A
age: rising, upward ago: chin ai: union, meeting; harmony aiki: harmony, union of energies aikido: way of harmony; Japanese martial art of joint locking and throwing aiuchi: simultaneously striking (each other); clash aka: red ashi: leg, foot ashi-barai: foot sweep atama: head ate: hit, strike, smash atemi: hit to body awase: combined, joined together ayumi: walking, stepping
B
barai (harai): sweep basami (hasami): scissors bo: staff, long stick used as weapon bokken: wooden sword (katana) usually used for practice bu: martial; war budo: martial way; way of war bunkai: analysis; study of kata applications buse (fuse): lay down bushi: warrior bushido: way of the warrior; warrior code
C
chakugan: focus attention; viewpoint; looking at your opponent chi gung (qigong): (Chinese) breath skill, breathing exercises to promote internal energy development chika-ma: short distance choku: direct, straight chuan fa: (Chinese) fist way; Chinese martial art of striking and kicking, also known as kung fu or wushuchudan: middle level chui: warning; usually the second warning in a competition match
D
dachi (tachi): stance; standing dai (tai): big; great; body dan: level daoshi (taoshi): topple, make fall deshi: student do: path, way; torso dogi (gi): training uniform dojo: place for studying the way; the room in which one practices budodomo arigato: thank you dori (tori): hold, grab; attacker, the one applying the technique to the ukedosoku: across torso dozo: please
E
embusen: line on floor; performance line of a kata, kata floor pattern empi (hiji): elbow ensho: heel eri: collar
F
fudo: unmoving, rooted fukushin: corner judge, assistant judge fumikomi: thrusting step, stomp kick furi: swinging fuse (buse): lay down
G
gaeshi (kaeshi): reversing, returning gaijin: outsider, foreigner, non-Japanese gaiwan: outer forearm garami (karami): entangle, entwine gari (kari): cut, reap gassho: joined palm gasshuku: special training camp gatame (katame): lock, hold, tighten gedan: lower level geiko (keiko): training, practice geri (keri): kick gi (dogi): training uniform go: five; after go-no-sen: seize the initiative later, usually involving a defense and then a counterattack goshi (koshi): hip; ball of the foot guruma (kuruma): wheel gyaku: reverse, opposite
H
hachi: eight hachiji: shape of character for hachi (8) hadaka: naked hai: yes haishu: backhand haisoku: instep of foot haito: sword-ridge;ridge-hand haiwan: back-arm, back of forearm hajime: begin hakama: traditional pleated pants worn by budo students han: half hangetsu: half-moon hanmi: half-body, body turning hansoku: rule violation; disqualification from a competition event hantai: opposite side; opposition hantei: decision hara: stomach, belly harai (barai): sweep harakiri: belly cut; form of ritual suicide hasami (basami): scissors hayai: quick, fast; early heian: peace and stability; peaceful mind heiko: parallel heisoku: closed feet, feet together henka: change sides; variation of a form or technique hidari: left hiji (empi): elbow hiki: pull; retreat hikiashi: pulling foot, pulling leg hikite: pulling hand hikiwake: tie, equal, draw hineri: twisting hiragana: written symbols used as part of the Japanese writing system hiraken: flat fist, fore-knuckle fist hiraki: lateral dodging hitai: forehead hiza: knee hodoki: freeing hokotenkan: changes in direction honbu: headquarters
I
iaido: way of harmony in action; Japanese martial art of drawing and cutting with the sword ibuki: breath; forced abdominal breathing usually accompanied by throat contraction and guttural sound ichi: one ikken-hissatsu: one fist certain kill, to kill with one blow inyo: symbol of the JKA ippon: one point, one side, one step, etc. ippon-ken: one-knuckle fist irimi: body entering
J
jiku-ashi: pivot leg; supporting leg jime (shime): strangulation, choking jinchu: philtrum area just above upper lip, part of the maxilla jiyu (jyu): freestyle, free jiyu-ippon-kumite: 1-step free sparring, semi-free sparring jiyu-kumite: free sparring jo: short wooden staff jodan: upper level jogai: out of bounds ju: soft, gentle; ten judo: gentle way; Japanese martial art of wrestling juji: cross, shape of character for ju (10) jujutsu: gentle art; Japanese martial art of striking, grappling, and joint manipulation jun: follow, chase; corresponding to jutsu: art, technique, skill
K
