Vocabulary

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A

ai - Harmony, unity, blending
aihanmi - Basic relation between partners: both have same foot forward (left or right),  compare gyakuhanmi
ai-hanmi  katatedori - Wrist grip,  right on right or left on left, also called kosadori, compare gyakuhanmi katatedori 
aiki - Blending/uniting  one's ki with that of the partner  
aikibatto - Sword exercises, solo or pair
aikibudobudo - Based on the aiki principle, earlier name for aikido
aikidoka - One who does aikido, specifically on an advanced or professional level 
Aikijinja - The aikido temple in Iwama
aikijo aikido - jo-staff exercises 
Aikikai - Organization and "label" for Ueshiba's aikido
aikiken  - Aikido sword exercises  
aikinage aiki - Throw,  throwing technique  
aikiotoshi aiki- Drop,  throwing technique  
arigato - Thanks  
arigato  gozaimasu  - Thanks for something  going on
arigato  gozaimashita - Thanks for something  completed  
ashi - Leg, foot   
atemi - Strike to the body  
awase - Harmonizing/blending movement  
ayumiashi - Altering  steps, left and right, like normal walking

 

B

barai/harai -  Parry, ward off  
bo - Staff, longer than the jo  
bokken - Wooden training sword   
budo - The way of  war/battle, the Japanese Martial arts  
bukiwaz - Weapons training  
bushido - The way of the  warrior

 

C
choku - Direct   
chokutsuki - Direct strike with the jo
chudan - Middle

chudan kamae - Guard position with a weapon at belly height 
chudan tsuki - Strike at  belly/solar plexus, with weapon or empty hand

 

D

dame - Wrong, bad  
dan - Black belt  grade in budo 
deshi - Student   
do - The way, also michi  
dogi - Training dress, also keikogi  
do-in  - Self massage tradition  
dojo - Training hall   
dojo cho - Head of a training hall   
domo arigato  gozaimas - Thank you so much, for  something going on
domo  arigato gozaimashita - Thank you so  much, for something completed  
dori - Take, catch, grab   
dosa - Movement  
doshu - Way leader, head  of a budo  
 

E

embukai - Public demonstration  
empi - Srike with elbow  
eri - Neck, collar   
eridori - Collar grip by the neck

 

F

fukushidoin - Assisting instructor, title for aikido teacher,  2-3 dan   

 

G

gaeshi/kaeshi - Returning, reversed  
gamae/kamae - Guard, basic position  
gasshuku - Training camp, lodging together  
gedan - Low
gedanbarai - Low block   
geiko/keiko - Training  
geri - Kick   
gi - Training Uniform
giri/kiri - Cut   
gokyo - Fifth teaching, pinning technique    
gyaku - Reverse, opposite   
gyakuhanmi - Basic relation between partners: they have opposite foot forward, compare aihanmi  
gyakuhanmi-katatedori - Wrist grip,  right on left or left on right, compare aihanmi katatedori  
gyakutsukistrike - With opposing arm and leg  forward, compare oitsuki
 

H

hai - Yes  
hajime - Begin   
hakama - Traditional wide pants, used in aikido   
handachi - Half standing  
hanmi - Half body  
hanmi  gamae - Angled guard position   
hanmi  handachiwaza - Sitting  versus standing  
happo - Eight directions, compare shiho  
hara - Stomach  
harai/barai - Sweep away,  parry  
harakiri - Cut belly,  ritual suicide, also called seppuku  
hassogaeshijo - Staff technique  
hasso gamae - Guard with weapon at shoulder level   
henkawaza - Changing techniques, variations on basic techniques, also shifting from one  technique to another  
hidari - Left (Right: migi)  
hiji - Elbow   
hijidori - Grip on elbow  
hijikimeosae - Pinning technique, sometimes called rokkyo  
hiki - Pull  
hineri - Twist   
hito-e-mi - Making the body small, guard position with more  of an angle than hanmi  
hiza - Knee   
ho - Method/direction/side  
Hombu dojo - Head dojo, used for Aikido's head dojo in Tokyo  

 

I

iaido - The art of drawing the Japanese sword   
iaito - Training sword, usually not sharpened   
iie - No  
ikkyo - First teaching, pinning technique   
ipponken - Strike with  one knuckle  
irimi - In to the body,  inwards
iriminage - Inward throw,  throwing technique  
Iwama - Japanese town,  where Osensei had a dojo and a home  
Iwama ryu - Saito sensei's aikido style  

 

