Glossary of Japanese Terms

KANJI: Sei - Shin - Kan

This  Nippon Budō Seishin-Kan website makes extensive use of Japanese terminology since we are, after all, presenting Japanese and Okinawan budō and martial arts, as well as extensive information on Japanese history, culture, and institutions.  While we endeavor to explain terms that may be unfamiliar as we present them, it is not always possible to do so—especially with so many Japanese words in widespread use within the martial arts community.  Recognizing that not every visitor to our site is familiar with common martial arts terminology we have developed this glossary of Japanese terms that are used frequently throughout it.

In addition to the general terms presented on this page, we also have a pronunciation guide and glossaries of terminology specific to the following:
 n Karate-dō
 n Okinawa Kobujutsu
 n Nippon Budō
 n Aiki-jūjutsu

We hope you will find this information useful, and we welcome your suggestions (to our Webmaster) for additions or changes to this glossary.

Common Japanese Terms Used on This Site

 

[Aa]   [Bb]  [Cc]  [

D  [Ee]  [Ff]  [Gg]  [Hh]  [Ii]  [Jj]  [Kk]  [Mm]  [Nn]  [Oo]  [Pp]  [Rr]  [Ss]  [Tt]  [Uu]  [Ww]  [Yy]  [Zz]

Japanese English
Term (Rōmaji) 日本語 Pronunciation Equivalent
   
agura 胡坐 ah-goo-rah sit cross-legged
age 上げ ah-geh upward, rising, lifting
ago 顎 ah-go chin
aisatsu 挨拶 eye-sahts courteous (formal) greetings
aiuchi 合い打ち eye-oo-ch' simultaneous strike(s), mutual kill
aka 赤 ah-kah red
ashi 足 ah-sh' foot, feet
ashikubi 足首 ah-sh'-koo-bee ankle, ankles
ashita 明日 ah-sh'-tah tomorrow
atama 頭 ah-tah-mah head
bōgu 防具 bow-goo protective equipment
bōgyo waza 防禦技 bow-gyoe wah-zah defensive technique(s)
chanbara, chambara ちゃんばら chawm-bah-rah swordplay
choku 直 choke straight, direct
choku-geri 直蹴り choke-gary straight kick, forward kick
choku-zuki 直突き choke-zoo-key straight punch
chūdan 中段 chew-dawn middle level, mid-height
dan 段 dawn level, step
danketsu 団結 dawn-ketts unity, togetherness
dantai 団体 dawn-tye group, team, together
dōjō 道場 doe-joe training place
embu 演武 em-boo performance of bujutsu
embusen 演舞線 em-boo-sen line or sequence of performance
empi 猿臂 em-pee elbow
empi-uchi 猿臂打ち em-pee oo-ch' elbow strike
fudo 不動 foo-doe immovable
fudo-dachi 不動立ち foo-doe-dotch' immovable stance
fudoshin 不動心 foo-doe-sheen immovable or indomitable spirit
futari 二人 f'-tah-ree two people
futari geiko 二人稽古 f'-tah-ree gay-koe training with a partner
gasshuku 合宿 goss-shoo-k' training camp
geri 下痢 geh-ree diarrhea
gi 着 gee clothing, uniform
go 五 go five
gobu-zuki 五部突き go-boo zoo-key five-inch punch
goshin 護身 go-sheen self defence
goshin jutsu 護身術 go-sheen jewts' self-defence technique(s)
gyaku 逆 gyah-koo reverse, opposite direction
gyaku-zuki 逆突き gyah-koo zoo-key reverse-hand punch
hai はい high yes
hairei 拝礼 high-ray reverential bow (to founder, dojo emblem, dignitaries, etc.)
haishu 背手 high-shoo flat of the hand (back)
hajime 始め ha-jee-meh begin, start, firt time
han 半 hahn half
hana 鼻 haw-naw nose
hana 花 haw-naw flower
hanmi 半身 hahn-mee half-turned body
hantai 反対 hahn-tye switch (hands, feet, places, etc.)
hara 腹 haw-raw abdomen
hasami 鋏 haw-saw-mee scissors
hasami-uke 鋏受け haw-saw-mee oo-kay scissors-block
heiko 平行 hey-koe parallel
heisoku 平足 hey-soak' feet side-by-side
heihō 兵法 hey-hoe military methods (martial arts)
henka 変化 hen-kah variation, alteration
hidari 左 hee-daw-ree left
hiji 肘 hee-jee elbow
hiji-ate 肘当て hee-jee ah-tay elbow strike
hiki 引き hee-kee pulling
hikite 引き手 hee-kee-teh pulling hand
hikiwake 引き分け hee-kee-wah-kay drawn match, tie game
hiku 引く hee-koo to pull
hira-basami 平鋏 hee-raw bah-saw-mee flat scissors (open hand with thumb protruding)
hira-ken 平拳 hee-raw ken flat fist ( fingers curled at middle joint)
hiza 膝 hee-zaw knee
hiza-geri 膝蹴り hee-zaw geh-ree knee-strike
hō 法 hoe method, technique
ichi 一 each' one
ie いいえ ee-eh no
ii いい ee good
ippon 一本 eep-poan one point
itadaku 頂く ee-tah-daw-koo to receive (a gift, etc.)
itai 痛い ee-tye painful
jaken 邪拳 jaw-ken evil fist
jōdan 上段 joe-dawn upper level
jōsokutei 上足定 joe-soak'-tay instep, top of the foot
jōzu 上手 joe-zoo skillful
jumbi 準備 joom-bee readiness
jun-zuki 順突き joon-zoo-kee punch with same-side hand as lead foot
kagami 鏡 kah-gah-mee mirror
kansetsu 関節 kahn-sets' joint
kakete 掛け手 kah-keh-teh hand
kakato 踵 kah-kah-toe  heel
kasokutei 下足定 kah-soak-tay ball of the foot
kata 肩 kah-tah shoulder
kata 型 kah-tah pattern of techniques
katachi 形 kah-tah-ch' pattern of movements
katate 片手 kah-tah-teh one-handed
ken 剣 ken sword
ken 拳 ken fist
kentsui 拳鎚 ken-tsoo-ee hammer-fist (bottom of fist)
keri 蹴り keh-ree kick, kicking
kerikata 蹴り方 keh-ree kah-tah kicking methods
ki 気 kee spirit
kihaku 気迫 kee-hawk' intense spirit
kime 気目 kee-meh focus, precision
kobushi 拳 koe-boo-sh' fist
koken 弧拳 koe-ken bent-wrist fist
koko ここ koe-koe here
kokoro 心 koe-koe-roe heart
kokoro-e 心得 koe-koe-roe-eh principles, precepts, ideals
kono この koe-noe this
kore これ koe-reh this
koryū 古流 koe-r'yoo old style, old school, ancient ways
kōsa 交叉 koe-saw crossed (wrists, legs, arms, fingers, etc.)
kote 小手 koe-teh wrist or forearm
ko-uke 弧受け koe oo-keh bent-wrist (top of the wrist) block
   
   
   
   
   

 

More complete glossaries of terms used in a variety of martial arts are available in our members' area.

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