kachi: victory, win; value, merit kaeshi (gaeshi): reversing, returning kafukubu: abdomen kagi: hook kaikomi: lifting the knee high and tucked in close to body (preparing for kick) kaisho: open hand(s) kaiten: rotation kakato: heel kakiwake: wedge; push aside; separate kakuto: crane-head; back of wrist kamae: posture, position, guard kamaete: go into position kanji: Chinese script used as part of the Japanese writing system kansetsu: joint; joint locking kao: face kara: empty karami (garami): entangle, entwine karate (karate-do): empty hand; Japanese martial art of punching, striking, and kicking karateka: student of karatekari (gari): cut, reap kata: form, shape, pattern; one side; shoulder katakana: written symbols used as part of the Japanese writing system katame (gatame): lock, hold, tighten katana: Japanese single-edged curved sword, preferred weapon of the samuraikeage: snap kick; rising kick keiko (geiko): training keikoku: caution; usually the first warning in a competition match keimochi: Okinawan noble class keito: chicken head kekomi: thrust kick ken: fist; sword kensei: diversion, feint; sword saint, title given to a warrior of legendary skill in swordsmanship kendo: way of the sword; Japanese martial art of fencing kentsui: hammer-fist keri (geri): kick ki: internal energy, spirit, breath (pronounced chi in Chinese) kiai: union of energy; spirit yell kiba: horse-riding kihon: basic, fundamental kihon-gohon-kumite: basic 5-step sparring kihon-ippon-kumite: basic 1-step sparring kihon-sanbon-kumite: basic 3-step sparring kiken: withdraw, retreat; forfeit (a match) kime: focus; to decide; deciding factor; winning move kinteki: testicles, groin region ki-o-tsuke: ready at attention (in musubi-dachi) kirigaeshi: returning cut kirikae: switch, change kirikae-ashi: switch the feet kiritsu: stand up kitsutsuki: woodpecker kizami: jab; to nick, notch, or carve out; cutting; attacking with the lead hand or leg ko: small kobudo: ancient martial arts; the study of ancient weaponry kohai: junior student koho: rear, behind, back direction koko: tiger-mouth kokoro: spirit, heart kokutsu: back bend kokyu: breathing komi: thrust, drive forward kosa: cross koshi (goshi): hip; ball of the foot koshiki: traditional, old style kote: wrist kubotan: self defense keychain developed by Takayuki Kubota kudaki: crush; break into pieces kumade: bear-hand kumi: meeting; grip kumite: sparring; meeting of hands kung fu (gung fu): (Chinese) great skill; martial art of striking and kicking, also known as chuan fa or wushukuro: black kuruma (guruma): wheel kutsu (kussu): bend kuzushi: unbalancing an opponent; demolish, collapse kyoku: extreme; ultimate kyu: rank; non-black belt; nine kyusho: pressure point
L
M
ma: distance maai: proper meeting distance between two partners mae: front maki: roll up, wrap makiwara: rolled straw; striking post manji: swastika; swirling, vortex matte: stop, wait mawashi: rotating, turning; circular mawate: turn men: face mienai: could not see migi: right mikazuki: crescent-moon mizu-nagare: water flowing mokuso: meditation morote: both hands, double-hand moto-no-ichi: back to starting positions muboubi: defenseless mudansha: student possessing kyu level, not black belt mugorei: without count, no count mukae: meet; go ahead muki (muke): facing, direction mune (muna): chest mushin: no mind, without thought muso: incomparable musubi: united
N
nagashi: flowing nage: throw, projection naiwan: inner forearm nakae: enter the fighting area nami-gaeshi: returning wave naname: diagonal naore: recover nei chia: (Chinese) internal styles (of martial arts) neji: twisting, spiralling neko-ashi: cat-leg ni: two nigiri: control nukete-masu: off target attack nukite: spear-hand
O
o: big, great obi: belt okuri: sliding; sending omote: front; facing; exterior osae: pressing; holding, immobilizing oshi: pushing osu (oss): word of acknowledgement used in many karate dojo (implies “yes, I understand”) otagai: mutual, each other otoshi: falling, dropping oyo: application (of kata)
P
pankration: (Greek) all powerful; a “no rules” match of striking and wrestling introduced in the 33rd Olympics
Q
qigong (chi gung): (Chinese) breath skill, breathing exercises to promote internal energy development
R
randori: taking chaos,grasping freedom; freestyle practice rei: bow; respect ren: alternate, consecutive renoji: L-shape, shape of character for reroku: six ryo: both, two ryoken: both fists ryosho: both palms ryosoku: both sides ryu: school, style ryuun: current clouds, flowing clouds