J

jiyuwaza - Free training  
jo - Wooden staff 
jo awase - Jo-staff exercises  
jodan - High
jodan kamae - Guard with  weapon over head  
jodan  tsuki - Strike at head   
jodanuke - High block  
jodo - The way of the staff  
jodori - Defense against jo-staff  
jujigarami/jujinage - Cross throw  
juntsuki - Strike with the same arm and leg forward, also called oitsuki, compare gyakutsuki  
 
K

kaeshi/gaeshi - Returning, reverse  
kaeshitsuki - Reverse strike with jo-staff   
kaeshiwaza - Counter techniques  
kai - Club, association   
kaiso - Founder  
kaitennage - Rotation  throw, throwing technique  
kakarigeiko - Attackers  in line, one after the other amae/gamae - Guard position  
kami - Divinity  
kamiza - Honorary place  in a dojo, compare shomen and shinzen  
kampai - Cheers, toast  
kan - Intuition   
kanji - Ideograms, the Chinese writing  
kanrenwaza - Linked  techniques, one technique followed by another, compare renzokuwaza  
kata - Form, pre-decided movements  
kata - Shoulder  
katadori - Shoulder grip
katadori  menuchi - Shoulder grip  followed by shomenuchi  
katamewaza - Pinning techniques  
katana - Japanese sword, also ken, to and tachi  
katate - One-hand technique  
katatedori - Wrist-grip  
katate  ryotedori - Grip with both  hands, also called morotedori  
keiko/geiko - Training   
keikogi - Training dress, also dogi  
ken - Sword, also katana 
ki - Spirit, life energy  
kiai - Gathered ki, usually used for shout in budo  
ki-aikido - Tohei sensei's aikido style  
kihon - Basics  
kihonwaza - Basic  training  
kikai  tanden - The ocean of ki in the body's center  
kime - Focusing   
kimusubi - Tying one's ki to that of the partner   
kinagare/ki no  nagare - Streaming ki,  flowing training 
kiri/giri - Cut  
kirikaeshi - Turning cut,  sword exercise 
kokoro -  Heart, will,  mind, also pronounced shin  
kokyu - Breathing   
kokyuho - Breathing exercise, throwing technique  
kokyunage - Breath throw  
kokyu ryoku - Breath power  
kosa - Cross over, pass  
kosadori - Cross-over grip, same as aihanmi katatedori 
koshi - Hip  
koshinage - Hip throw   
kote - Wrist  
kotegaeshi - Reversed  wrist, throwing technique  
kotodama/kototama - Spirit of words, Japanese sound mystique and cosmology  
ku - Emptiness  
kubi - Neck   
kubishime - Neck choke 
kumi - Group, set  
kumijojo - Staff exercises, jo against jo  
kumitachi - Sword exercises, sword against sword  
kuzushi - Break balance  
kyo - Principle, learning  
kyu - Grade before  blackbelt 
 

L

(L not used in Japanese)

 

M
ma-ai - Harmonious, balanced distance between training  partners  
mae - Front, forward
maegeri - Straight kick  
mae ukemi - Forward fall  
maru - Circle  
mawashi - Revolving, turning  
mawashigeri - Roundhouse kick  
mawate - Turning
men - Head  
michi - Way
migi - Right
misogi - Purification,  cleansing  
morotedori - Grip with both hands, also called katate ryotedori  
mushin - Empty mind   
mune - Chest  
munedori - Collar grip by the chest  
musubi - Tie together

 

N

nagare - Flow, streaming  
nage -Throw, also used for the one doing the aikido technique, compare tori  
nagewaza - Throwing  techniques  
nikyo - Second teaching,  pinning technique  
ninindori - Two attackers, also called futaridori  
nukite - Strike with fingertips  

 

O

obi - Belt  
oitsuki - Strike with same arm and foot forward, also called jontsuki  
omote - Front
onegai  shimasu - Please, asking for  something  
osae - Press down, pinning  
o'sensei - Great teacher, in aikido Morihei Ueshiba  
otagai ni rei - Bow to each others  
otoshi - Drop  
oyowaza - Applied  techniques, modified for efficiency  

 

P

(P rarely used in Japanese)

Q

(Q not used in Japanese) 

 

R

randori - Free training   
rei - Bow  
reigi - Etiquette, also  called reishiki  
renshu - Training   
renzoku - Continuous  
renzoku uchikomi jo - Staff exercise  
renzokuwaza - Consecutive techniques, a series of techniques   
ritsurei  - Standing bow  
rokkyo - Sixth teaching, pinning technique, see hijikime osae  
ryo - Both  
ryotedori - Gripping both wrists  
ryu - School   
 

