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This glossary has been compiled by the Takemusu Aikido Association and is a work in progress.
Pronunciation
A reminder as to pronunciation - The five Japanese vowels are:
A - The letter "a" always represents a sound not unlike the American "a" in "father".
I - The letter "i" almost always represents a sound quite like the American "ee" in "feet", not "i" in "fit". I said "almost". There is one minor exception, which will be explained later.
U - The letter "u" in Japanese almost always represents a sound like the "oo" in "fool", not "u" in "full". Again there's one minor exception.
E - The letter "e" always represents a sound quite like the "e" in "pet".
O - The letter "o" always represents a sound quite like the initial portion of the American "o" in "so”.
The most important thing to note is that each letter almost always represents one single vowel sound. (There's one minor exception for "i" and another for "u".) In English, the "i" in "sit" and the "i" in "site" represent quite different vowels. This type of wild variation never occurs in Japanese.
The “R” in Japanese is very hard to pronounce. We are borrowing information from the livinglanguage.com/blog as follows:
In Japanese, there are five syllables containing the ‘R’ sound: ら ra り ri る ru れ re ろ ro. The Japanese ‘R’ is probably one of the trickiest consonant to pronounce because it is very different from the English ‘R’. However, it is not actually difficult!
If you speak American English, think of how you pronounce the ‘T’ sound in water, letter, meter, cutter, and so on. You probably pronounce it soft, while a British English speaker would pronounce it sharp. That soft ‘T’ sound (called “flap T”) is similar to the Japanese ‘R’ sound.
When you pronounce ら ra り ri る ru れ re ろ ro, the tip of your tongue lightly touches or flaps right above the back of your front teeth. This is certainly different from how we pronounce the English ‘R’ because the tip of your tongue does not touch anywhere.
“HU” This is another difficult pronunciation for American English speakers. But it is rarely used in Aikido terminology, so we will not address this sound.
Glossary
A
Agatsu - victory over self. Commonly used in the phrase “masakatsu agatsu”
Ai hanmi - both partners have the same foot forward to begin a technique
Aiki - uniting ki with partner/attacker
Aikido - the way of harmonizing life’s energy
Aikidoka - person who practices aikido
Aiki jinja - shrine dedicated to the Aiki spirit
Aiki jo - short staff used as part of Ri-ai. The length is approximately 4 ft. 2 inches long, 1 inch in diameter
Aikikai - organization for Aikido under the Ueshiba Family
Aiki ken - wooden sword used in Aikido as part of Ri-ai; practice of aiki using the wooden sword
Aiki otoshi - aiki drop; throw
Aiki taiso - aikido related exercises/warm ups
Aite - depending on kanji written, this could mean partner, but classically means opponent
Ai uchi - mutual strike; it is striking (kendo) without the fear of being hit
Ashi - leg or foot
Atemi - strike or feint to a weak point or area
Awase - blended/harmonious movement (same character as Ai in Aikido)
B
Barai/harai - parry or warding off
Bokken - wooden training sword. Also known as bokuto
Bukiwaza - weapons training/techniques
Bokuto - wooden sword. Term is most commonly used in Japanese (outside of the Ibaragi Dojo)
Butsukaru - colliding vs awaseru (harmonizing) with your attacker
C
Chikara - strength/force
Choku - direct
Choku tsuki - direct thrust
Chudan - middle position; compared to jodan (high) position; gedan (low) position
D
Dai - great/important. ex.-Dai Ikkyo
Dame - wrong; incorrect
Dan - level, black belt rank
Deshi - student; disciple
Do - the way; can be read as michi
Dogi - clothes used when training; also keikogi