S
sabaki: shifting, dodging, displacing sagiashi: crane-leg sakate: throat saken: left fist samurai: to serve; ancient Japanese warriors san: three sanchin: hour-glass; 3 wars sankaku: triangle sasae-ashi: supporting leg sashi: stealthy sasho: left palm seiken: fore-fist seiritsu: line up seiryuto: ox-jaw; sabre seiza: sit correctly; kneel (position before and after budo class) sempai: senior student sen: before; advance; reaction; initiative sen-no-sen: seize the initiative earlier, usually involving a simultaneous counter-attack sen-sen-no-sen: seize the initiative in anticipation of opponent’s attack (before the actual attack) sensei: born before; teacher senshu: competitor sentei: selection, grouping seppuku: ritual suicide shi (yon): four shiai: match, contest shichi (nana): seven shihan: teacher; master teacher shihon: four directions, four points, etc. shikkaku: disqualification (from entire tournament) shime (jime): strangulation, choking shinai: practice sword made out of split bamboo, usually used in kendoshiro: white shitei: designation; mandatory shizen: natural sho: palm; small shobu: contest, match shodan: first level black belt shomen: front; top of head shoto: pine waves, whispering pines; Gichin Funakoshi’s pen-name shugo: meeting shuto: sword-hand, knife-hand shuwan: anterior forearm sode: sleeve soete: added hand soku: foot sokumen: side sokuto: blade of foot soto: outside, exterior suihei: horizontal suigetsu: solar plexus sukui: scooping; spoon sun: unit of length, about 3 cm sun-dome: to stop a technique just before making contact suri (yori): sliding, gliding sutemi: abandon body; sacrifice throw suwari: kneeling
T
tachi (dachi): stance, standing tadzuna: bridle, reins tai (dai): big; great; body tai chi (tai chi chuan): (Chinese) supreme ultimate (fist); Chinese internal martial art performed very slowly tai-sabaki: body shifting, dodging tameshiwari: breaking test; breaking bricks, wood, etc. tanden: center of abdomen, body’s center of energy tanto: short sword, knife, dagger taoshi (daoshi): topple, make fall tatami: training mats; straw mats tate: vertical; stand; build te: hand te-hodoki: hand freeing teinoji: T-shape, shape of character for teiteisho: palm-heel tekki: iron horseman tekubi: wrist ten: sky, heaven; universe tenkan: divert, turning, circular movement tettsui: iron hammer, hammer-fist tenbin: balance to-ma: long distance tobi (tobikomi): leap, jump, fly tobu: head tode: Chinese hand; Okinawan martial art preceding karate tokui: favorite; best, one’s specialty tora: tiger tori (dori): hold, grab; take; attacker, the one applying the technique to the uketorimasen: did not take; competitor did not receive a point, no point tsugi: follow; shuffle (shuffle step) tsukami (zukami): grasp, grip, grab tsuru: crane tsuki (zuki): punch; thrust tsuzukete: continue, keep going; resume fighting
U
uchi: inside, interior; strike, hit uchikomi: driving, pounding in; repeated practice without completion ude: arm uke: block; receive; defender, the one receiving the technique from the toriukemi: break-falling, body receive uken: right fist uke-tsuki (tsuki-uke): block-punch ukete-masu: blocked attack unsoku: footwork, movements of feet ura: opposite, reverse, inverted, back uraken: backfist ushiro: back, behind, rear usho: right palm
V
Vrajmushti: (Indian) thunderbolt fist or diamond fist; martial art of India focusing on grappling and striking
W
wai chia: (Chinese) external styles (of martial arts) wakizashi: Japanese short sword, smaller version of the katanawan: arm washide: eagle-hand waza: technique, skill waza-ari: half point; technique occurred wushu: (Chinese) martial arts; martial art of striking and kicking, also known as kung fu or chuan fa
X
Y
yakusoku-kumite: announcement sparring yama: mountain yame: stop, finish yasume: relax, rest yin yang: (Chinese) symbol representing the duality of nature yoi: ready yoko: side, sideways, lateral yori (suri): sliding, gliding yowai: weak; fragile yubi: finger yudansha: student possessing dan level(s), black belt yumi: bow (i.e. as in bow and arrow)
Z
za: sit zanshin: remaining mind, relaxed state of readiness zenkutsu: front bend zukami (tsukami): grasp, grip, grab zuki (tsuki): punch; thrust