Aikido (Japanese) Words & Phrases

  
         
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  Japanese Phrases   Standard Aikido Attacks  
  Itai (ee-tie) -- It hurts.
Ohayo / Ohayo gozaimasu (ohio go-zah-ee-mahs) -- Good morning (used before 10:00AM).
Konnichi wa (kone-knee-chee-wa) -- Hello! Good day (used after 10:00AM).
Komban wa (comb-bahn wah) -- Good evening.
Oyasumi nasai (oh-yah-sue-me nah-sigh) -- Good night (before bedtime).
Sayonara (sigh-yoh-nah-rah) -- Good-bye.
Domo/Domo arigato (doe-moe / doe-moe ah-ree-gah-toe) -- Thank you.
Arigato gozaimasu (ah-ree-gah-toe go-zah-ee-mahss) -- Thany you (very polite form).
Sensei, domo arigato gozaimashita -- Thank you very much for what you have done. (Spoken by students at the end of every Aikido class.)
Onegai shimasu (oh-nigh-guy she-mahss) -- I make a request (Spoken when one wishes to practice with a fellow student or teacher).
Gomen nasai (go-men nah-sigh) -- I'm sorry, excuse me.
Do itashimashite (doe ee-tah-she-mah-she-tay) -- Don't mention it. You're welcome.
Ogen'ki desu ka (oh-ghen-key des-kah) -- How are you? Are you in good spirits.
Okagesama de (ohkah-ghe-sama day) -- Fine, thank you.
Hajimemashite (haji-may-mah-she-tay) -- How do you do? (When introduced to someone for the first time).
Hajime (hah-jee-may) -- Begin.
Mate (mah-tay) -- Wait.
Yamae (yah-may) -- Stop.
   Hanmi handachi -- Uke standing, nage sitting.
Jotori -- Any attack with a staff or stick.
Katatetori -- One hand grab to wrist.
Katatori -- One hand grab to the collar.
Morotetori -- Two hands on one.
Ryotetori -- Both wrists grabbed from the front.
Shomen-uchi -- Strike to the forehead.
Suwari-waza -- Techniques from the sitting position. Both uke & nage begin from a sitting position.
Tachitori -- Any attack with a sword.
Tantotori -- Any attack with a knife or small sword.
Tsuki -- A thrust or punch.
Ushiro kubishime -- Uke chokes from behind with one hand and grabs nage's wrist with his other free hand.
Ushiro ryokatatori -- Uke's shoulders are grabbed from behind.
Ushiro tekubitori -- Both nage's wrists are grabbed from behind.
Ushiro waza -- Any attack from behind.
  
         
  Aikido Terms: A to J   Aikido Terms: K to O  
  Ai (eye) -- Harmony, coming together, love.
Aikido (eye-key-doe) -- Ai = harmony, ki = spirit, do = the way or path.
Aiki taiso (eye-key tie-so) -- Aikido exercises.
Ai hanmi (eye hon-me) -- Equal (or harmonious) stance.
Ai uchi (eye ooh-chee) -- Equal strike or equal kill.
Atemi (ah-tem-ee) -- Defensive strike to distract or off balance your partner so a technique can be effectively applied. It is not meant to inflict injury.
Bokken (bow-ken) -- Wooden sword used in practice.
Bushido (boo-she-doe) -- Warrior's code. The way of the warrior.
Dan (don) -- Aikido grade holder, black belt rank.
Dojo (doe-joe) -- Training hall (formerly a term used by Buddhist priests in reference to their place of worship.)
Dori (door-ree) -- Grab.
Doshi (doe-she) -- Comrade, friend (used among fellow aikidoists).
Eeyaa (ee-a) -- No.
Gaeshi (Guy-eh-she) -- To reverse.
Gi (ghee) -- Training uniform.
Gyaku hanmi (gi-ah-koo hon-me) -- Opposite stance.
Hai (hi) -- Yes.
Hakama (ha-ka-ma) -- A divided, pant-like skirt.
Hanmi (hon-me) -- A stance in which one foot is advanced on step and the body weight is distributed evenly on both feet. Also, know as a triangular stance.
Hanmi handachi (hon-me hon-dah-chee) -- Nage (thrower) is kneeling and the partner (attacker), approaches from a standing position.
Hara (har-ah) -- The center of existence. Lower abdomen. Your physical and spiritual center.
Hidari (he-dah-ree) -- Left direction.
Iaido (ee-eye-do) -- The art of drawing the sword.
Iaito (ee-eye-toe) -- Practice sword for Iaido.
Irimi (ee-ree-me) -- To enter, entering.
Jyu (gee-you) -- Freestyle.
Jyu waza (gee-you wah-zah) -- Freestyle techniques or practice.
Jo (joe) -- wooden staff.
   Kaiten (kai-ten) -- To revolve or rotate.
Kata (kah-tah) -- Shoulder. Also, means "form" practice or prearranged exercise(s).
Katate (kay-tah-tay) -- One hand (left or right).
Katana (kah-tah-nah) -- Long sword.
Keiko (kay-ko) -- Practice session or training.
Ken (ken) -- Japanese sword.
Ki (key) -- Spirit. The vital force of the body. Universal energy. A stream or flow of positive energy.
Ki musubi (key moo-su-bee) -- Ki blending.
Kiai (key-eye) -- A piercing scream or cry with practical and psychological value meaning -- "Meeting of the spirits."
Kokyu (coke-you) -- Breath power, the coordination of ki flow with breathing.
Kokyu dosa (coke-you doe-sah) -- A method of off-balancing and pinning your partner with your "ki" instead of your physical power.
Kohei (ko-hi) -- Junior or subordinate student.
Koshi (ko-she) -- Hips, waist (also spelled goshi).
Koshi-nage (ko-she-nah-gay) -- Hip throw.
Kote-gaeshi (ko-teh guy-eh-she) -- Wrist turn out throw.
Kyu (cue or kee-you) -- Aikido rank. A mudansha or undergraduate. Usually, goes from 5th kyu to 1st kyu.
Maai (mah-eye) -- Distance between uke and nage, meaning "harmony of space."
Men (men) -- Face or head.
Migi (mee-gee) -- Right direction.
Misogi (miss-o-gee) -- Purification.
Mitsuke (Mits-skay) -- Eye focusing & direction.
Mokuso (mock-so) -- Meditate.
Musubi (moo-soo-bee) -- Blending.
Nage (nah-gay) -- Throw or the person who throws.
Obi (oh-bee) -- Belt.
Omote (oh-moe-tay) -- Moving in front (forward).
O'Sensei (Oh-sen-say) -- The great teacher (in reference to Morehei Ueshiba, the creator of Aikido).
  
