| # | Kanji | Hiragana | Rōmaji | Spoken in martial arts / dojo shorthand | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 一 | いち | ichi | “Ichi” → “Ich!” or “Hit!” | The final vowel is clipped — sounds like “itch!” or “eetch!” |
| 2 | 二 | に | ni | “Ni!” | Short, sharp “nee!” (quick exhale) |
| 3 | 三 | さん | san | “San!” | Crisp, short “sahn!” |
| 4 | 四 | し / よん | shi / yon | Usually “Shi!” | Shi is standard in counting drills; yon used in formal numbering (to avoid word for “death”). |
| 5 | 五 | ご | go | “Go!” | Very sharp — exhale through it strongly. |
| 6 | 六 | ろく | roku | “Roku” → “Rok!” or “Rok’!” | The -u is often dropped. |
| 7 | 七 | しち / なな | shichi / nana | Usually “Shichi” → “Shich!” | Nana is used in daily life; Shichi in martial arts cadence. |
| 8 | 八 | はち | hachi | “Hachi” → “Hach!” | -i dropped — short, explosive. |
| 9 | 九 | きゅう / く | kyū / ku | Usually “Ku!” | Ku is quicker; Kyū used when counting slowly/formally. |
| 10 | 十 | じゅう | jū | “Jū” → “Joo!” | Extended “joo” sound, often with slight drawn-out breath. |
| 11 | 十一 | じゅういち | jūichi | “Jū-ichi” → “Jū-ich!” | Combine “jū” + “ichi,” often clipped at the end. |
| 12 | 十二 | じゅうに | jūni | “Jū-ni!” | Clean, rhythmic — “joonee!” |
| 13 | 十三 | じゅうさん | jūsan | “Jū-san!” | Maintain rhythm with previous numbers. |
| 14 | 十四 | じゅうし / じゅうよん | jūshi / jūyon | Usually “Jū-shi!” | Again, shi used in counting, yon in general contexts. |
| 15 | 十五 | じゅうご | jūgo | “Jū-go!” | Quick but distinct — “joogo!” |
| 16 | 十六 | じゅうろく | jūroku | “Jū-rok!” | Drop the -u at end of roku. |
| 17 | 十七 | じゅうしち / じゅうなな | jūshichi / jūnana | Usually “Jū-shich!” | Shortened for cadence. |
| 18 | 十八 | じゅうはち | jūhachi | “Jū-hach!” | Same rule: drop -i to keep rhythm. |
| 19 | 十九 | じゅうきゅう / じゅうく | jūkyū / jūku | “Jū-ku!” | Ku easier in fast sequences. |
| 20 | 二十 | にじゅう | nijū | “Ni-jū!” | Strong “nee-joo!” count; rarely needed in most sets (often stop at 10). |
Numbering
Dai Ippo 第一法 First method
Dai Nippo 第二法 Second method
Dai Sanpo 第三法 Third method
Dai Yonpo 第四法 Fourth method
Dai Goho 第五法 Fifth method
Dai Roppo 第六法 Sixth method
Dai Nanaho 第七法 Seventh method
Dai Happo 第八法 Eighth method
Dai Kyuho 第九法 Ninth method
Dai (大) great, major, advanced designates a set or level of techniques, often formalized or “major” versions
Ippo / Niho / Sanpo… 一法, 二法, 三法… “first method,” “second method,” “third method,” etc.
法 (hō) law, method, principle denotes a method, technique, or principle in martial arts taxonomy.
So Dai Ippo (大一法) literally means “Major First Method” or “Primary Form No. 1.”
In Martial Context
In ryūha or dojo systems (especially those influenced by Kukishin / Takagi / Hontai Yoshin / Shinden Fudō-ryū lines), this pattern denotes a series of kata or striking combinations organized numerically.
For example:
Dai Ippo — the first combination of strikes (1st “method”).
Dai Nippo — the second method.
etc., up to Dai Kyuho (第九法) — the ninth method.
Each “method” (法) usually corresponds to a distinct tactical sequence or principle — e.g., entering, turning, parrying, countering — not merely different angles of attack.
About “Dai”
The 大 (dai) prefix in this context can mean:
Major / Formal / Great — marking these as the main set of nine formal striking methods, or
Ordinal marker — analogous to “Number One,” “Number Two,” etc. in Japanese listings, similar to 第 (dai, “number/ordinal”) written as 第一法, 第二法, etc.
So the heading might be using 大 (great) or 第 (ordinal) — they are pronounced the same “dai.”
Both readings make sense in context, but in numbered kata lists, it is often 第 (ordinal) rather than 大 (great)** — just romanized identically as dai.