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 :-)
Aikido.mp3Dojo - training hall
Dojo.mp3Kata - predetermined set of movements to drill as part of training
Kata.mp3Suburi - repetitive weapon training exercise
Suburi.mp3Hajime - begin, sometimes used to signal the start an exercise or kata
Hajime.mp3Yame - stop, sometimes used to signal the end an exercise or kata
Yame.mp3Mokuso - meditation/contemplation
Mokuso.mp3Keikogi - training clothes
Keikogi.mp3Obi - belt
Obi.mp3Hakama - pleated traditional Japanese trousers
Hakama.mp3Bokken - wooden sword used for training
Bokken.mp3Jo - short wooden staff used for training
Jo.mp3Tanto - wooden training knife
Tanto.mp3Tori or Nage - both terms are used to describe the person performing a technique, counterpart to uke
Tori_Nage.mp3Uke - the person receiving the technique, counterpart to tori/nage
Uke.mp3Ukemi - the skill of safely receiving a technique, how to fall or escape
Ukemi.mp3Onegaishimasu - please (let's train), usually said to each other at the start of a class or to signal readiness to a training partner
Onegaishimasu.mp3Domo arigato gozaimashita - thank you very much, usually said to each other at the end of a class
Domoarigatogozaimashita.mp3