         
  Aikido Terms: R to Z   English Aikido Phrases & Terms  
  Randori (ran-door-ri) -- Multiple attack.
Rei (ray) -- Bow.
Ryote (ree-oh-tay) -- both hands.
Samurai (sam-oh-rye) -- Military retainer (feudal period).
Sempai (sem-pie) -- Senior student.
Sensei (sen-say) -- Teacher, instructor (not necessarily a martial arts sensai).
Seiza (say-zah) -- Formal sitting posture.
Shihan (she-han) -- Master instructor. A title reserved for the highest ranking teachers.
Shiho (she-ho) -- Four directions.
Shiho-nage (she-ho nah-gay) -- Four directions throw.
Shodan (show-don) -- First degree black belt.
Shomen(show-men) -- Front or top of the head.
Suburi (sue-boo-ree) -- A single movement using the ken or jo, done as a solo exercise.
Suwari waza (or Shikko) (sue-wah-ree wah-zah or she-ko) -- Sitting techniques.
Tachi (tah-chee) -- Japanese sword.
Tachi-dori (tah-chee door-ree) -- Sword disarming.
Taijutsu (tie-jut-sue) -- Body arts. The techniques of Aikido done without weapons.
Tai no henko (tie-no-hen-ko) -- The basic blending exercise. Tenkan exercise.
Tai sabaki (tie sa-bocki) -- Body movements.
Tanden (tahn-den) -- Point just below the navel. Your "one point" or "hara."
Tanto (tahn-toe) -- Wooden knife used for knife disarming techniques.
Te (Tay) -- Hand.
Tegatana (tay-gah-tah-nah) -- Hand blade. Sword edge of the hand.
Te kubi (tay koo-be) -- Wrist.
Tenchi (ten-shee) -- Ten = heaven, chi = earth. A position of the hands, one high (up) and one low (down).
Tenkan (ten-kahn) -- To turn.
Tsuki (t'ski) -- Thrust.
Uchi (ooh-chee) -- To strike.
Uke (ooh-kay) -- A person who attacks. Generally speaking, "uke" refers to the person being thrown.
Ukemi (ooh-kem-me) -- Break fall. The art of falling safely.
Ura sankapu (ooh-rah sahn-kop-poo) -- Reverse triangular stance.
Ushiro (ooh-she-row) -- Back, behind, rear.
Waza (wah-zah) -- Techniques.
Yokomen (yoh-koh-men) -- Side of the head.
Yudansha (you-don-sha) -- Black belt grade holder(s).
Zanshin (zahn-shin) -- Unbroken awareness & concentration.
Zazen (zah-zen) -- Sitting meditation.
   Blend -- To move with the attacker and not against your partner.
Cross swords -- To raise your arm(s) into the Ikkyo position (or exercise) in order to deflect your partner's attack.
Cut -- To use your whole body (not just your arm or sword hand) to cut as if you had a sword in your hand(s).
Dynamic -- The third (or advanced) level of Aikido practice where you move (immediately) or flow with your partner's attack. Instead of fighting against your partner's attack. Also, see Flow & Static.
Extend -- To stretch or extend your arm(s) like the ikkyo exercise. But not to lock your elbows. Your elbows are usually slightly bent in most technques.
Flow -- To move with and not against your partner's attack. Also, see Dynamic & Static.
Force against force -- When you're fighting against your partner's attack with your physical strength instead of your Aikido.
Hip -- To turn your hips or move with your hips. So that your whole body moves as one. Like a iceskater or dancer or swordsman.
Inside foot -- The foot closest to your partner whether throwing or pinning.
Inside hand -- The hand closest to your partner.
One point -- Your center of gravity. When you can move your whole body as one. You can perform powerful Aikido or any other martial art. See Hara.
Outside foot -- The foot farthest away from your partner whether throwing or pinning.
Outside hand -- The hand farthest from your partner.
Pivot -- To turn your whole body 90 or 180 degrees. See Tenkan.
Relax -- Not to totally go limp or dead. But to stop fighting your partner. And use your partner's attack to apply Aikido techniques.
Static -- The first (or beginner) level of Aikido practice where you let your partner attack strongly before applying Aikido techniques. At this level you want to develop form and power. Before dynamic practice. Also, see Dynamic & Flow.
  
         
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Last revised: 9/2/2001