Japanese
Terms
This is a short list of some of the Japanese terms used in our Dojo. If you don't know what a word means in class, ask the instructors for a translation!
Club Name
Inukshuk - stone statues that the Inuit people build in the arctic
Bushido - the code of ethics practiced by the Bushi (the officer class of Samurai)
Kai - club or organization
Ichi - One
Ni - Two
San - Three
Shi - Four ("yon" also means four and is more common because "shi" also means "Death")
Go - Five
Roku - Six
Shichi - Seven
Hachi - Eight
Kyu - Nine
Ju - Ten
- Dan - Level
- Dojo - Place of practice
- Domo-arigato - Thank you
- Domo-arigato-gozaimasu - Thank you very much (said at the end of
- lass to other students)
- Gi - Training Uniform
- Gyaku - Reverse
- Hajime - Start/Begin
- Jujutsu - The gentle art/supple art/flexible art/Pliant art/soft art
- Jujutsuka - Practitioner of Jujutsu
- Kata - Pre-arranged series of techniques
- Kiai - Shout with vital energy
- Kiwotsuke - attention (the 'w' is silent)
- Kyu - Coloured belt
- Mate - Wait, stop
- Mokuso - Meditation
- Mushin - No-mindedness
- Rei - To bow
- Seiza - Formal kneeling position
- Sempai - Senior student(s) in the dojo
- Sensei - Teacher
- Sempai-ni-rei - Bow to senior student
- Sensei-ni-rei - Bow to teacher
- Shihan - Master (6th Dan and up)
- Tori - Student demonstrating a technique (literally "defender")
- Uke - opponent to tori in a demonstration (literally "Receiver")
- Yame - Stop
- Ashi Sabaki - Stances & Movement
- Atemi waza - Striking Techniques
- Goshin waza - Self-defense techniques
- Happokuzushi - 8-directions of breaking balance
- Irimi - Entering movement
- Katame Waza - Ground fighting/immobilizing techniques.
- Keri waza - Kicking techniques
- Kuzushi - Breaking balance
- Nage waza - Throwing techniques
- Newaza - Ground techniques
- Osae waza - controlling techniques
- Randori - Sparring
- Shikko - Knee walking
- Shime-waza - Choking techniques (Shime is often also spelled Jime)
- Sutemi-Waza - Sacrifice techniques
- Tai Subaki - body movement
- Tenkan - evasion movement, 180 degree pivot step (literally "divert")
- Tsuke waza - fighting techniques
- Uke Waza - Blocking Techniques
- Ukemi - Breakfalling (literally uke = "to recieve", mi = "body")
- Yawara Waza - keychain techniques
- Ko - small, minor
- O - large, major
- Soto - outer
- Uchi - inner
- Waki - side
- Yoko - reverse
- Uki - floating
- Eri - Lapel
- Hiza - knee
- Kata - shoulder
- Koshi/Goshi - hip
- Kote - wrist (literally small-hand)
- Mata - groin
- Seoi - carry on the shoulder
- Shuto - knife-hand, also known as karate chop
- Tai - body
- Te - hand
- Ude - arm
- Yubi - finger
- Bo - six-foot staff (full name is rokushakubo)
- Bokken - wooden practice sword
- Hanbo - three-foot staff (literally half-bo)
- Jo - four-foot staff
- Katana - Japanese sword
- Tanto - dagger, one of the weapons Jujitsu was originally designed to defend against