Uechi-Ryu Karate-do — Kobudo — Aikido — Glossary

Glossary

This glossary explains how we use the Japanese terms in class. Sometimes, this may differ from mainstream Japanese, either because the usage is specific to martial arts, or because we don't use the words in the same way they would be used in Japan.

Counting

Ichi — One Ni — Two San — Three Chi — Four Go — Fice Rokyu — Six Shichi — Seven Hachi — Eight Ku — Nine Ju — Ten

Ju ichi — Elven Ju ni — Twelve Ni ju — Twenty Ni ju ichi — Twenty-one Ni ju ni — Twenty-two Yon — Alternate four Nana — Alternate seven Happo — Alternate eight

General Vocabulary

Ashi — Step

Bo — A staff about six to eight feet long.

Boken — A wooden practice sword meant to substitute for a real katana.

Budo — Martial way. Implies both actual technique and training methods, as well as ettiquette and philosophy.

Bunkai — Application. For example, a kata may show an abstract movement; that movement might have several bunkai or applications in a specific situation.

Bushkin — A way to hold the hand for striking, where one strikes with the base of the the thumb held palm.

Dan — A word referring to ranks or grades starting at black belt. The first degree black belt is shodan, followed by nidan, sandan, yondan, godan, rokyudan, shichidan (sometimes referred to as nanadan), hachinan, kudan, and judan. Not all martial arts organizations use 10 degrees of black belt, however, and in some the highest dan ranks wear other colored belts.

Dai — Original. First version.

Dai — A connector word that holds phrases together.

Dogi — Training uniform which looks like white pajamas.

Dojo — Training hall, both literally in the sense of the physical space, and metaphorically in the sense of the group of people who train together.

Dohai — Ones peers in the dojo, to whom one is neither senior nor junior.

Eku — A hand weapon based on an oar, and having a very similar appearance to an oar.

Gendai budo — A modern martial art, intended for practice and self-improvement, rather than direct and immediate application in combat or on the battlefield as were the old styles.

Geri — Kick. For example shomen geri is a front kick.

Gi — The white pajama-like uniform uniform, short for dogi.

Hajime — Command used by the referee in sparring practice to tell the practioners to begin sparring.

Hara — The center of the body, just below the navel. This is literally the center of mass in the physics sense, as well the metaphorical center.

Hiji — Elbow.

Hojo undo — Basic exercises or drills.

Jifa — A small hand weapon.

Jo — A staff about 50 inches long.

Jutte — A short truncheon, often made of metal.

Kamae — Stance, position, posture.

Kata — A pre-arranged series of movements meant to teach the principals of a martial art. Often called a form in English. Uechi-ryu katas are practices alone; Aikido katas are practices in pairs with an uke attacking and a tori defending.

Katana — A single edged sword, with a blade approximately three feet long, and gently curved. Sometimes referred to as a "samurai sword." This is the longer of the two swords traditionally worn by a samurai.

Kokyu — Breath.

Kumite — Literally, a fight, but in practice used to mean a set of Uechi-ryu exercises where one partner attacks the other in a certain way, and the other partner defends in a certain way. There are two major sets of kumite practiced, the kyu kumite learned prior to black belt, and the dan kumite which are learned as one prepares for black belt.

Kihon — Basic, in the sense of being fundamental. Often refers to specific movements or drills meant to teach a particular movement or lesson.

Kai — As a suffix can mean a building or refer to the organizaiton or activity conducted in that building. Many martial arts dojos are called something-kai, and the organization is then called the same. For example, Kenyukai is school of the hard fist.

Kohai — Those junior to one in the dojo, to whom one is responsible for giving guideance and ensuring that they are progressing well, understand the rules of the dojo, and so forth. See also sempai

Kote — the small of the hand, that is the base of the hand immediately adjecent to he wrist.

Kotekitai — exercises practiced in Uechi-ryu to strengthen and various parts of the body.

Koryu — Old or ancient. Also refers to old styles of martial arts before they were modernized.

Kyu — A word that refers to ranks before black belt. For example, san-kyu would be third kyu, or third degree brown belt. Kyu ranks start with the highest number and count down to one, ikkyu, the rank immediately before black belt.

Kuzushi — Taking of balance.

Mawashi — Turning or twisting. For example, mawashi tsuke, turning punch in the hojo undo.

Mu — Absense, negation, no.

Nekko — Cat. For example, nekko no kamai is "cat stance."

No — A connector word that holds phrases together. For example, "koryu no kata" is "old style kata"

Nukite — A striking position with the hand, where the hand is held essentially flat, with the tip of the fingers being the striking surface.

Nunchuku — A weapon consisting of two very small (approximately twelve inch) staves connected by a short cord or chain.

Obi — Belt.

Rei — Bow.

Renshi — Very high honorific for an instructor, higher than than the Shihan title.

Riiken — A backfist punch.

Reishiki — Ettiquette, or formal rules of behavior. Often refers to activities like

Ryu — Literally a stream. Refers to a continuous style of practice passed down from master to student. For example, Uechi-ryu has been passed down starting with Kanai Uechi.

Ryuha — A subdivision of a ryu with its own identity, but still recognized as being a part of the overall ryu.

Sanchin — One of the fundamental katas of Uechi-ryu. Literally translates as "three conflicts."

Sai — A hand weapon that looks like has handle, with a central shaft about 12 inches long, and two shorter side shafts. Usually made of metal.

Seiza — Kneeling Japanese style with the knees slightly spread, weight back, and the feet together in back.

Sempai — Ones senior in the dojo, to whom one looks for guideance. The sempai/kohai relationship is integral to many organized social activities in Japan. Generally whomever starts first is sempai to those who come after, although rank may play a role.

Sensei — Teacher, instructor. Literally, "one who has gone before."

Shihan — Honorific for a master teacher.

Shokken — A fist formed with the knuckle of the first finger extended, and used as a precise striking surface for vital points.

Shomen — Front. A dojo has a formal front (often with a small shrine, or other objects of importance), refered to as the shomen. Also, this can generally refer to simply the direction of the front.

Shikkyo — Walking on ones knees.

Shuto — Blade hand. The shuto position is a flat, open hand, usually used to strike with the surface of the base of the hand on the little finger side.

Tanto — A knife.

Tsuki ashi — Walking so that the back foot never passes in front of the front foot. Sometimes called a "slide step" in English.

Tori — In paired katas, the partner will will execute the technique and defeat the partner

Toro — Tiger. For example, toro no kamai is "tiger stance".

Tsuba — the hand guard, a small metal (or plastic in the case of wooden practice weapons) that separates the blade from the handle.

Tsuke — A straight forward attack, whether with a fist or other weapon.

Uke — In paired katas, the partner who will "receive" the techinique and be defeated by it.

Ukemi — The practice of falling, and more generally, the practice of being uke in katas.

Umi ashi — Walking normally, so that the left foot passes the right, then the right foot passes the left.

Ura — Behind or reverse.

Waza — A techinque.

Wakazushi — The shorter of the two swords generally worn by a samurai.

Wauke — A circular blocking motion included in several of the Uechi-ryu kata.

Yame — Command used by the referee in sparring practice to tell the practioners to stop immediately.

Yari — A spear.