S

sabaki - Action/handling  
samurai - To serve,  Japanese warrior class  
sankyo - Third teaching,  pinning technique  
seiza - Correct sitting,  sit on knees  
sempai - One's senior
sen no  sen - Before the attack, countering  before the strike  
sensei - Teacher   
sensen no sen - Before before the attack, a leading initiative   
seppuku - Cut belly, ritual suicide with sword
shidoin - Instructor, middle title for aikido teacher, 4-5 dan 
shihan - Title for aikido teacher, teacher of teachers, from 6 dan
shiho - Four directions  
shihonage - Four Directions throw, throwing technique 
shikko - Knee walking   
shime - Choke  
shodan - First dan grade  
shomen - Front of the  head, Head place of the dojo
shomen  ni rei - Bow to head place of the dojo  
shomenuchi - Cut or blow to head  
sode - Sleeve  
sodedori - Sleeve grip  
sodeguchidori - Grip on  the cuff of the sleeve  
soto - Outside, outer 
sotodeshi - Student who  lives outside the dojo
sotokaiten - Outer rotation
sotouke - Block from outside
suburi - Basic exercises with sword or staff   
suki - Opening
sumi - Corner 
sumikiri - Sharpness of body and mind  
sumimasen - Excuse me  
sutemiwaza - Techniques with losing one's own balance 
suwariwaza - Seated training, also called suwate

 

T

tachi - Sword, also to, ken and katana 
tachidori - Defence against sword 
tai - Body 
taijutsu - Body techniques, unarmed techniques
tai no henko - Body turn, also called tai no tenkan 
taisabaki  - Body move, evasive movement in aikido  
takemusu - Improvised Martial art  
takemusu aiki - Improvised Martial art through the principle of aiki  
tameshigiri - Cutting test with sword
tanden - Body center, compare seika no itten  
taninzugake - Several attackers
tanren - Drill
tanto/tanken - Knife  
tantodori - Defence against knife 
tao/dao - Chinese for do 
tatami - Mat  
te - Hand
tegatana - Hand sword, hand ridge in swordlike movements   
tekubi - Wrist
tenchinage - Heaven-earth throwing technique 
tenkan - Turn  
tomauchijo - Staff technique  
tori - The one who takes,  defender in aikido, also called nage and shite 
torifune - Rowing exercise, also called funakogi undo 
tsuba - Sword guard  
tsugiashi - Following  step, back foot following and not passing front foot  
tsuka - Sword hilt  
tsuki - Strike, with a weapon or empty hand

 

U

uchi - Hit  
uchi - Inside, within,  inner, compare soto  
uchideshi - Student  living in the dojo, compare sotodeshi  
uchikaiten - Inner rotation, compare sotokaiten  
uchikomi - Hitting repeatedly  
uchiuke - Block from inside, compare sotouke  
ude - Arm  
udekimenage - Arm lock  throw  
udenobashi - Extended  arm, gokyo  
udeosae - Pinned arm, ikkyo  
uke - The one receiving,  attacker in aikido     
ukemi - Falling  
undo - Exercise   
ura - Backside, inside, reverse side, compare omote  
ushiro - Behind, backwards, compare mae  
ushirogeri - Backward kick  
ushiro kiriotoshi - Rear cutting drop, throwing technique   
ushiro ukemi - Backward fall 
ushirowaza - Attacks from behind

 

V

(V not used in Japanese) 

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W

waki - Side   
wakizashi - Short sword  
waza -Technique, skill,  training method

 

X

(X not used in Japanese)Â

 

Y

yame - Stop  
yang - Sunny side, male  pole, in Japanese yo, compare yin  
yari - Spear  
yin - Shady side, female  pole, in Japanese in, compare yang  
yoko - Side, sideways, horizontal  
yokogeri - Side kick   
yokogiri - Horizontal cut  
yokomen - Side of the  head
yokomenuchi - Strike to the side of the head  
yoko ukemi - Side fall    
yonkajo - Older term for yonkyo  
yonkyo - Fourth teaching, pinning technique  
yudansha - Dan graded, compare mudansha

 

Z

za - Seated, sit  
zanshin - Remaining spirit, continued concentration  
zarei - Sitting bow  
zazen - Sitting  meditation, also called mokuso  
zengo - Around, forward and back, front and rear   
zori - Sandals

 

Numbers

1 - ichi  
2 - ni  
3 - san
4 - shi  / yon  
5 - go  
6 - roku  
7 - shichi / nana  
8 - hachi  
9 - ku  
10 - ju
20 - ni-ju  
21 - ni-ju-ichi

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