Glossary

in Japanese	In English
A	A
ai	harmony
ai-hanmi	position where two people stand with the same leg and hand facing each other
aiki-taiso	aikido-specific warm-up
aikibudo	predecessor of aikido, aikido before World War 2
aikido	the way of harmonious power, the way to harmony
aikidoka	aikido practitioner
aikijutsu	the old style of jujutsu from which aikido was developed (Daito ryu aikijutsu)
aite	training opponent, partner
arigatoo gozaimasu	thank you so much (said at the end of the exercise)
ashi	foot
atemi	punch on a sore spot in the body
awase	combining one's own movement with the attacker's movement, harmony
awase-ho	simple pairing techniques with a wooden sword or stick
ayumi-ashi	turn steps
B	B
bokken	wooden sword
bokuto	wooden sword
budo	way of martial arts
bujutsu	samurai fighting technique
bushi	noble warrior, samurai
bushido	samurai code of conduct
C	C
chudan	medium, middle
chudan-gamae	position with jo or bokken pointing at the pair's throat
D	D
dan	teacher level, black belt
do	spritual way
dojo	martial arts training hall
doshu	grandmaster; according to japanese tradition, a status inherited from father to son
E	E
eri	collar
F	F
fuku shidoin	assistant director; lowest of the three teacher levels comprising 2.-3. dan (see shidoin, shihan)
futari-dori	techniques against two ukes
G	G
garami	motion, orbit, path
gedan	down, bottom
gedan-gamae	position with jo or bokken pointing forward and down
geri	kick
gi	dress (=keiko-gi)
go no geiko	hard training
gokyo	fifth technique, form
gyaku	opposite, opposite
gyaku-hanmi	nage standing right foot and hand in front, uke left foot and hand in front
H	H
haishin-undo	bending the back with a pair
hakama	traditional japanese garment, trouser skirt worn by more advanced aikidokas
hanmi	basic aikido position, oblique side position
hanmi-handachi-waza	uke standing, nage sittimg
hara	lower abdomen, center
hasso-gamae	position with jo or bokken on the side of the body at shoulder level
henka-waza	techniques applied from basic techniques
hidari	left
hiji	elbow
hineri	torque
hiza	knee
ho	method
hombu dojo	aikido head dojo (headquarters) in tokyo
I	I
iaido	budo sport of drawing the Japanese sword
iaito	iaido's blunt-bladed training sword
ikkyo	first technique, form
irimi	entry into uke's attack, advancing
isshin	one mind, focused mind
J	J
jinja	shinto shrine
jiyuwaza	free techique
jo	wooden stick about 130 cm long
jo-dori	technique of taking the jo stick away from the uke
jo-waza	technique where nage uses the jo stick to control uke
jodan	up, top
jodan-gamae	position with bokken or jo on top of the head
jodo	budo type based on the use of a jo-stick
ju	soft
ju no geiko	soft workout
judo	soft road, japanese boudo
juji	risti
jujutsu	originally samurai's unarmed combat technique
jukenjutsu	bayonet
K	K
kaeshi	flip
kaeshiwaza	counter technique
kai	club, group
kaiten	rotary, swivel
kakari-geiko	exercise where nage does technique for many uke
kamae	position
kamiza	shinto custom of placing a shelf in the center of a dojo; kamiza usually places an image of o-sensei or calligraphy
kansetsu	joint (on body)
karate	empty hand, a martial art from okinawa
kata	formal sequence
kata	shoulder
katadori	grip on suit at shoulder height
katamewaza	pinning techniques
katana	japanese curved, two-handed sword, carried under the belt blade side up
katate	one hand
katatedori	wrist-grip
keiko	exercise
ken	sword (originally meaning chinese straight, double-edged sword)
kendo	way of the sword, a type of budo where you practice with bamboo swords (=shinai)
kenjutsu	samurai fencing technique
keri	ks. geri (kick)
kesagiri	oblique strike with a sword from the shoulder to the opposite pelvis
ki, kimochi	spirit, universal power
kiai	shout, ki'n centering
kihon	foundation
kime	focusing
kiri	middle of word giri, cut/cut with sword
kobudo	old budo, old japanese martial arts
kokoro	heart, spirit, attitude
kokyu	ki movement, center force, breathing power
kokyu-ho	way to breathe, way to use center, kokyu practice
koshi	hip
kote	wrist
kotodama	shinto's doctrine of human sounds
kubi	bone
kumi-jo	more advanced jo techniques with pair
kumi-tachi	more advanced bokken techniques with pair