Dojo - training hall; lit. hall of the way
Dojo cho - head of the training hall or dojo
Dori - same as tori; to grab or hold or catch
Dosa - action or movement
Doshu - leader of the way; head of the Aikikai
E
Embukai - public demonstration of martial arts
F
Fudo shin - immovable mind
Fukushidoin - assistant instructor; aikido 2 to 3 dan minimum
Funakogi undo - rowing exercise, as if pushing and pulling a Japanese oar. Ame no torifune
Furi kaburu - raising the hands above the head (the same movement as raising a sword)
Futari dori/futari gake - two persons holding/attacking; see ni nin dori/gake
G
Gaeshi/kaeshi - returning/reversed
Gamseki otoshi - rock drop throw
Gasshuku - training camp. Retreat or camp where everyone lives eats and trains together
Gedan - low (position); vs chudan (middle position) and jodan (high position) ready postures
Gokyo - fifth teaching
Goshin Jitsu - self defense techniques
Gyaku - reverse, opposite
Gyakute Dori - cross handed grab or hold; see kosa
Gyaku hanmi - partners have the opposite foot forward, i.e. right foot to left foot
H
Hajime - begin; start
Hanmi - ‘half body’. Common usage refers to the triangular stance which is unique to Aikido
Hanmi handachi - Nage is sitting (shikko-style) and uke is standing and attacking
Happo - eight directions
Happo Giri - eight directions cutting
Hakama - loose skirt with many pleats in the front, worn by "black belt" Aikidoka (Some schools wear hakama even at lower levels)
Harai/barai - sweep or parry
Henka waza - variation of a technique
Hidari - left (vs. right)
Hiji - elbow; see sode
Hito e mi - turning the body so that it is parallel to the strike or thrust. Lit.-“one layer of the body”
Ho - method
Ho - direction (different kanji)
Hombu dojo - ‘headquarters’ dojo. Note: all martial arts can have a ‘headquarters’. Aikido’s hombu dojo is known as the “Aikikai Hombu Dojo”
I
Ibaragi Shibu dojo - formerly known as the ‘Iwama’ dojo. Shibu means branch.
Ikkyo - first teaching
Irimi - ‘enter body'. The body enters into the attack
Irimi nage - entering throw…enter deeply behind the attacker
Iwama - name of the town where Morihei Ueshiba lived and had his dojo. The Aiki Shrine is across the street from his home/dojo
J
Jiyu waza - free style attacks and techniques/techniques and attacks without being pre-set
Jo - short staff about 4ft 2 inches in length and about 1 inch in diameter (see aiki jo)
Jo awase - skills practice with a partner; 13 jo awase
Jodan - high position. See chudan and gedan.
Jo dori jo - taking or disarming an attacker empty handed
Jo kata jo - forms-13 jo kata; 31 jo kata
Ju - ten (number)
Jujigarami - ‘figure ten- entwining’. M. Saito Sensei used this term.
Juji jime - cross handed choke using the lapels
Jujinage - same technique as above. The meaning is: ‘figure ten throw’
Jusan no kata - 13 count jo movement
K
Kaeshi/gaeshi - returning/reversing
Kaeshi waza - counter or reversal techniques
Kaiso - founder (of Aikido…Morihei Ueshiba)
Kaiten nage - circulating or rotating throw
Kakari geiko - attackers line up and come in one at a time
Kakudo - angle
Kamae - ‘en garde’ position or ‘ready’ posture
Kami - divinity; gods/spirits of Shinto
Kamiza - honorary place in the dojo; usually in the ‘front’. Compare to shomen
Kampai - cheers; a toast
Kan - intuition
Kangeiko - winter training on the coldest days of the year
Kanji - Chinese ideograms for the Japanese language
Kansetsu - joint (in body)
Kata - form (movements)
Kata - shoulder (different kanji)
Katadori - grabbing the do-gi at the shoulder
Katadori - grip at the shoulder, then nage ‘calls out’ the uke in shomen uchi
Menuchi Katai - solid/hard grip or hold by uke in practice
Katame waza - pinning techniques; controlling techniques
Katana - Japanese sword-also called ken, to, or tachi
