Glossary
Japanese Pronunciation
Consonants and vowels in the Japanese language are pronounced the same way each time they are encountered. Thus, if you know the pronunciation of one word, you already know how the vowels and consonants will sound in another word containing those vowels and consonants. The following guide may be of help:
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- ‘a’ sounds like ‘a’ in ‘march’
- ‘e’ sounds like ‘e’ in ‘bed’
- ‘i’ sounds like ‘ee’ in ‘kneel’
- ‘o’ sounds like ‘oa’ in ‘boat’
- ‘u’ sounds like the ‘oo’ in ‘mood’
- ‘y’ sounds like the ‘y’ in ‘yet’
- ‘ai’ sounds like the ‘i’ in ‘mine’
- ‘ei’ sounds like the ‘a’ in ‘say’
- ‘g’ sounds like the ‘g’ in ‘get’
Counting in Japanese
| ICHI one |
ROKKU six |
| NI two |
SHICHI seven |
| SAN three |
HACHI eight |
| SHI (YON) four |
KU (KYU) nine |
| GO five |
JU (JYU) ten |
Japanese Terms In Aikido
| AI |
harmony, unity, to join or become one with |
| AI-HANMI |
asymmetric stance (eg right foot to right foot) |
| AIKI |
harmonizing/blending energy |
| AIKIDO |
the way of harmonizing with the force and principle of the Universe/Nature |
| AWASE |
matching the timing of movements of uke and nage |
| BOKKEN |
wooden sword |
| BUDO |
lit. “the way of martial arts” |
| CHUDAN |
middle guard position |
| DAN |
black belt rank |
| DESHI |
student, pupil, disciple |
| DO |
the “Way”, path or road |
| DO-GI/KEIKOGI |
training uniform, lit “clothes of the way” |
| DOJO |
training hall, the place where the “Way” is practiced |
| DOSHU |
honorary title of the headmaster of the Art |
| GEDAN |
lower guard position |
| GYAKU-HANMI |
symmetrical stance (eg right foot to left foot) |
| HAKAMA |
pleated pant-skirt (usually worn by black belt ranks) |
| HANMI |
relaxed triangle oblique stance used in Aikido. Lit. “Half-body” |
| HANMI-HANDACHI-WAZA |
techniques performed with nage kneeling and uke in a standing position. |
| HARA |
also called ‘Center’; a point in the lower abdomen corresponding to the body’s center of gravity. |
| HIDARI |
left (refers to left side or movement to the left) |
| HOMBU |
Aikido world Headquarters located in Tokyo, Japan |
| IRIMI |
a (usually direct) entering movement |
| JO |
wooder staff, approx. 50″-54″ long and approx 1″ diameter |
| JODAN |
upper guard position |
| KAMAE |
guard stance or ready position (refering to position of the hands or position of a weapon) |
| KEIKO |
training or practice |
| KI |
spirit, life force or vital energy |
| KIAI |
the release of power in a piercing shout or scream. Lit “a meeting of the spirits” |
| KOHAI |
junior student |
| KOKYU |
breath, refers to the power released when body movement, ki flow and breath are perfectly coordinated |
| KOKYU-DOSA |
breath power exercise |
| KUZUSHI |
the act of physically and mentally unbalancing your opponent |
| KYU |
a white belt rank/grade |
| MA-AI |
the physical and psychological distance between nage and uke |
| MAE-UKEMI |
forward roll or fall |
| MIGI |
right (refers to right side or movement to the right) |
| MISOGI |
purification (refers to cleansing of the mind, body and spirit) |
| MUDANSHA |
refers to a non-blackbelt rank (ie whitebelt rank) |
| NAGE |
to throw; the person who performs the technique |
| O-SENSEI |
great teacher/revered teacher (refers to Master Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido) |
| OBI |
belt (part of the DO-GI) |
| OMOTE |
to the front (refers to movement or direction) |
| REI |
to bow, perform a salutation. Also refers generally to the etiquette and an attitude of respect |
| SEIZA |
formally sitting position on the knees (correct way to sit on the mat) |
| SEMPAI |
a senior student |
| SENSEI |
teacher, lit. (“one who was born before”) |
| SHIHAN |
master teacher (title for a master teacher of at least 6th Dan rank) |
| SHIKKO |
knee walking |
| SUBURI |
usually) refers to body/mind purification & training with the bokken |
| SUWARI WAZA |
techniques performed with both nage and uke in a kneeling position |
| TACHI WAZA |
techniques performed with both nage and uke in a standing position |
| TAIJUTSU |
empty-hand (unarmed) techniques, also called body arts |
| TAI-SABAKI |
body movement (refers to footwork and body movement) |
| TANDEN |
center (see Hara) |
| TANTO |
wooden knife |
| TATAMI |
practice mats (refers specifically to the straw bound mats which are traditionally used for Aikido training) |
| TEGATANA |
hand-blade |
