I wish I had ...; I should have ...; it would have been better if I had ...
at the critical moment; when the time comes; when it's most important; when necessary; in an emergency; when push comes to shove
difficult to ...; hard to ...
stance; attitude; standpoint; stance; posture
regulation; adjustment; control
opponent; adversary; the competition; the other side; one's enemy
form (as opposed to substance); formality; method; system; format; mode
win; victory; beautiful scenery; scenic spot; counter for wins
loss; defeat; counter for losses
tournament; knockout competition
unable to fight (esp. in video games); unconscious; knocked out; dead
surrender; submission; capitulation; being defeated (e.g. by a problem); giving up; giving in
foul play (sport); breaking the rules; infringement; irregularity
striking; remarkable; considerable
disqualification; elimination; incapacity; being unfit for one's role; being a failure
big man; large man; tall man; giant
to hold aloft (e.g. a sword); to brandish
to hit and break open; to crush; to smash
reality; actuality; hard fact
to collapse (physically or emotionally); to fall down
I've heard that ...; rumour has it that ...; it appears as if ...
wonder; admiration; being struck with admiration
largish; biggish; a little bit larger
change; modification; alteration; revision; amendment
first person (to do); person going first; first place; top position; person in the top position
tall figure; high stature
period of an apprentice's contract (usu. ten years); apprenticeship; indentureship; indenture
height (of body); stature
beginning; start; first (in line, etc.); origin; such as ...; not to mention ...
wrong direction; different direction (from what one expected)
to slide into; to slip into
getting closer; drawing nearer; being not much different; being near (age, skill, etc.); becoming close (i.e. friendly); becoming intimate
dull sound; muffled sound
to fall flat; to collapse in a heap
one tenth; one hundredth; one percent; one tenth of a sun; one quarter ryō (an old coin)
to boil up; to come to the boil; to arise; to break out; to get excited; to be in uproar
elegance; dandyism; sophistication; affectation; showing off; putting on an air
then; in that case; considering; if that is the case; if so
to speak (of something); to be effective; to be powerful; to mean everything