Aikido: Way of Harmony-- Glossary
Compiled by Joe Vaughan
Notes: Japanese in italics, with definitions and usage notes.
Vowels are a as in 'father', i as in 'me', u
as in 'to', e as in 'they', o as in 'crow'.
Sounds to work on: flap-R, 'tsu', 'kyo', 'ryo'.
See this link for
pronunciation.
| Aikido | Harmony (Ai) with Life-force (ki) Way (do), way of harmony, |
| aikidoka | practitioner of aikido (one also sees 'aikidoist') |
| Aikikai | organization founded by Morihei Ueshiba |
| aiki taiso | basic mind-body coordination exercises |
| atemi | attacking strike, or strike used as diversion in context of technique |
| bokken | wooden training sword; bokkentori sword taking technique |
| budo | martial way; budoka student of the martial way |
| bugei | military arts; bujin military person |
| bujutsu | military technique |
| bushi | samurai; bushido way (code) of the samurai |
| dan | blackbelt rank. 1-6: prefixes:{sho-, ni-, san-, yon-, go-, roku-} |
| do | the way (relating to concept of the Tao) |
| dojo | martial arts training hall |
| dori | grab (same as tori) |
| Doshu | hereditary leader of Aikido, now Moriteru Ueshiba, grandson of O'Sensei |
| funa kogi undo | 'rowing'exercise |
| ganmenuchi | punch to face |
| gi | practice uniform (see dogi, also keikogi) |
| gokyo | fifth control |
| hai | yes, I understand (and will obey) (Osu in karate) |
| hakama | pleated pants worn over gi |
| hanmi | stance migi hanmi = right foot forward hidari hanmi = left foot forward ai hanmi, neither foot forward if solo, i.e. neither left nor right, or uke and nage both w/ right (or left) foot forward gyaku hanmi = uke and nage in opposite stance, toe to toe |
| hanmi handachi | stances for technique w/ uke standing and nage kneeling |
| happo undo irimi | eight direction entering exercise |
| happo undo tenkan | eight direction turning exercise |
| hara | lower abdomen, location of the tanden |
| haragei | training of the hara |
| henka waza | alternate/change-up technique |
| hidari | left |
| hiji | elbow |
| ho | method (kokyu ho, koho tento undo) |
| Hombu Dojo (or Honbu) | Aikido headquarters in Tokyo |
| iaido | martial art of instantaneous draw-cut. |
| ikkyo | first control |
| irimi | entering motion |
| iriminage | entering throw |
| jiyu waza | practice of various defense against a specified attack |
| jo | short staff (~50 inches); jodo art of the jo |
| joseki | high side (right side) of mat |
| jotori | jo taking technique |
| jujinage (or jujigarami) | intertwined arm throw (ju from symbol for number 10) |
| kaeshi waza | counter-technique |
| kaitenage | rotary throw |
| kamae | Stance or posture chudan no- middle stance-bokken toward opponents face jodan no- over head or high stance-bokken above head gedan no- low stance-bokken tip held low waki gamae gedan behind hasso no bokken held vertically above shoulder |
| kamiza | Front wall of dojo (or joza) |
| kata | 1) shoulder, 2) sequence of moves used for practice |
| katana | sword, or blade |
| katate kosa tori | forearm or wrist (one hand) grab, across (rt. to rt.). |
| katatetori | forearm or wrist (one hand) grab |
| ki | spirit, life-force, intent |
| kiai | spirit shout |
| kime | focus |
| ki musubi | uniting one's ki with uke's, blending with energy in the attack |
| kohai | aikidoka junior to one-self |
| koho tento undo | backward tumbling exercise for ukemi |
| kokyu | breath or timing |
| kokyu dosa | practice in using breath-power, also called kokyu ho |
| kokyu nage | breath or timing throw (various techniques) |
| koshi nage | hip throw (koshi, hip) |
| kote | wrist, forearm |
| kotegaeshi | wrist out-turn, wrist counter |
| kubi shime | neck choke |
| kumijo | jo matching practice |
| kumitachi | sword matching practice |
| kuzushi | taking balance |