Katate - one handed
Katatedori uke - holds the wrist with one hand in gyaku hanmi
Katsu Hayabi - right now; this moment; often used in the phrase, “masakatsu agatsu katsuhayabi”
Keiko - training
Keiko gi - training uniform or outfit
Ken - sword; also called katana, to or tachi
Ki - energy; life energy
Kiai - a piercing shout in martial arts
Kihon - basic(s)
Kihonwaza - basic training or basic techniques
Kimeru - focus
Kimusubi - unifying one’s ki with the attacker
Kimusubi No Tachi - sixth kumitachi; the bokken do not make contact during the form; also otonashi no ken (silent sword)
Ki no nagare - ‘ki’ flow movement practice
Kogeki - attacker
Kokoro - heart, mind, will; also shin
Kokyu - breath
Kokyu ryoku - spiral (breath) strength; breath power
Kokyu-ho - breath training
Kokyu nage - breath throw
Kosa - cross over (same as gyakute, aihanmi, katatedori)
Kosa dori - cross over hold; in aihanmi
Koshi - hip, back
Koshinage - hip throw, nage and uke’s bodies form a cross at the hip level
Kotegaeshi - reversed wrist, throw
Kototama - Sometimes ‘kotodama’. Sound mysticism/ cosmology. ‘Sound creates reality’
Ku - nine (number); sometimes pronounced kyu
Kubi - neck
Kubishime - choking the neck
Kuden - oral teaching/tradition, also Okuden
Kumi - group or set
Kumi jo - jo vs jo exercise (10)
Kumi tachi - bokken vs bokken exercise (6)
Kuzushi - breaking the balance (unbalancing direction)
Kyo - for instance, Ikkyo; kyo means lesson or teaching or principle. Ikkyo is first principle or teaching
Kyu - grade or level before black belt or dan
M
Ma - distance or space between attacker and receiver
Ma-ai - harmonious space between training partners
Mae - front, forward vs. ushiro
Mae ukemi - front rolls or falls
Masakatsu - true victory
Men - top of head
Michi - the way, path or road; also do
Migi - right (hidari, left)
Misogi - purification, cleansing
Mokuso - meditation
Moro - both
Morote dori - grasping the forearm with two hands
Morote dori Kokyu ho - uke holds with two hands on forearm, nage develops kokyu ryoku
Muna - from the traditional name munamotodori or grasping the lapel of the kimono
Mune - chest, same as above; used interchangeably
Munedori - gripping the lapel at the chest level; same as munadori
Musubi - binding together; for instance in ki musubi no tachi
N
Nagare - flow; flowing
Nage - throw; the thrower…the person doing the technique-tori
Nage waza - throwing techniques
Ni ju no suburi - 20 jo suburi
Nikyo - second teaching
Nin - person
Ni nin dori - two attackers holding
Ni nin gake - two person attack
O
O - big, great
Obi - Japanese belt
Omote - (in front) front, vs. ura
Osae - press or pin down
OSensei - in the Aikido world, it is Morihei Ueshiba; means great teacher
Otagai ni rei- bow to each other; direction to bow to each other
Otoshi - drop; such as aiki otoshi, sumi otoshi or ganseki otoshi
Oyo waza - application of the basics; often modified for efficiency
R
Randori - multiple attackers; means ‘grabbing hold of chaos’ or controlling chaos
Rei - bow
Reigi - etiquette
Renshu - training or practice. See keiko
Riai - the movement and principles are the same whether using bokuto, jo or body arts
Ritsurei - standing bow
Rokkyo - sixth teaching
Ryo - both
Rupo kata dori-uke - holds both shoulders of dogi
Ryo-te dori uke - holds both wrists with both hands
S
Sabaki - management or control; as in tai sabaki or body control
San ju ichi no jo - 31 count jo form
Sankaku - triangle
Sankyo - third teaching
Seiza - sitting Japanese style on the knees
Sensei - teacher - literally the one who has gone before
Shiboru - to wring or squeeze (a towel); the kokyu motion of the wrists
Shidoin - instructor as awarded by Aikikai hombu dojo. Minimum 4th or 5th dan plus has own dojo.
Shihan - master instructor. Minimum 6th dan.
