Click on any of the following letters to go to the corresponding set of terms and definitions on this page. If you have any questions then feel free to Email me.

A

Ai

meeting, joining, harmony

Aikido

the way of being one with energy

Ai hanmi

mutually agreeing stance (both uke and nage lead with same foot)

Aikidoka

person who practices Aikido

Aikitaiso

mind-body coordination exercises

Atemi

strikes to vital areas, used as a part of Aikido technique

Awase

meeting or coming together

Ayumi ashi

normal stepping, as in walking

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B

Bo

wooden staff, usually 72"

Bokken

wooden sword

Bokken tori

sword taking technique; also called tachitori

Bokuto

wooden sword

Bu

martial

Budo

martial way

Budoka

a practitioner of budo

Bushi

warrior class

Bushido

way of the warrior

Butsudan

"Buddha shelf"; a Buddhist shrine, often placed at the front of a dojo influenced by Buddhist tradition

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C

Cho

chief or head

Chudan

middle position

Chuden

middle hand stance

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D

Dame

incorrect, bad

Dan

black belt ranks

Do

way or path

Dogi

training uniform

Dojo

place of enlightenment; training hall

Dori

sieze or grasp

Doshu

master of the way; currently Kisshomaru Ueshiba

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E

Eri

collar

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F

Fudo

immovable e.g. - fudoshin, immovable mind; fudo not shisei, immovable posture

Funa kogi undo

rowing exercise

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G

Gaeshi

reversal

Ganmenuchi

thrust to the face

Gedan

low position

Gi

training uniform

Giri

cut

Gokkyo

fifth teaching

Gyaku

reverse or opposite

Gyaku hanmi

mutually opposite stance (nage and uke lead with different feet)

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H

Hai

yes

Hakama

divided skirt

Hanmi

half-body stance

Hantachi

half-standing (kneeling position)

Hanmi hantachi waza

techniques performed by a kneeling nage against standing uke

Hantai

opposite or reverse

Happo undo

eight direction exercise

Hara

the lower abdomen; the seat of correct breathing and of internal power

Hasso

a stance with the bokken or jo held vertically extending up from the shoulder

Heiho

strategy

Henka waza

"changing technique"; changing between various applications of a technique in practice

Hidari

left

Hiji

elbow

Hitai

forehead

Hito e mi

one layer of the body

Hiyoshigi

wooden clapper

Hiza

knee

Ho

method

Hoho

check

Hombu

headquarters

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I

Ii

good

Iie

no (interjection)

Ikkyo

first teaching

Irimi

entering

Iriminage

"entering throw"

Irrashaimasu

welcome

Isshin den shin

"from mind to mind"; the way in which knowledge is said to be transmitted from teacher to pupil.

Itai

painful

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J

Jiyu

free (as in free technique)

Jo

short wooden staff (usually 50")

Jodan

upper position

Jo dori

jo taking technique

Jo nage

throwing with the jo

Joseki

upper (senior) side of mat area; facing shomen, joseki is the right side

Joza

upper seat, where the instructor sits

Jujinage

crossed arms throw

Juji Garami

entwined arm throw

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K

Kaeshi waza

counter technique

Kaitso

founder

Kaitennage

rotary throw

Kakarai geiko

group practice

Kamae

stance or position

Kami

diety, spirit, divine being; a Shinto term

Kamiza

"god seat"; shrine or front of dojo, if Shinto influenced

Kan

a house or hall; also, intuition

Kata

shoulder; also, a form used in training - e.g. bokken kata

Katatori

grasping the shoulder or lapel

Katate

forearm area

Katate kosa

cross hand grab with single hand

Katate ryotetori

on wrist grabbed by both hands

Katame waza

pinning technique

Katana

a type of long sword, worn edge upwards

Ken

sword

Ki

spirit, vital force, energy

Kiai

explosive projection of energy in the form of a shout or yell; also refers to the energy level or feeling of a person or thing

Ki musubi

linking one's energy with that of the opponent

Kiri

cut

Kirigaeshi

a suburi exercise of continuous yokomen and gyaku yokomen strikes

Ko

back or rear when describing an object

Kohai

junior

Kotai

movement to the rear

Kote

back of hand

Kotegaeshi

"back of hand out-turn", a throwing technique

Kokyu

animating breath; also used to imply timing

Kokyudosa

breath or timing exercise

Koshi

hip

Koshinage

hip throw

Kuden

oral instruction

Kubi

neck

Kubishime

choking the neck

Kumitachi

sword against sword

Kumijo

jo against jo

Kyu

ranks below dan grade

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L

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M

Mai-ai

distance

Mae

front or forward

Meiso ho

meditation exercise

Men

head

Migi

right

Misogi

purification practices; often refers specifically to a breathing technique

Mochi

grasp

Morote tori

see Katate ryotetori

Mune

chest

Mune tsuki

thrust to the chest

Mushin

"no-mind"; a state of mind free from obstruction or attachment to thoughts or happenings