| kyu | ranks below dan level, 1-7: {ik-, ni-, san-, yon-,
go-, rok-, shichi- } sometimes nana- is used in place of shichi- |
| ma-ai | proper distance |
| mae ukemi | front rolls |
| men-uchi | strike to head |
| migi | right side |
| misogi undo | purification practice, breathing practice or meditation |
| mune tsuki | strike (punch) to abdomen or chest |
| mushin | open mind, empty mind of calm attention |
| nafudakake | board displaying names and ranks in dojo |
| nage | one who throws, defender, (or tori); or throwing form of waza |
| nikyo | second control |
| obi | belt worn w/ gi |
| omote | front side |
| orenai te | unbendable arm |
| osae | pin; ude osae arm pin |
| O-Sensei | Aikido founder, Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969) |
| randori | 'seize-chaos', defense against varied & multiple attackers |
| rei | bow |
| ritsurei | standing bow |
| ryote | both hands |
| ryokatadori | grabbing both shoulders/lapels |
| ryotedori | grabbing both wrists/forearms |
| ryote mochi | grabbing one hand/forearm with both hands |
| sabaki | motion |
| sankyo | third control |
| sayu undo | exercise to both sides |
| seiza | formal kneeling posture |
| sempai | aikidoka senior to one-self |
| sensei | teacher |
| shihan | teacher of rank sixth dan (rokkudan) or higher |
| shihonage | 'four-directions' throw |
| shikko | knee walking |
| shime | choke; kubi shime throat choke |
| shimoseki | low side of mat, left side, opposite joseki |
| shimoza | wall opposite shomen wall, opposite kamiza, hence back wall |
| shinai | training sword used in kendo, of bamboo |
| shomen | over head area, front wall w/ tokonoma, kamiza |
| shomenuchi | straight (sho) head (men) strike (uchi) |
| shugyo | hard training (leading to enlightenment) |
| suburi | practice cuts, as with bokken or jo |
| sudori | passing w/out stepping |
| sumi otoshi | 'corner drop' throw |
| suri ashi | gliding step |
| suwari waza | technique performed w/ both nage and uke kneeling (shikko) |
| tachi | sword |
| tachi dori | sword-taking techniques |
| tachi waza | standing technique practice (contrast to suwari waza) |
| tai jutsu | arts in aikido not involving weapons |
| tai no henko | basic body blending practice |
| tai sabaki | body motion used in evading attack and positioning for technique |
| tanden | center or one-point, located in the hara |
| tanto | knife, wooden practice knife |
| tanto dori | knife taking |
| te | hand; tegatana hand-blade, edge of hand |
| te waza | hand (wrist) technique |
| tekubi | wrist; ushiro tekubitori wrists grabbed from behind |
| tenchinage | heaven (ten)-and-earth(chi) throw(nage) |
| tenkan, tenkan undo | turning, turning practice |
| tokonoma | alcove, on kamiza wall |
| tori | to grasp (variant of dori), also variant of nage |
| tsugi ashi | follow up step or slide |
| tsuki | thrust or punch, w/ weapon or fist |
| uchi deshi | live-in student, disciple |
| ude | arm, ude osae arm pin |
| uke | one who is thrown, falls, the attacker |
| ukemi | the art of falling |
| undo | exercises |
| ura | back-side, reverse, behind (or hidden) |
| ushiro | from behind, ushiro tori , grab from behind |
| wa | harmony |
| waza | technique or paractice |
| yokomenuchi | side (yoko) head (men) strike (uchi) |
| yonkyo | fourth control |
| yudansha | dan-ranked aikidoka (collective noun) black-belts |
| zanshin | lingering spirit, balanced, focused position at completion of throw |
| zarei | seated bow (from seiza) |
| zazen | seated meditation from Zen Buddhism |
| zengo undo | pivoting practice |
| zori | sandals, worn to the edge of the training mat |
Counting:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| ichi | ni | san | shi | go | rokku | shichi | hachi | ku | ju | |
| or | yon | hichi | ||||||||
| or | nana |
See this link for pronunciation.