Talk: Seichusen Godanzuki

Re: Translation[]

any word on whether the name of this means anything? i'm no expert in the language and what i'm getting from translators is something akin to "midline five-stage thrust" which could probably have something to do with punching them five times in the "midline" - Skubo (talk)

Some kanji get translated together as a phrase, not separately. This is what I got from using Denshi Jishowhich, in my opinion, is a reliable translator.

正中線/seichūsen is "median line." 五段/godan is "fifth rank." 突き/tsuki (which becomes zuki when "rendaku" is applied) is "thrust." So, Seichūsen Godanzuki means "Median Line Fifth Rank Thrust." Kinda sounds like Jin Kazama's "Median Line Destruction" from the Tekken series.

I'll wait for others to express their opinions on this before adding this translation to the article. General Awesomo 14:08, May 16, 2013 (UTC)

You lot are way more knowledgeable than I am when it comes to translations. I'll see if I can find someone who DOES know, though. Lord Grammaticus (talk) 17:36, May 18, 2013 (UTC)

Thanks. I don't have any formal training in Japanese. I just learned a bit from Narutopedia's translators, which has some damn fine ones lol. General Awesomo 17:53, May 18, 2013 (UTC)

doing a little bit of research i found a little bit pertaining to what the median line actually is and it's just what separates the body into left and right hemispheres, maybe the move's name refers to makoto striking on the line itself or something like that?? i'm not sure, honestly. i found it in the context of karate as well so there's a good chance it's referring to that, but again i'm not sure--haven't taken karate since i was like 7 Skubo (talk) 18:23, May 18, 2013 (UTC)

I'm fluent in Japanese, so hopefully I can help out here. In summary, "seichuusen godan-zuki" means "punches at 5 heights along the centerline". Here's the explanation:

Translating the three words "seichuusen", "godan", and "tsuki" separately using a dictionary can be misleading, since the dictionary will tell you their meanings when used in a general context, while in the context of a karate move name, they take on slightly different meanings:

Seichuusen: The dictionary is correct with this one. It's the median line, or what's often referred to as the centerline in English martial arts classes. It's just the vertical line down the center of the body. It's what you protect when doing sweeping guards across it.
Godan can mean fifth level, or five levels ("go" can be either "5th" or "5"). The dictionary translated this to "5th rank" which is valid in some contexts. However, in the context of the name of a karate move, level/dan is meant in a literal, physical sense, as in height. For example, in karate, high, mid, and low punches are called jyo-dan zuki, chuu-dan zuki, and gedan zuki. So here godan refers to five different (punch) heights.
Tsuki generally means thrust, but in a karate context it specifically means punch or punches. (Japanese doesn't discriminate between singular and plural.)

Put these together, and you get seichuusen godan-zuki = centerline 5-height punches, or, less clunkily, "punches at 5 heights along the centerline". And indeed, Makoto does exactly that, starting with a punch to the nuts, followed by a flurry to the gut, sternum, and chest, and ending with an uppercut to the chin.

I'll update the article's translation. SuperElectric (talk) 16:10, December 28, 2013 (UTC)

Xurreal (talk) 22:32, August 26, 2018 (UTC)

Hope i'm doing this right. The original Dream Cast manual says that the move is "Perfectly Centered 5 Punch Strike"" but then again this is Capcom of America. They call Gouki Akuma, and Satsui no Hadou (Murderous Intent) Dark Hadou, and Death (shungokusatsu) Raging Demon. Presumably to make it marketable to young kids.

Take that as you will

Xurreal (talk) 22:32, August 26, 2018 (UTC)