Shiho - four directions
Shikko - knee walking
Shite - the one leading, defender in Aikido… also called tori or nage
Shomen - front of the dojo; straight ahead
Shomen uchi - straight overhead strike
Sode - sleeve of do-gi
Sode dori - grasping the sleeve. See hiji dori
Sode guchi - sleeve opening
Sode guchi dori - grasping the cuff of the sleeve
Sokumen irimi nage - side iriminage
Soto - outside
Suburi - basic movement of bokken and jo; seven for bokken and 20 for the jo
Sumi otoshi - corner throw
Suwari waza - seated training
T
Tachi - sword
Tachi - stand/standing
Tachi dori - empty handed sword taking
Tai - body
Tai jutsu - body techniques, empty handed techniques
Tai no henko - body turn; the Founder always started practice with tai no henko
Tai sabaki - evasive body movement; lit. "body management"
Takemusu Aiki - highest principle of Aikido, spontaneous techniques arise when attacked
Tanren - forging techniques
Tanto/tanken - Japanese knife
Tanto/tanken dori - bare handed knife takeaway
Te - hand
Tegatana - hand sword; basic hand position
Tekubi - wrist
Tenkan - turning
Tenchi nage - heaven and earth throw
Tou - sword-compare to ken, katana, tachi
Tobu ukemi - leaping break fall
Tori - person who ‘takes’ or ‘grabs’ the attack. Compare to Nage, Shiite
Tori fune Undo - rowing exercise. Lit. ‘bird boat’ the heavenly boat that traversed the skies from earth to heaven and back again. Also funakogi undo
Tsuka - sword hilt
Tsuki - thrust
U
Uchi - hit
Uchi - inside, also implies hidden or ‘house’ teachings
Uchi desshi - student living in the dojo
Uchi tachi - attacker with the sword (kumi tachi)
Ude - arm
Uke - one receiving the technique; the attacker
Uke tachi - person receiving sword attack (kumi tachi)
Ukemi - the one who takes falls and pins after the attack
Ura - back or to the rear (vs omote)
Ushiro - behind vs mae or in front
Ushiro eri tori - one hand holding the nape of the collar from behind
Ushiro katate Kubishime/Munadori - one hand holding the wrist from behind then holding the neck or material at chest
Ushiro ryokata Dori - two hands holding both shoulders from behind
Ushiro ryote Dori - two hands holding both wrists from behind
Ushiro ukemi - backward falls
W
Waka sensei - young master; designated next Doshu
Waza - technique
Y
Yamabiko - calling out the ‘ki’ of an attack or inviting (sasoi); Saito Sensei called it Yamabiko no Michi
Yawarakai - soft; flexible
Yoko - side
Yokomen Uchi - strike to side of the head
Yonkyo - fourth teaching
Yudansha - black belt
Z
Za - seated
Zanshin - continued concentration and connection after the technique
Zengo - turning one direction then another. Front then back
APPENDIX B
AIKI JO GLOSSARY
Morihiro Saito Shihan's Ni ju no suburi (20 Suburi)
TSUKI NOBU
Choku Tsuki - direct thrust
Kaeshi Tsuki - counter thrust
Ushiro Tsuki - rear thrust
Tsuki Gedan Gaeshi - thrust, retract to a low position and sweep/strike low
Tsuki Jodan Gaeshi - thrust, retract to high position over the head and strike down
SHOMEN UCHI NOBU
Shomen Uchi Komi - striking straight down
Renzoku Uchi Komi - continuous strike
Shomen Uchi Gedan Gaeshi - strike retract low, sweep/strike low
Shomen Uchi Ushiro Tsuki - strike then thrust to rear
Gyaku Yokomen Ushiro Tsuki - reverse strike thrust to rear
KATATE NOBU
Katate Gedan Gaeshi - one handed sweeping strike from low to high
Katate Toma Uchi - one handed sweeping strike from high to low
Hachi no Ji Gaeshi - one handed figure 8 motion (the kanji for 8, not "8")
HASSO GAESHI NOBU
Hasso Gaeshi Uchi - (Japanese) figure 8 move, then strike
Hasso Gaeshi Tsuki - figure 8 move, thrust forward
Hasso Gaeshi Ushiro Tsuki - figure 8 move, then thrust to rear
Hasso Gaeshi Ushiro Uchi - figure 8 move, then strike to rear
Hasso Gaeshi Ushiro Barai - figure 8 move, then sweep to rear
NAGARE GAESHI NOBU
Hidari Nagare Gaeshi Uchi - Strike, turn left and strike again
Migi Nagare Gaeshi Tsuki - Step and strike, turn right and then thrust