JAPANESE TERMS USED IN AIKIDO
PRONUNCIATION KEY
You can enjoy pronouncing
(and understanding) the Japanese terms used in the dojo if you get off to a good
start in learning the sounds. The pronunciation of Japanese words is very
simple. Basically every sound used in Japanese is either one of the five Latin
or Spanish vowels, or a syllable combing a consonant with such a vowel. The
only free standing consonant sound is the nasal letter "n". The consonants of
Japanese are generally pronounced as those of English accept for the legendary
"R & L" problem. The English "L" sound is much closer to the correct
sound than our "R" so we recommend pronouncing an "L" when reading the letter "r" in the
standard transliteration systems. The vowels are pronounced as follows:
|
A |
- "ah" - "eh" - "ee" - "oh" - "oo" |
as the A in father as the E in met as the I in marine as the O in oboe as the U in rule |
In the following list, an easy-to-follow but unorthodox pronunciation guide uses English sounds to help you get a feel for the proper pronunciation of Aikido technical jargon and other useful Japanese words.
| COUNTING | |||||
| Sino-Japanese Counting | |||||
|
ichi ni san shi go |
(ee-chee) (nee) (sahn) (shee) or (yoh) (goh) |
one two three four five |
roku shichi hachi ku ju |
(low-koo) (shee-chee) or (nana) (hah-chee) (koo) (joo) |
six seven eight nine ten |
|
Native Japanese Counting |
|||||
|
hi fu mi yo i |
(he) (fwho) (me) (yoh) (ee) |
one two three four five |
mu na ya ko to |
(moo) (nah) (yah) (koh) (tow) |
six seven eight nine ten |
| Japanese Phrases That Are Used in the Dojo | ||
| arigato gozaimasu | (Ah-lee-gah-toh Goh-zah-ee-mahss): | Thank you |
| arigato gozaimashita | (Ah-Lee-Gah-Tow Goh-zah-ee-mah-shee-tah): |
Thank you very much
for what you have done. This is said to the teacher by all the students at the end of each class. |
| onegai shimasu | (Oh-nay-guy-ee Shee-mahss): |
I request your favor.
i.e. Would you practice with me? Spoken when one wishes to practice with another student. |
| abunai | (Ah-boo-nah-ee): | "Danger!", Look out!, Be Careful! |
| hajime | (Hah-jee-may): | Begin! Start, execute (imperative) |
| yame | (yah-may): | Stop!, Cease! (imperative) |
| DIRECTIONS OF AIKIDO TECHNIQUES | ||
| irimi | (Ee-lee-mee): | entering (common in Omote Waza) |
| tenkan | (Ten-kahn): | Turning (common in Ura Waza) |
| omote waza | (Oh-moh-tay Wah-zah): | any technique which goes in front of uke. |
| ura waza | (Oo-rah Wah-zah): | any technique which goes behind uke. |
| BASIC AIKIDO TECHNIQUES - Movements for the 'Nage' (thrower) Side | ||
| gokyo | (Goh-kyoh): |
"5th
technique" Defense against an overhead knife attack. Similar to Ikkyo. Formal Name: Ude Nobashi - Arm Stretch |
| ikkyo | (Eek-kyoh): |
"1st technique" Basic
pinning technique of rolling the arm over forward from below to the front,
pinning uke face down. Formal Name: Ude Osae - Arm Pin |
| irimi nage | (Ee-lee-mee Nah-gay): | Technique where you enter behind uke and throw him by breaking his balance backward. |
| juji-gatami nage | (Joo-jee Gah-lah-mee): | A throw done by crossing uke's arms in an 'x' and then throwing. |
| kaiten nage | (Kah-ee-ten Nah-gay): | Technique where uke's arm and body is revolved for a throw. |
| kokyu dosa | (Koh-kyou Doh-sah): | Seated exercise used to develop ki extension and body coordination. |
