Aikido Terms

Some terms common to all Aikido.

For a “A ‘relativly’ easy guide to pronunciation“ try http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~bestor/easy_pronunciation.htm

We added some pronunciation help in parentheses.

aihanmi shite (stay) and uke (oo kay) are in the same stance (e.g. both in right stance).
anza cross-legged sitting position
arigato gozaimashita thank you very much!
ashi foot, step
ate hit
atemi hit, punch
awase harmoniously meet
aya across
ayatemochi cross grasp (e.g, shite’s right hand grabs uke’s right hand)
aya yoke cross block (e.g, shite’s right hand blocks uke’s right hand)
bokken wooden practice sword
budo japanese arts or ways developed from the fighting methods of the samurai. aikido is a form of budo
buki weapons
chinkon meditation (exercise)
dai number (e.g. dai ichi = number one)
dakishime hug
do way or path
dogi training uniform (clothing worn while studying a way)
dogi no totonoete fix your uniform
dojo a place (or hall) to study a way
do kaiten degrees of pivot
dosa movement
erimochi collar grasp
fumikomi cross-step in
gaeshi (kaeshi) returning, turning
gaiwan outside of one’s arm
gaji uchi
ganmen face
giri cut
gyaku opposite
gyakuhanmi shiite and uke in opposite or mirroring stance
gyakute grabbing with thumb down or inwards
hajime begin!
hanmihandachi shite sits, uke stands
hanpuku repeat
happo giri eight directional cut
harai tsuki
hashu giri eight kinds of cuts in eight directions
hidari left
hiji elbow
hijiate hitting elbow
hiji osae elbow control
hijshime elbow lock
hikiashi step back
hikiashi kotai cross-step back
hiriki no yosei elbow power
hirakimi stance with hips and shoulders facing between 0 degrees and 90 degrees to the front (between kamaemi [basic stance] and hitoemi [side-facing stance])
hirakiashi open step
hitoemi side-facing stance with shoulders and feet on one line, body facing 90 degrees from front
hitoemi yoke first kyu evasion (also called fumikomi yoke, cross-step in evasion)
hiyaku ukemi jumping breakfaiis
hiza knee
hizagiri kneecut
hiozauchi hitting knee
hojo dosa supplemental movement, as when uke goes to the side of or behind shite for the next movement
hyakuhachijudo kaiten 180 degree pivot
ikkajo first control
ipponken one knuckle punch
iriminage step-in throw
irimi tenkai nage step-in throw with pivot on back foot
irimi tenkan nage step-in throw with body change
irimizuki step-in thrust
jo wooden staff
juji crossed arms
jujinage arms-cross throw
juji yoke armcross block
junte grabbing with thumb on top or to outside
kaeshi (gaeshi) turning, returning
kaiten circling, pivoting
kaitennage rotary throw
kaiten yoke second kyu evasion (pivot evasion)
kakari geiko round robin training
kamae basic stance
kamaemi stance with hips and shoulders facing square to the front
kanren wan applied technique
kata shoulder
katahizatsuki one knee down
kata mochi shoulder grasp
katate mochi one-wrist grasp
katate one hand
kihon basic
kihon waza basic technique
kimusubi-gate technique with harmonizing key
kiri/giri cut
koho kaiten ukemi backward roll
koho ukemi back breakfall
kokyu breath
kokyu-ho breath method
kokyu nage breath throw
kotai change
kote wrist
kote gaeshi reverse hand throw (turning wrist throw)
kumi technique with partner
kuzushi advanced movement
kyu rank below black belt
kyuju go do kaiten 95 degree pivot
ma-ai appropriate or harmonious distance
meimoku close your eyes
migi right side
mochi grasp
mokuso close your eyes and review
mune chest
nage throw
nido two times
nikkajo second control
osae control, pin
osu budo salutation, with many meanings : hello! goodby! i am ready! etc
otagai ni rei bow to each other (as a group)
oyo variation or advanced version
rei bow
renzoku continuation
roppo six basic fighting stances
ryote both wrists
ryohizatsuki both knees down
sando three times
sankajo third control
sankaku yoke triangle block
seiretsu line up seiza, kneeling position
senaka back
sensei teacher
sensei ni rei bow to the teacher
shihonage all direction throw
shikko knee walking
shite person who performs the technique
shitei waza previous technique
shomen front
shomen ni rei bow to the front
shomenuchi front strike
sotai walking together
shumatsu dosa after-class exercise
sokumen iriminage side-step-in throw
soto outside
suriage from under, raising up
suigetsu solar plexus
suwariwaza kneeling technique
tachi sword
taihenko body change
tandoku solo
tanto wooden knife
tegatana knife-edge of hand
tegatana-ate strike with knife-edge of hand
tenchi nage heaven-and-earth throw
tenchi mochi heaven-and-earth grab
tenkai pivot
tenkan body change
tenoshita kuguri duck under arm
tobikoshi ukemi breakfalls jumping over something
tsugiashi shuffle step
tsuki (zuki) thrust
uchi strike
ude arm
udegarami nage arm lock throw
ude osae arm control
uke person who receives the technique
ukemi breakfall
undo exercise
ushiro behind, back
ushirowaza behind technique
yame stop
yoke protection, block, evasion
yokomen side
yonkajo fourth control
yonbon four points
yonshu four ways
zanshin remaining attentive, especially at the end of a technique
zenpo kaiten ukemi forward breakfalls
zujomawashi turn above the head (spinning uke)
zuki (tsuki) thrust