Japanese Terms used in Daily Practice
The following terms are commonly used in Aikido training, and in the standard techniques tested during Aikikai examinations for a higher rank.
The names of Aikido techniques (waza) consist of two parts:
- First half, the name of the attack
- Second half, the name of the throw
Examples: mune tsuki + ikkyo, katate tori + shiho nage, shomen uchi + irimi nage.
Thus the first two parts of the table are Attacks and Throws. Any attack combines with any throw to become a waza: For example, a partner can attack with mune tsuki and be thrown with ikkyo, shiho nage, kote gaeshi, irimi nage or one of many kokyu nage.
Attacks
aikido term | definition | examples or description |
---|---|---|
hanmi handachi | half sitting, half standing | Standing uke attacks seated nage |
kata tori | shoulder grab | kata tori ikkyo, ushiro kata tori sankyo |
katate tori | one hand grab (same side, as in left hand grabs partner's right wrist) | katate tori shiho nage |
katate kosa tori | one hand grab (opposite side) | As in, left hand grab of partner's left wrist. katate kosa tori ikkyo |
katate (tori) ryotemochi [morote tori] |
attacker grabs one wrist with both hands | katate tori ryote mochi kokyu nage |
mune tsuki | punch or thrust to the chest | mune tsuki kotegaeshi |
ryote tori | both hands grabbed | ryote tori tenchi nage |
shomen uchi | direct strike to the face or front of the head | shomen uchi ikkyo |
ushiro (ryo) kata tori | grab (both) shoulder(s) from behind | ushiro kata tori sankyo |
ushiro tekubi / hiji / kata tori | grab wrists / elbows / shoulders from behind | ushiro tekubi tori kotegaeshi, ushiro hiji tori, ushiro kata tori |
yokomen uchi | strike to the side of the face or head | yokomen uchi shiho nage |
Throws
aikido term | definition | examples or description |
---|---|---|
ikkyo [ude osae] (omote and ura) |
first "form" throw | Basic pin of the opponent's arm |
nikyo [kote mawashi] (omote and ura) |
sceond "form" throw | Turning of the wrist (forearm) pin |
sankyo [kote hineri] (omote and ura) |
third "form" throw | Twisiting of the wrist (forearm) pin |
yonkyo [tekubi osae] (omote and ura) |
fourth "form" throw | Wrist pressure pin |
gokyo (omote and ura) |
fifth "form" throw | Pin usually used against knife attacks |
irimi nage | "entering" throw | Thow by sliding past the opponent's line of attack, letting his momenum pass |
jo nage (or tori) | Throwing with, or taking away, the jo | set of throwing techniques with a wooden staff |
jiyu waza | "free" style techniques | Basic: perform any throw against ryotetori (both hands grasped) attack |
toshu henka waza | "change" style/form techniques | Any throw against any attack |
kaeshi waza | "reversal" throw | Techniques for countering nage's throw |
kaiten nage (omote and ura) |
"revolution" throw | Turn of the wheel "revolution", not the overthrowing of governments kind |
kokyu nagebreath throwThrows relying on timing, body movement and attacker's speed, and strength, rather than joint locks | ||
kote gaeshi | Turing in of the wrist (reversing the wrist) | Similar to a nikyo pin, but used to throw |
randori | attack by multiple (usually 4) uke | lit. "passing through chaos" Free techniques against multiple opponents |
shiho nage (omote and ura) |
four directions throw | |
sumi otoshi (omote and ura) |
"corner" throw | |
tachi (bokken) tori | sword waza | deal with (wooden) sword attacks |
tanto tori | knife waza | deal with (wooden) knife attacks |
suwari waza | seated techniques | actually techniques executed while kneeling |
tenchi nage ( omote and ura ) |
heaven-earth throw | One hand goes up, the other comes down (from ryote tori) |
Exercises
aikido term | definition | examples or description |
---|---|---|
fune kogi undo | rowing exercise | |
hojo walk | posture, moving, and breathing exercise during warmups | |
kokyu ho | breath exercise | done in a kneeling position (seiza) at the end of every class |
misogi (okinaga) | purification breathing | done at the end of every class |
shikko | samurai (knee) walking | preparation for suwari waza |
Other Japanese Words & Phrases
aikido term | definition | examples or description |
---|---|---|
ashi hakobi | move the feet | martial way of walking by sliding the feet rather than stepping |
bokken | wooden sword | tachi, generic name for a (real) sword |
hara | center of the body, just below the navel | |
hanmi | half-stance | lit., half body, as in facing forward with left or right foot forward, in left or right hanmi, respectively |
hantai | opposite, other side | |
jo | wooden staff | originally a thrusting spear |
kaiten | pivot 180o in place | turn 180o without moving feet |
kamae | stance | formal posture for attacking or awaiting attack |
kokyu | breath or breathing | kokyu nage, kokyu ho |
kote | wrist / lower arm | lit. small hand |
kyu & dan | rank, level or grade in martial arts: | kyu - colored belts, 6th or 5th through 1st kyu (descending) dan - black belts, shodan (1st), nidan (2nd), sandan (3rd), yondan (4th), godan (5th), etc. through 10th dan (ascending) |
ma'ai | interval | proper distance between nage and uke for attack and defense |
men | face or head | |
metsuke | Eye line | Keep head erect and focus eyes on the middle distance |
mochi | hold, have | ryote mochi: hold with both hands |
nage | throw or person throwing (the latter also called tori, or taker) | shiho nage, irimi nage |
onegai shimasu | please | as in, "please work (train) with me" |
omote | front entry | shiho nage, omote |
ryo | both | ryote tori, ryote mochi |
sabaki | body movement | |
seiza | formal Japanese sitting, on the knees | |
sensei | teacher | Head instructor is Sensei; all other instructors are only addressed as Sensei when they are teaching and on the mat |
tanto | knife, lit. short sword | tanto tori waza deal with knife attacks |
te | hand | |
tekubi | wrist | lit. neck of the hand |
tenkan | turn | pivot (kaiten) and step back |
tori | take, grasp (also person performing the throw) | katate tori, ryote tori |
uchi | strike | shomen uchi, yokomen uchi attacks |
uke | receiver, i.e. person being thrown, the attacker or striker (from utsu - to strike (also uchi, ukemi)) |
|
ukemi | the art of attacking, following and taking the fall | "Partner's ukemi is good"; "we have to work on our ukemi" |
ura, ushiro | entry to the back | ikkyo ura, ushiro tekubi tori |
waza | technique | |
zanshin | connection | maintain zanshin with your partner throughout the waza or training session |
Notes: For correct pronunciation some vowels, especially "o" and "u", are doubled ("oo" is pronounced as in low, not book)
The words from the list that are affected:
kokyuu hoo, shikkoo, ryoo, randoori, joo, shihoo nage, undoo, jiyuu waza, tantoo, kyuu (the rank). The rest of the words are pronounced phonetically, except pronounce the following words without the "u": onegai shimass (not "shimasoo"); munetski (not "munetsooki")
Also, see An English-Japanese Aikido Lexicon for a similar exercise from a different perspective