Martial Arts Terms

General Terms | Greetings and Commands | Titles | Counting | Ranking | Parts of the Body

Stances | Blocking Techniques | Kicking Techniques | Punching/Striking/Techniques

Throws/Pins/Takedowns | Weapons

Philosophical Words


General Terms

Atemi strike vital area of body
Bushido way of the warrior
Chudan middle body
Dachi
stance
Dojo training hall
Gatame hold, immobilize, secure
Gaeshi reversal
Gedan lower body
Geri kick
Getsu moon
Gi practice uniform
Goshin self-defense
Gyaku reverse
Hakama pant-like skirt worn to hide foot movement
        The 7 pleats symbolize the
        virtues of budo:
        benevolence (jin)
        honor (gi)
        courtesy (rei)
        wisdom (chi)
        sincerity(shin)
        Loyalty(chu)
        Piety (koh)
Hakkoryu Eighth Light System of Jujutsu
Hara center of body; Source of ki; 2" below navel
Hidari left
Irimi entering
Jodan upper body
Jujutsu the art of gentleness
Katsu (kappo) resuscitation methods
Keage snap (kick)
Kekomi thrust (kick)
Ki spirit, life energy, vital force, intention
Kiai spirit yell
Kime focusing concentration and power
Kumite sparring
Kuzushi unbalancing
Maai distance between 2 persons
Mae front (kick)
Makiwara striking post
Mawashi circular
Migi right
Mochi hold/grip
Morote 2-handed hold on one hand
Nage throw
Obi belt
Osae pinning
Osae dori to grab or take by pinning
Otoshi drop
Randori multiple attack practice
Renshu to learn by repeating
Ryo both, two
Ryote both hands
Shiai contest/match
Shikko traditional manner of knee walking
Shime choke/strangle
Shinden shrine
Shomen top or front area
Shuchu concentration
Sui water
Suigetsu image/path of moon's light on calm water
Suigetsu solar plexus
Sute sacrifice
Tai sabaki body movement
Tenkan turning movement, 180 degrees
Tetsui hammer fist
Tabi indoor training shoe
Tobi jumping
Tori/Nage person applying technique
Uchi strike
Uke block
Uke person receiving technique
Ura back or flip side
Ushiro rear
Waza technique
Yoko side
Zuki/Tsuki punch

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Greetings and Commands

Domo arigato thank you
Domo arigato gozaimashita thank you very much (formal)
Hai yes
Hai, Sensei! Yes, Sensei (respectful answer to teacher)
Konnichiwa good afternoon
Kombanwa good evening
Ohayogozaimasu good morning
Onegaishimasu please help/teach me
Sayonara goodbye (leaving)
Sensei ni rei! bow to teacher
Shinden/Shomen ni rei! bow/salute to the shrine
Hajime begin to fight
Hantai opposite/reverse sides
Kioskay (stand at) attention
Maate stop/wait/halt
Mawate turn around or about-face
Mokuso Philosophical
Rei bow
Sabate kneel
Yoi get ready
Yame end/stop
Ukemi falls/breakfalls/rolling

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Titles

Dan black belt level rank
Dai Sensei the first instructor
Dojo Cho head of the dojo
Kyu class/rank below black belt
Mudansha student below black belt
Kohai/Roohai junior students (one of lower rank than oneself)
Seito pupil or student
Sempai senior students (one higher in rank than oneself)
Sempai title for junior black belt
Sempai title for mudansha instructor
Sensei teacher/instructor
Shihan Master (instructor), teacher of teachers
Shihan Kaiden Master appointed disciple of Hakkoryu Jujutsu
Yudansha black belt student

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Counting

1 Ichi 6 Rokku 11 Juichi
2 Ni 7 Shichi (Nana) 20 NiJu
3 San 8 Hachi 25 Nijugo
4 Shi (Yon) 9 Ku 98 Kujuhachi
5 Go 10 Ju 100 Hyaku

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Ranking

Shichi Kyu yellow belt 7th Jujutsu grade
Ro Kyu orange belt 6th Jujutsu grade
Go Kyu green belt 5th Jujutsu grade
Yon Kyu blue belt 4th Jujutsu grade
San Kyu 3rd level brown belt 3rd Jujutsu grade
Ni Kyu 2nd level brown belt 2nd Jujutsu grade
Ik Kyu 1st level brown belt 1st Jujutsu grade
Sho Dan 1st degree black belt 1st dan (level)

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Parts of theBody

Ashi leg/foot
Empi elbow
Haisoku instep
Hiza/hitsu knee
Kakato heel
Ken face
Kin groin
Koshi 1) hip 2) ball of foot
Kote wrist
Kubi neck
Miken eyes
Muni/Mune chest
Seio shoulder
Sode sleeve
Sokuto side, edge of foot
Taisho palm heel
Te hand
Ude arm
Yubi finger

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Stances

Kamae strong posture or physical stance/fighting stance
Musubi dachi attention stance, feet turned out
Hachiji dachi informal attention stance, feet apart
T-Dachi/Teigi dachi T stance
Kokutsu dachi back stance
Kiba dachi horse stance
Neko ashi dachi cat stance
Zenkutsu dachi forward stance
Seiza sitting
Suware waza kneeling techniques
Tachi waza standing techniques
Nage waza throwing techniques
Tsugi ashi a walking technique: to slide feet into position