| TENKAN |
turning movement |
| TORI |
to take; the person who completes the technique (similar to nage) |
| UKE |
one who receives; the person being thrown |
| UKEMI |
the way of receiving; the person being thrown |
| URA |
to the rear; or begind (refers to direction or movement) |
| USHIRO |
from behind (referring to attacks or techniques from behind) |
| USHIRO-UKEMI |
backwards fall |
| WAZA |
techniques, way of |
| YUDANSHA |
person(s) who hold blackbelt rank |
| ZANSHIN |
mind presence (finishing position of relaxed extension and attention; Continuity of attention) |
| ZORI |
sandals |
Aikido Attack Names
| KATATE-TORI |
one handed grip on one wrist |
| RYOTE-TORI |
two handed grip, one on each wrist |
| MOROTE-TORI |
two handed grip, both on one wrist |
| USHIRO RYOTEKUBI-TORI |
ryote-tori from behind nage |
| MUNE-TORI(MUNE-MOCHI) |
one handed grip on lapel |
| KATA-TORI |
one handed grip to one shoulder |
| RYOKATA-TORI |
two handed grip, one to each shoulder |
| USHIRO RYOKATA-TORI |
ryokata-tori from behind the nage |
| SODE-TORI |
one handed grip to the sleeve (at elbow) |
| KATATE-TORI KUBISHIME |
one handed grip to wrist with neck choke from behind the nage |
| USHIRO ERIDORI |
one handed collar grab from behind the nage |
| TSUKI |
straight punch |
| JODAN TSUKI |
straight punch to the high position (face or neck) |
| CHUDAN TSUKI |
straight punch to the middle position (chest or abdomen) |
| SHOMEN-UCHI |
vertical strike to the center of the head with the handblade |
| YOKOMEN-UCHI |
diagonal strike to the side of the head or neck with the handblade |
| KATA-TORI MEN-UCHI |
one handed grip on one shoulder with shomen-uchi strike to the head |
| KATA-TORI YOKOMEN-UCHI |
one handed grip on one shoulder with yokomen-uchi strike to the head |
Aikido Technique Names
| IKKYO = UDE OSAE |
arm pinning |
| NIKYO = KOTE MAWASHI |
hand turning |
| SANKYO = KOTE HINERI |
hand twisting |
| YONKYO = TEKUBI OSAE |
wrist pressuring |
| GOKYO |
variation of ikkyo (knife attack) |
| IRIMI-NAGE |
throw by entering (irimi) behind uke |
| SHIHO-NAGE |
four direction throw |
| SUMI-OTOSHI |
corner drop |
| KOTE-GAESHI |
hand turning |
| KAITEN-NAGE |
rotation throw |
| KOSHI-NAGE |
hip throw |
| TENCHI-NAGE |
heaven and earth throw |
| UDEKIME-NAGE |
arm-lock throw |
| KOKYU-NAGE |
breath throw |
| JUJI-GARAMI |
crossed arm-lock throw |
| AIKI-OTOSHI |
aiki drop |
Aikido Warm-up Terms
| SEIRETSU |
line up |
| MOKUSOU |
sit in silence (meditate) |
| MOKUSO YAME |
end mokuso |
| REIHAI |
bow (while praying) |
| AME NO TORIFUNE NO GYO |
heavenly bird ship exercise (shinto purification) |
| SHINKON NO GYO |
vibrating the soul exercise (shinto purification) |
| SHINKOKYU |
deep breathing |
| MAKKOHO |
true fron facing method |
| MO ICHIDO |
once more |
| ASHIKUBI TSUKANDE |
grab the ancle(s) |
| MAE |
front |
| USHIRO |
back |
| MAE ASHI |
front foot/leg |
| USHIRO ASHI |
back foot/leg |
| NOBASHITE |
stretch (out) |
| ATAMA |
head |
| KUBI |
neck |
Jo Movement Terms
| KAMAE |
be on guard |
| TAGURI JO |
sliding jo inside hands |
| JO MAWASHI |
jo turning |
| CHOKU TSUKI |
straight tsuki |
| TSUKI JODAN GAESHI (YOKOMEN UCHI) |
tsuki & upper turn (yokomen uchi) |
| TSUKI GEDAN BARAI |
tsuki & low-level sweep |
| TSUKI GEDAN GAESHI |
tsuki & low flip strike |
| KAESHI TSUKI |
rotational tsuki |
| JODAN UKE |
upper block |
| GEDAN HARAI UKE |
lower sweep block |
| HARAI OTOSHI UKE |
sweep & strike down block |
| USHIRO TSUKI |
back tsuki |
| SAKATE TSUKI |
reverse grip tsuki (left hanmi) |
| GYAKU YOKOMEN UCHI |
reverse yokomen uchi |
| RENZOKU YOKOMEN UCHI |
repeated yokomen uchi |
| ZENGO |
front and back |
| ZENGO RENZOKUYOKOMEN UCHI |
front & back repeated yokomen uchi |
| (HIDARI KESA) MIGI USHIRO GEDAN |
(from left kesa) right rear low level strike |
| MIGI NAGARE JODAN GAESHI UKE |
(from right hanmi) right flowing turn upper block |
| HIZA TUKI USHIRO TSUKI |
knee down rear thrust |
| TOMA KATATE UCHI |
one hand distant blow |
| HIDARI NAGARE USHIRO TSUKI |
left flowing turn back thrust |
| KATATE HACHI NO JI GAESHI |
one hand figure eight rotation |
| AWASE UKE |
(jo) matching block |
| MIGI USHIRO GEDAN TSUKI |
(from left hanmi) right rear low-level tsuki |
| MIGI GEDAN BARAKI |
(from left hanmi) right low-level sweep |
| SAGARI GYAKU YOKOMEN UCHI |
(from right hanmi) step-back reverse yokomen uchi |
| MOTOI |
return to original resting position |