| kokyu nage | (Koh-kyou Nah-gay): | A class of timing throws involving little or no pressure to uke's joints. |
| koshi nage | (Koh-she Nah-gay): | Hip throw; a judo-like throw using the hip as a fulcrum. |
| kotegaeshi | (Koh-tay-Gah-ee-shee): | Throw accomplished bending uke's wrist inward, vertically against inside of forearm. |
| nikyo | (Nee-kyoh): |
"2nd technique"
Bending uke's wrist outward and horizontally against inside of forearm. Formal Name: Kote Mawashi - Wrist Turn |
| sankyo | (Sahn-kyoh): |
"3rd technique" Technique that twists uke's wrist and arm along the central axis of the arm. Formal Name: Kote Hineri - Wrist Twist |
| shiho-nage | (Shee-hoh Nah-gay): | The "four way throw". Nage leads uke's arm up over his head, taking uke's hand back to his shoulder for the throw or pin. |
| tai no henko | (Tie Noh Hen-koh): | "Body Changing", turning exercise, basic blending practice. (see footwork diagrams) |
| tenchi nage | (Ten-chee Nah-gay): | Heaven and Earth throw. Nage takes one hand downward as the other moves up to throw uke in a manner similar to Irimi Nage. |
| yonkyo | (Yoh-n-kyoh): |
"4th technique"
Arm pin accomplished by pressure on nerves on the inside of uke's wrist. Formal Name: Kote Osae - Wrist Pin |
|
AIKIDO TRAINING ATTACKS - Movements from the 'Uke' (receiver)
Side |
||
| ai-hanmi katate-tori | (Ah-ee Hahn-mee Kah-tah-tay Tow-Lee): |
one wrist grasped from
matching stance, i.e. uke's left grasping nage's right or visa versa [see kosa tori] |
| daki-jime | (Dah-key Jee-may): | bear hug, usually from the rear |
| ganmen tsuki | (Gahn-men Skee): | punch with fist to nage's face; also sometimes simply men tsuki |
| hiji tori | (Hee-jee Tow-lee): | elbow grab |
| kata tori | (Kah-tah Tow-lee): | shoulder grab |
| katate tori | (Kah-tah-tay Tow-lee): | one hand grab; left hand grasping right wrist or visa versa |
| kosa tori | (Koh-sah Tow-lee): |
cross hand grab; left
hand grasping left wrist or visa versa [see ai-hanmi katate-tori ] |
| men tsuki | (Men Skee): | punch or thrust to the head or face; also called ganmen tsuki |
| men uchi | (Men Oo-Chee): | strike to the head |
| morote tori | (Moh-low-tay Tow-lee): | both hands grasping; uke grabs one wrist with both hands |
| mune tsuki | (Moo-neh Tsue-key): | strike with fist to nage's abdomen; also sometimes simply tsuki |
| muna dori | (Moon-ah Doh-lee): | lapel grab |
| ryohiji tori | (Lee-yoh-hee-jee Tow-lee): | both elbows grasped; uke takes one of nage's elbows in each hand |
| ryote tori | (Lee-yoh-tay Tow-lee): | both hands grasped; uke takes one of nage's wrists in each hand |
| shomen uchi | (Sho-men Oo-chee): | front strike to top of nage's head |
| ushiro-eri dori | (Oo-shee-low Eh-lee Doh-lee): | collar grab from the rear |
| ushiro hiji tori | (Oo-shee-low Hee-jee Tow-lee): | elbow grab from the rear |
| ushiro kubi-shime | (Oo-shee-low Koo-bee She-may): | choking with one arm around the neck from the rear, and the other hand usually grasping a wrist |
| ushiro ryokata tori | (Oo-shee-low Lee-yoh-kah-tah Tow-lee): | both shoulders grabbed from the rear |
| ushiro ryote tori | (Oo-shee-low Lee-yoh-tay Tow-lee): | both wrists grabbed from the rear |
| ushiro tori | (Oo-shee-low Tow-Lee): | grasping from the rear; also rear bear hug [see daki jime] |
| yokomen-uchi | (Yoh-koh-men Oo-Chee): | oblique strike to the side of nage's head |