kumi-tachi henkawaza	kumitachi techniques applications
kuzushi	unbalancing an opponent (uke)
kyu	student level
kyudo	the way of the bow and arrow, japanese archery
M	M
ma-ai	distance
mae	forward
mae-geri	straight kick forward with butt
mawashi	swivel/rotate inward
mawashi-geri	roundhouse kick
michi	way, path (=do)
migi	right
mune	chest
munedori	grip on suit at chest height
mushin	empty mind, non-mind
N	N
nage	throw
nage	person doing the aikido technique
nagewaza	throwing techniques
naginata	spear weapon with blade curved like a sword
nikyo	second technique, form
O	O
O-sensei	great teacher; the name is used in connection with the name of morihei Ueshiba, the founder of aikido
omote	front
omoto-kyo	shinto sect that Morihei Ueshiba studied
onegai shimasu	i sincerely ask (said at the beginning of the exercise)
osae	pinning
otoshi	drop
oyo	application, variation
R	R
randori	free practice
rei	greeting, bow
rei-ho	bows
ryo	both
ryote	two-handed
ryote dori	grip on each wrist
ryu	school
S	S
sabaki	action
samurai	japanese feudal soldier (=bushi)
sankakutai	triangle position
sankyo	third technique, form
sannin-dori	technique against three ukes
seika tanden	lower abdomen, center of mental and physical strength
seika-no-itten	one point, the center of a person in the lower abdomen
seishin	spirit, spirit
seiza	formal sitting position with sitting on your feet
sempai	senior, before you
sensei	teacher
shiai	competition
shidoin	teacher; middle of three teacher levels comprising 3.-5. dan (see fuku shidoin, shihan)
shihan	master teacher; highest of the three teacher levels, awarded from 6th dan upwards (see fuku shidoin, shidoin)
shiho	four directions
shiho-giri	strike with sword in four main directions
shiho-undo	ikkyo-undo in four main directions
shime	gargling
shinai	bamboo sword used in kendo, modern japanese. fencing
shinto	the way of the gods (national religion of japan)
shisei	posture
shizentai	natural standing position
shodan	first degree, 1st dan
shomen	head centerline, center, dojo hub
shomen rei	bow towards the center of the dojo
shomen uchi	vertical punch with palm in the middle of the head
sode	sleeve
sojutsu	samurai spear technique
sotai	with pair
soto	outside
suburi	punch practice
sumo	japanese wrestling
T	T
tachi	sword (curved sword, like a katana, but tied to a belt with blade side down)
tachi	sword (curved sword, like a katana, but tied to a belt with blade side down)
tachidori	technique of nage taking away the sword from the uke
tachiwaza	standing techniques
tai	body
taibukiwaza	exercise where only one trainee has a weapon
taijutsu	unarmed technique
taisabaki	body movement, turning exercise
taiso	warm-up
tandoku	alone
taninzudori	techniques against multiple attackers
tanren uchi	punch training where bokken is used to hit a flat car tyre or a bundle of twigs
tanto	knife
tantodori	technique where nage takes a knife away from uke
tatami	mat (originally made of rice straw)
te	hand
te-gatana	hand-sword, the edge of the hand that can be used like a sword
tekubi	wrist
tenchi	heaven-earth
tenkan	turning and controlling uke's power
tobikoshi ukemi	fall over obstacle, break fall
tori (dori)	catch
torifune	rowing exercise using kiai sounds
tsuki	direct punch with fist or stab with gun
tsuki ashi	slide forward or backward
U	U
uchi	hit from top to bottom
uchi	inside
uchikomi	punch while taking a step
ude	arm
uke	recipient of technique
ukemi	fall exercise
undo	exercise
ura	back
ushiro	backwards, rear
W	W
waka-sensei	junior teacher, son of a master who will one day become a champion
waza	technique
Y	Y
yari	straight-bladed plug spear
yoko	side
yokomen-uchi	punch with palm or gun to the side of the head
yonin-dori	technique against four ukes
yonkyo	fourth technique, form
yudansha	trainee with black belt
Z	Z
zanshin	an alert mind; an attitude to manage sudden and unpredictable situations
zarei	sitting bow (seiza)
zen	a branch of buddhism where meditation is of great importance
zengo	180° turn with legs turning in place; zen=forward, go(ko)=backward
#	#
ichi	one
ni	two
san	three
shi	four
yon, go	five
roku	six
shichi	seven
hachi	eight
kyu	nine
jyu	ten