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Blocking Techniques

Chudan uke middle area block
Gedan uke lower area block
Jodan uke upper area block
Juji uke cross (X) block
Morote jodan uke two hand upper block
Tekubi kake uke wrist hook block

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Kicking Techniques

Kake geri hook kick
Mae geri keage front snapping kick
Mae tobi geri jumping front kick
Mawashi geri roundhouse kick
Mawashi ushiro geri spinning back kick
Uchi mikazuki geri crescent kick (inside)
Soto mikazuki geri crescent kick (outside)
Ushiro geri kokomi back thrusting kick
Yoko geri kokomi side thrusting kick

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Punching (Zuki/tsuki)/Striking(Uchi) Techniques (Waza)

Choku zuki straight punch
Gyaku zuki reverse punch
Mawashi zuki roundhouse punch
Morote zuki double fist punch
Empi uchi elbow strike
Mawashi empi uchi roundhouse elbow strike
Otoshi empi uchi downward elbow strike
Tate empi uchi upward elbow strike
Ushiro empi uchi elbow strike backward
Yoko empi uchi side elbow strike
Haito uchi ridge hand strike
Ippon ken uchi one knuckle strike
Choken uchi wrist strike (underside of wrist)
Koken uchi wrist strike (top of wrist)
Koko uchi tiger mouth hand strike
Kumade uchi bear claw strike
Metsubushi blinding strike
Nakayubi ippon ken zuki middle finger one knuckle fist
Nukite uchi spear finger strike
Shuto uchi knife hand strike
Teisho uchi palm heel strike
Tetsui uchi hammer fist strike
Uraken uchi back fist strike
Yonpon ken uchi 4 knuckle strike

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Throws/Pins/Takedowns

Ippon seio nage one arm shoulder throw
Kubi nage neck throw
Morote seio nage 2 arm shoulder throw
Nage waza throwing techniques
O goshi nage major hip throw
O soto gari major outer reaping throw
Sute nage sacrifice throw
Tomoe nage stomach throw
Irimi nage entering throw
Kote gaeshi outward wrist twist technique
Mochi maware lead around; lift up and away
Shiho nage 4 direction throw
Okuri ashi barai foot sweep
Osae dori waza pinning/binding techniques (2nd level wrist bind techniques)
Kansetsu waza joint locking techniques (includes arm bars)
Shime waza choking techniques
Shodan waza set of first level wrist bind techniques

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Weapons

Arnis/Kali/Escrima art of stick and blade fighting
Arnis stick 18-24" stick
Bo 6 ft wooden staff
Bokken wooden practice sword
Chiburi removing blood from sword
Hanbo 3 ft wooden staff
Iaido art of drawing the sword
Jo 4 ft wooden staff
Katana long sword
Ninja Toh straight sword used by Ninja
Nunchaku short sticks attached by cord or chain
Sageo cord on saya
Saya scabbard
Shinogi back side of sword
Shuriken star or spear-shaped throwing weapon
Tanto dagger/knife
Tsuba sword guard
Tsuka handle of sword
Wakizashi short sword

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Philosophical Words

Agatsu: "self victory". The true victory of self-mastery.

Budo: Martial way. The character 'bu' means "stop" and (a weapon like a) "halberd". Combined with 'do', it is the assumption that the best way to prevent violent conflict is to emphasize the cultivation of the individual character; taken in the sense of avoiding violence so far as possible.

FudoShin: "immovable mind". In this state, the mind is calm and undistracted. To cultivate fudo shin is to cultivate a mind that can accommodate itself to changing circumstances without compromise of ethical principles.

Misogi: cleansing, spiritual cleansing; ritual purification; as a matter of one's attitude or approach to training, rather than an objective feature of the training itself.

Mushin: "no mind". A state of cognitive awareness characterized by the absence of discursive thought. Not the same as a state of spontaneity. When in a state of Mushin, one is free to use concepts and distinctions without being used by them.

Nintai: The ongoing pursuit of your life's ideals, challenges and dreams with utmost patience, perseverance, endurance.

Setsuzoku: Connection. The connection between one's hara and the outer limits of the movement; or between one's hara and that of one's partner. On a psychological level, the relationship of action/response between oneself and one's partner.

Shugyo: Intensive training (spiritual, mental, physical, ascetic); the "day to day struggle"; lifelong discipline; the work of education to refine and purify the quality of life.

Zanshin: the complete and continuous awareness of one's surroundings

 

Emphasis - Physical Training
Emphasis - Mental and Spiritial Training
  1. Breathing
  2. Focus of sight
  3. Balance
  4. Flexibility
  5. Muscle tone for strength
  6. Speed (of execution)
  7. Exactness of technique
  8. Conditioning of the hands, feet, and joints.
  9. Conditioning of the body through diet and training
  10. Body control
  11. Awareness
  12. Full physical commitment
  1. Determination
  2. Patience
  3. Persistence
  4. Modesty
  5. Respect
  6. Courage
  7. Sincerity
  8. Responsibility
  9. Experience
  10. Discipline
  11. Self-sacrifice
  12. Breathing (for inner strength)
  13. Inner strength, outer calm
  14. Oneness with and reverence for nature
  15. Integrity

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