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N

Nage

throw; also, the person executing the throw

Nikkyo

second teaching

No

an article indicating possesion or connection e.g. - chudan no kamae: "stance of middle position"

Ni

a directional indicator e.g. - shomen ni rei: "bow to the front"

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O

Obi

belt

Omote

front

Orenaite

unbendable arm

Osae

pin e.g. - ude osae: arm pin

O-Sensei

"venerable teacher"; refers in Aikido to Morihei Ueshiba

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P

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Q

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R

Randori

multiple man attack (lit. "siezing chaos")

Rei

bow

Ritsurei

standing bow

Ryote

both hands

Ryotetori

grasping both hands

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S

Sama

formal term of respect

-San

suffix, expression of respect (informal)

Sankakutal

triangular stance

Sankyo

third teaching

Sayu

side

Seika no itten

the "one point"; see tanden

Seiza

formal kneeling position

Senpai

senior

Sensei

instructor (lit. "born before")

Shikko

walking on the kneew

Shihan

teacher of teachers (6^th Dan and above)

Shihonage

four corner throw

Shime

choking or strangling

Shimoza

lower seat; place where students sit; the wall opposite from kamiza or shomen

Shimoseki

junior area of mat; facing shomen, the left side

Shinai

bamboo training sword

Shinken

a live, stell swork; figuratively, implies seriousness and commitment

Shinken shobu

a fight to the death; figuratively, implies a situation requiring total abandon and concentration. The spirit of good practice should be shinken shobu.

Shinto

the native Japanese religion

Shisei

posture, body alignment

Shomen

front; the wall towards which students bow

Shomenuchi

overhead strike to the front of the head

Shugyo

intense physical/internal training to perfect character and realize one's true nature

Shuto

cutting strike with the edge of the hand

Sokumen Iriminage

side of the head entering throw

Suburi

"empty swing"; individual striking practice with a weapon

Suburito

A heavy bokken used for suburi, and sometimes for kumitachi

Sumi ashi

glide step

Sumi otoshi

corner drop, a throwing technique

Suki

opening or weakness, mental or physical, in an opponent's defenses

Suriashi

sliding foot

Suwari waza

techniques with both uke and nage in kneeling position

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T

Tachi

a type of long sword; technically refers to swords worn edge downward

Tachitori

see bokken tori

Taijitsu

unarmed body arts

Tai sabaki

body movement e.g. - irimi, tenkan

Tanden

(Chinese: tan tien); the "one point", the center of the body's gravity and source of spiritual power, located two inches below the navel in the center of the hara

Tanto

knife

Tanto dori

knife-taking technique

Tatami

mat

Te

hand (tewaza = hand technique)

Tegatana

"hand sword"; the manner in which the arm and hands are used in Aikido to move and strike

Tekubi

wrist (lit. "throat of the hand")

Tekubitori

wrist grab

Tenkan

"spinning change"; a turning body movement

Tenchinage

"heaven-earth throw"

To

sword; also, the article "and"

Tori

to grasp or sieze; also, the nage or defender

Toshu

without a weapon

Tsuba

sword hilt

Tsugiashi

slide step

Tsuki

thrusting attack, with fist or weapon

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U

Uchi

strike

Uchideshi

"inner disciple"; students living in a dojo and committed to full-time training, 24 hours a day

Ude

arm

Ude garami

arm-entwining technique

Uke

one who is thrown (lit. "one who receives")

Ukemi

"receiving body"; the art of falling and receiving techniques without injury

Undo

exercise

Ura

behind

Ushiro

from behind or rear

Ushirotori

any rear attack; often refers to bearhug. Other rear attacks include ushiroeridori, ushirotekubitori, ushirokubishime, ushirohijitori, ushirokatatori, etc.

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V

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W

Wa

harmony

Wakazashi

companion sword

Waza

technique

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X

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Y

Yame

stop

Yoko

side

Yokomenuchi

a strike to the side of the head or temple

Yubi

fingers

Yonkyo

fourth teaching

Yudansha

black belt holder, pl. yudanshi, group = yudanshakai

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Z

Zanshin

"remaining mind"; a continued extension of concentration, energy awareness at the conclusion of a technique and immediately afterward; the "follow through" of a technique

Zarei

sitting bow

Zazen

meditation posture, crosslegged with spine aligned

Zen

(Sanskrit "Dhyana", Chinese "Ch'an"); literally "meditation"; a school of Buddhism emphasizing personal, intuitive experience of reality, having a strong influence on Japanese thought and the martial arts

Zengo undo

forward - backward pivot exercise

Zori

sandals

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