifehand Block	한손날 바깥막기	han son nal ba ggat mak ki
Rising Knifehand X-block	손날 엇걸어 아래막기	son nal ot gol o ah rae mak ki

Special & Other Techniquies

NOTES:

1.  Click on the icon to hear the Korean pronunciation.  The Korean titles have all been pronounced by me and have been recorded in mp3 format.  Although I can speak Korean, please keep in mind that I am not a native speaker and so my pronunciations will differ slightly from the way a native speaker pronounces them.  Many English-speaking students find it easier to emulate the (Korean) sounds made by an English speaker rather than those from a native Korean speaker, probably because the Korean language contains vowel sounds that do not appear in English.  For this reason, I've used my own voice. 

2.  Pronunciation guidelines:  Here, the vowel 'u' is always pronounced like the 'u' in 'blue' and 'true'.  The vowel 'ee' is pronounced just as it would be in the word 'weed'.  The vowel 'i' is also pronounced like the 'ee' in 'weed'.  The vowel combination 'ei' is pronounced like the vowel 'a' in 'play' and 'stay'.  The vowel combination 'eu' is pronounced like the 'oo' in 'took' and 'book'. 

3.  This column clarifies the movement, gives alternate names for the movement, and/or provides examples of when this movement is used. 

4.  What we (English speakers) call a "straight punch" is actually a "reverse punch" in Korean and what we call a "reverse punch" is actually a straight punch in Korean.  Here's what I mean:  We call a 'straight' punch one that is done with the same arm as the leading leg.  We call it a reverse punch when the punch is done with the opposite arm as the leading leg.  Makes sense, right?  But the Koreans look at it a different way.  Their 'straight' punch is called 'straight' because you do it exactly as if you were walking.  (When you walk, as one foot goes forward the opposite hand goes forward.  In other words, step out with the left foot and your left arm goes back while your right arm goes forward.)  And what they call a 'reverse' punch is 'reverse' to them because it's the opposite of how you'd naturally walk.  And that makes sense too.