Terminology
What Do All These Words Mean?
Learning martial arts can involve getting your head around a confusing number of new words and phrases. This isn't an exhaustive list, but it hopefully gives you an idea about some of the most commonly used terms. You can read a brief description for each and/or click on the sound samples below to hear them read aloud.
AikidĹŤ - a Japanese martial art :-)

Dojo - training hall

Kata - predetermined set of movements to drill as part of training

Suburi - repetitive weapon training exercise

Hajime - begin, sometimes used to signal the start an exercise or kata

Yame - stop, sometimes used to signal the end an exercise or kata

Mokuso - meditation/contemplation

Keikogi - training clothes

Obi - belt

Hakama - pleated traditional Japanese trousers

Bokken - wooden sword used for training

Jo - short wooden staff used for training

Tanto - wooden training knife

Tori or Nage - both terms are used to describe the person performing a technique, counterpart to uke

Uke - the person receiving the technique, counterpart to tori/nage

Ukemi - the skill of safely receiving a technique, how to fall or escape

Onegaishimasu - please (let's train), usually said to each other at the start of a class or to signal readiness to a training partner

Domo arigato gozaimashita - thank you very much, usually said to each other at the end of a class
